Philly Beer History: George Hummel and Rich Wagner June 6, 2012

The craft brewing revolution started at home. In Philadelphia, it started at Home Sweet Homebrew, a small homebrew shop that has been fostering Philadelphia’s beer renaissance since 1986. Co-owner George Hummel has seen many homebrewers become pro brewers in the ensuing years. Before they were creating some of the highest quality beer you can buy off the shelf, people like Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Brewing and Tom Kehoe of Yards Brewing and Chris LaPierre of Iron Hill could be found in George’s shop buying grain and hops and discussing recipes. In "The Complete Homebrew Beer Book," George bottles all of the knowhow you need to get started making your own beer.

Before Prohibition, Philadelphia had one of the most vibrant brewing scenes in the Unites States. At the peak of brewing in Philadelphia there were more than 700 active breweries in the city. Rich Wagner is the foremost authority on the history of brewing in Philadelphia, giving tours, writing articles and self-publishing books on Philadelphia brewing history for decades. "Philadelphia Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Cradle of Liberty" marks his first publication with a major press and the most up-to-date history of brewing in Philadelphia currently available.

This event is part of Philly Beer Week 2012 and is sponsored by Home Sweet Homebrew