For many people, the word “homebrewing” summons a haze of sepia-toned nostalgia: Neighbors sneaking through the night with bottles tucked beneath their arms. Bathtub gin bubbling away behind barn doors, and the general sense that someone, somewhere, is about to be chased by a trench coat-wearing revenue agent.
Or, if you’ve logged too many late-night hours watching the Discovery Channel, it brings to mind the premise of “Moonshiners,” a couple of dudes in overalls distilling questionable concoctions in rusty bathtubs somewhere deep in the Appalachian Hills: Complete with clouds of steam, clinking mason jars and the looming threat of spontaneous blindness from improperly distilled hooch.
Homebrewing in Colorado couldn’t be further from the world of hidden stills and midnight chases. In Colorado, homebrewing is a warm, sweetly scientific pursuit. For the few thousand brewers living in the Centennial State, it’s a ritual that has more in common with baking sourdough or crafting a perfect espresso than dodging the law. Homebrewing in Colorado, even before it was legal, always leaned more “curious neighbor with a kettle” than “Appalachian moonshiner with a still.” In fact, today’s homebrewer is just as likely to debate yeast strains and hop varieties as a sommelier is to wax poetic about terroir.
Homebrewing, the small-scale craft of making beer, cider, or mead in-house, has a rich history in the United States. Though the practice was illegal for decades after Prohibition, President Jimmy Carter’s 1978 legalization sparked a modern resurgence that found fertile ground in Colorado’s curious, do-it-yourself culture. Central to this movement, the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) was founded right here in Colorado in 1978 by Boulder-based brewer Charlie Papazian, who also founded Denver’s iconic Great American Beer Festival.
The idea behind the Homebrewers Association was to foster community and promote education among fellow fermenters. Over time, the association would balloon into 37,000 members, launch its own magazine, Zymurgy, and play host to the world’s largest homebrew competition.
Under Executive Director Julia Herz’s leadership, the AHA entered a new era in 2025, becoming an independent nonprofit dedicated to supporting homebrewers across the U.S. and Canada, with events like Homebrew Con, Big Brew and Home Fermentation Day.
If you drink craft beer in Colorado, Herz’s name is probably already familiar. As a longtime homebrewer and industry advocate, Herz wears many hats — literally and metaphorically, as she’s often seen sporting an array of baseball caps and smart-looking fedoras. She brews in her backyard, writes and speaks about beer across the country, and co-hosts the YouTube series and podcast “Sense of Beer Style.” She also co-wrote the book “Beer Pairing: The Essential Guide from the Pairing Pros,” with co-author Gwen Conley, a guide that’s a staple for anyone trying to match a saison with a seared scallop. If you want to know what’s bubbling up in Colorado’s beer world, or where homebrewing is headed next, Herz is the person you call.
Herz’s introduction to homebrewing came through a lifelong fascination with beer’s diversity.
“Before I was even 10, I found myself thinking about different beers in different colors, in different packages, with all kinds of labels from around the world,” Herz said.
After starting with a Scottish ale homebrew kit at age 21, brewing alongside a friend, Herz was hooked.
Although her path to leading the AHA was unconventional. A broadcast journalism major who briefly worked for CNN in Washington, D.C., Herz left the newsroom to explore new adventures, which led her on a cross-country trip. Volunteering at the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado was a turning point.
“Volunteering at GABF blew my mind,” Herz said. “During that trip, I thought, maybe I’ll homebrew more, maybe I’ll work in a brewery, something like that.”
Drawn by the people, beer, geography and hiking, she settled in Colorado, eventually joining the Brewers Association and now executive director of the AHA.
Homebrewing remains robust in Colorado but faces a shifting landscape, she said.
“The homebrewing scene in Colorado is very active, and no one can dispute that, but changes have definitely been happening,” Herz said.
Aging hobbyists sometimes step back, and the wide availability of craft beer has changed how some engage with the hobby. Still, Herz said she sees opportunity ahead.
“The climate is actually poised for another resurgence,” Herz said. “We just announced our new vision: a homebrewer in every neighborhood, and a homebrew club in every community. That’s the new vision we’ll be working towards in the coming years and decades.”
Recently, the AHA split from the Brewers Association, marking a major shift — and a chance to refocus on growing the hobby from the ground up.
Herz said while brewing might start as a solo project in the kitchen or garage, it rarely stays that way.
“Often, you’ll invite people over to help with bottling,” Herz said, “or you’ll plan a ‘brew-in,’ where everyone brings their setup to one place and you all brew together. It’s really fun and very community-oriented, but also educational.”
Recipes are shared freely, much like family recipes passed down through generations.
“If you have a beer from another homebrewer and you love it, you just ask for the recipe and they’ll usually give it to you,” Herz said.
The AHA supports this sharing by offering thousands of recipes online, with access to those who subscribe, and publishes gold medal-winning recipes from the annual National Homebrew Competition.
Homebrewing’s appeal goes beyond the beer itself, though, Herz said. It offers a rhythm and meaning that contrast sharply with modern digital overload.
“We need good things, wholesome things, to take us away from the computer,” Herz said. “Homebrewing connects you not only to the process but to the community. Whether you brew with people or not, you’re almost always going to share it.”
In Herz’s community, she brings a homemade brew to neighbors to mark life’s milestones.
“When someone in my cul-de-sac has a baby or loses a loved one, I walk them over a homebrew, not a lasagna,” she said. “That’s meaningful.”
Honestly, who wouldn’t welcome a cold beer over a soggy grief casserole? The point is, the cycle of sourcing ingredients, brewing, bottling and sharing creates a nurturing rhythm amid the chaos of modern life.
Herz emphasizes the connection to place and ingredients as central to homebrewing’s spirit.
“Brewing also connects you to agriculture and ingredients,” she said. “Foraging is a big part of it for me. I love to make English bitters, and I’ve had a lot of fun working with foraged ingredients, like wild plums. I made a Belgian golden strong ale with them recently, just these beautiful purple plums I picked five minutes from my house. Right now, I’m noticing amaranth everywhere, those red leafy bushes. I haven’t brewed with it yet, but it’s on my list. I really love the intersection between the act of brewing and the ingredients that grow all around us.”
For those ready to dip a toe (or a mash paddle) into the hobby, there’s no shortage of help to turn to in Colorado. The American Homebrewers Association offers a deep well of resources, from directories that connect you to local supply shops and clubs to a vast collection of tried-and-true recipes for anyone eager to start brewing at home.
As Herz put it: “Brewing is for everyone. It’s one of the best ways — in my opinion — to discover your surroundings, work with your hands, connect with other people, and remember what it means to be human.”