FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cindy Jones, Association of Brewers +1.303.447.0816 ext. 144, cindy(a)aob.org www.beertown.org _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ SWEET HOMEBREW CHICAGO American Homebrewers Association 2003 National Homebrewers Conference celebrates its 25th year - Chicago, June 19 - 20 Boulder, Colo. * March 24, 2003 - Five hundred of America's most passionate amateur brewers, beer enthusiasts and craft brewers will gather in Chicago at the Holiday Inn Chicago-O'Hare International June 19-21, 2003 for the 25th Annual American Homebrewers Association® (AHA) National Homebrewers Conference. The 25th AHA National Homebrewers Conference - Sweet HomeBrew Chicago - will celebrate its 25th anniversary by featuring special seminars and events that cater to beer enthusiasts and amateur brewers of every level. The conference is a fun, educational gathering designed to enhance homebrewers' brewing skills and knowledge and increase homebrewing camaraderie. The American Homebrewers Association is a division of the Association of Brewers, established 1978 in Boulder, Colo., U.S.A. In 1979, 200 people attended the first AHA National Homebrewers Conference held in Boulder, Colo. Now the conference is recognized as the world's largest-attended conference devoted to amateur brewers. "To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Association of Brewers and the AHA National Homebrewers Conference, new conference seminars and events were added, helping draw more people that previously didn't attend," said Charlie Papazian, homebrewing guru and founder of the Association of Brewers. "This year's conference will not only highlight its usual educational homebrewing seminars, but also seminars for beer enthusiasts and craft brewers." Beer enthusiasts and craft brewers are expected to attend this year's conference for the Beer, Food and More tastings and workshops June 21, 2003 1 - 6 p.m. Two Beer, Food and More tracks, Appreciation and Preparation, will be available: pairing chocolate with beer; introducing beer lovers to delicate wheat beers, to champagne-like lambics to chocolatey imperial stouts; and making sausage and cheese at home. Here are some exciting AHA Sweet HomeBrew Chicago SPECIAL events and seminars Visit www.beertown.org for up-to-date event and seminar schedule information. Thursday, June 19 CLUB NIGHT - 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. Picture a room full of homebrew and its brewers, with clubs putting their best on display, and you get to drink it all in. This year the clubs will really be trying to outdo each other, as there will be various prizes awarded for things like best booth, best beer and food pairing, and for the club that brings the most beer (you heard it right) to the conference. Friday, June 20 GRAND BANQUET A celebration of food, fun, and especially homebrew, topped by the crowning of this year's National Homebrew Competition winners. Sponsored by Rogue Ales and featuring Rogue's delightful beers as well as the Wall of Real Ale. We promise a few fun surprises, too! Saturday, June 21 BEER, FOOD AND MORE - 1-6 p.m. Series of tastings and workshops revolving beer and its best partner, food. Two tracks will be available, appreciation and preparation. APPRECIATION TRACK Beer & Chocolate. Learn some classic combinations and some principles of pairing. Beer, Glorious Beer. An introduction to the breadth and depth the world of beer has to offer, from delicate wheat beers, to champagne-like lambics to chocolatey imperial stouts. This is a world of beer most people never get to taste. PREPARATION TRACK Cheesemaking. A demonstration and introductory class on how to get started in this fascinating and growing hobby. Sausagemaking in the Home Kitchen. REAL BEER, REAL FOOD in conjunction with Slow Food USA - 7 - 11 p.m. Saturday evening will conclude the conference with a showcase presentation of the best in real ales* and unfiltered lagers, along with the best regional artisanal foods, held in conjunction with Slow Food Chicago. This will be a walkaround sampling/tasting event. *Real Ale - a draught (or bottled) beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide. Conference attendees save money when they register by May 14, 2003. American Homebrewers Association members receive additional registration discounts. To register, visit www.beertown.org or contact the Association of Brewers at 888.822.6273 (U.S. and Canada only) or +1.303.447.0816. The organizing committee currently includes Boneyard Union of Zymurgical Zealots (BUZZ), Brewers of South Suburbia (BOSS), Chicago Beer Society (CBS) and Urban Knaves of Grain (UKG). The 2003 National Homebrewers Conference sponsors are Rogue Ales and Wyeast Laboratories, Inc. _______________________________________________________________ Based in Boulder, Colo., U.S.A., the Association of Brewers (AOB) is a not-for-profit educational and trade association for small and craft brewers. Its mission is to make quality beer and brewing knowledge accessible to all. Visit the website: www.beertown.org to learn more. The Association of Brewers has an additional membership division of 8,000+ homebrewers: American Homebrewers Association. The association's activities include events and publishing: World Beer Cup®, Great American Beer Festival®, Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America®, National Homebrewers Conference, National Homebrew Competition and American Beer Month (July), Zymurgy magazine, The New Brewer magazine and books on beer and brewing. # # #