Here’s to BEER!

WANT TO JOIN THE ESCAMBIA BAY HOMEBREWERS CLUB? Visit their Web site for more info: www.escambiabayhomebrewers.org Beer, if you think about it, is much like a family member or friend.

What's helps you relax after a long day at work? What accompanies you to football games, concerts and the beach? What do you sometimes turn to when things go wrong?

The answer could as easily be beer as it could be your best friend, boyfriend or girlfriend, mother, father, brother or sister.

Some of the most revered people throughout history were supporters of beer, validating its consumption.

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy," said Benjamin Franklin.

"He was a wise man who invented beer," Plato supposedly quipped.

"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer," argued Abraham Lincoln.

With such praise from great men, there is no doubt this dynamic beverage, which comes in endless varieties, is something to be appreciated and enjoyed.

In fact, August 5 is designated as the official day to celebrate this wondrous brew. Dubbed International Beer Day, this glorious occasion forced me to ponder how I could deepen my relationship with what Shakespeare described as "fit for a King."

The answer was as clear as the glass pint housing my ale…

Homebrewing!

The tradition of homebrewing beer is literally as old as recorded history, beginning with the ancient Sumerians. It's a craft that has been shared by men of all ethnic background, religious and political inclinations, socio-economic status and beer style proclivity.

There is such a assembly of brewers living and brewing right here on the Gulf Coast – the Escambia Bay Homebrewers Association. The club, which is currently about 75 members strong, celebrates the brewing and tasting of quality beer. You may recognize them as the people behind Pensacola's annual Beer Fest at Seville Quarter (September 10).

On any given Saturday morning, President Pat

Johnson and a few of his buddies can be found at his 'man cave' overlooking Pensacola Bay.

"We don't care about what you

do for a living or where you come from; as long as you can brew good beer," said Johnson, who has been brewing for about 15 years.

After spending a morning with Johnson and a few of the other club members, it's apparent why these fine people are drawn to the brotherhood of brewing. The process is relatively simple, relaxing and not very time consuming.

"The key," Johnson explained, "is to determine what style of beer you're brewing. Educate yourself on what you like and why. Then you can start experimenting."

Brewing recipes and techniques are readily available with just quick search online. Once you've invested in the requisite equipment, you will be producing your own unique brews for less than $per bottle.

"The brewing possibilities are endless," Johnson said. "It's also much better value. You can brew some really good beer for the same price you would pay for Bud Light."

Whether or not you choose to join the noble fraternity of homebrewers, fill your vessel of choice with your preferred brew and celebrate International Beer Day.

If you're unsure of the purpose of such a holiday, let these helpful words guide you: "Fill with mingled cream and amber, I will drain that glass again. Such hilarious visions clamber through the chambers of my brain. Quaintest thoughts, queerest fancies, come to life and fade away. What care I how time advances? I am

drinking ale today," Edgar Allan

Poe.