Charlie Papazian
Charles N. Papazian | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Warren Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Nuclear engineer, brewer, writer |
| Known for | Founder of the Association of Brewers; author of The Complete Joy of Home Brewing; founder of the Great American Beer Festival; initiator of National Pie Day |
| Notable work | The Complete Joy of Home Brewing |
Charles N. Papazian (born January 23) is an American professional known for his work as a nuclear engineer, brewer, and writer. He established the Association of Brewers and launched the Great American Beer Festival. Papazian is the author of The Complete Joy of Home Brewing (1984). From 1979 until 2016, he held the position of president of the Brewers Association. Additionally, he initiated National Pie Day, which is observed annually on his birthday.
Early life and career
Born in 1949 and raised in Warren Township, New Jersey, Papazian is of Armenian heritage. His father worked as a chemical engineer overseeing a manufacturing facility. Papazian earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Virginia in 1972.
While residing in Charlottesville in 1970, he began brewing beer after encountering a brewer who had practiced during Prohibition. Employed part-time as a janitor at a daycare center, he utilized his off-hours to brew beer there and shared brewing instructions as interest increased.
After completing his studies, Papazian relocated to Boulder, Colorado where he taught elementary school for a decade. Concurrently, he conducted weekly homebrewing classes from his kitchen, with one notable early student being Jeff Lebesch, who later co-founded New Belgium Brewing Company.
Brewing associations
Following President Jimmy Carter’s legalization of homebrewing in 1978, Papazian created the Association of Brewers in 1979 and directed it until its merger with the Brewers Association of America in 2005. Subsequently, he assumed the presidency of the unified Brewers Association.
In 1978, Papazian also founded the American Homebrewers Association (AHA), which is now incorporated within the Brewers Association. He was instrumental in establishing multiple industry groups and events such as the Institute for Brewing Studies, Brewers Publications, the Great American Beer Festival, the World Beer Cup, and Zymurgy magazine.
The AHA serves homebrewers specializing in beer, cider, and mead, operating the world’s largest homebrew competition and hosting significant events across both the United States and Canada. It publishes Zymurgy magazine six times a year to its membership base of approximately 47,000. The current director is Gary Glass.
Key annual AHA activities include the National Homebrew Competition finals held at Homebrew Con (formerly known as the National Homebrewers Conference) each June, Big Brew in May, Mead Day in August, and Learn to Homebrew Day every November.
The AHA presents the Ninkasi Award to the highest-scoring participant at the National Homebrew Competition. Competitors accumulate points across 23 beer categories as well as mead and cider entries; eligibility requires at least one beer placement. This award pays tribute to Ninkasi, recognized as the Sumerian goddess of beer.
Complete Joy of Home Brewing
Papazian’s The Complete Joy of Home Brewing was first published in 1984 with a foreword by esteemed British beer writer Michael Jackson. By August 2005, it had undergone 25 reprints across three editions and sold over 900,000 copies. The fourth edition was released in September 2014. As one of the earliest comprehensive American guides to homebrewing available to the public, it became an indispensable manual for beginner brewers and earned widespread recognition as the definitive "home brewer’s bible." Throughout this work, Papazian advocates a calm and easygoing approach encapsulated by his motto: "Relax. Don't worry. And have a homebrew." He has authored five additional books since then.
National Pie Day
National Pie Day was established by Papazian and is observed annually on January 23, coinciding with his birthday. Since 1986, the American Pie Council has officially sponsored this celebration. In 2014, the Council collaborated with Paramount Pictures to promote the movie Labor Day, which includes a pie-making scene that aligns with National Pie Day festivities.
Books
- Joy of Brewing, Copyright 1976, Log Boom Brewing, Boulder, Colorado
- The Complete Joy of Homebrewing (4th Edition),
- The Homebrewer's Companion,
- Brewing Mead: Wassail! In Mazers of Mead (co-written with Robert Gayre),
- Home Brewer's Gold: Prize-Winning Recipes from the 1996 World Beer Cup Competition (compiled by Charlie Papazian, no longer in print),
- Zymurgy For The Homebrewer And Beer Lover: Best Articles and Advice From America's #1 Homebrewing Magazine (edited by Papazian, out of print),
- Microbrewed Adventures: A Lupulin Filled Journey to the Heart and Flavor of the World's Greatest Craft Beers,
Personal life
Papazian lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife Sandra and their daughter Carla.