Boulder, Colo.•   – Ken Grossman, co-founder and president of the Chico, Calif. based Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. will be the keynote speaker at the 31st annual American Homebrewers Association (AHA) National Homebrewers Conference, scheduled for June 18-20, 2009 in Oakland, Calif. An estimated 1,000 homebrewers are expected to attend.

Grossman began brewing on a five-gallon system after he was introduced to the homebrewing hobby by a friend. He went on to study chemistry and physics at California State University at Chico and opened The Home Brew Shop in 1976. Two years later he began work on what would become the  Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. The first batch of now famous Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was brewed on November 15, 1980.

”For me, homebrewing was my route to opening my brewery,” said Grossman. “The current level of knowledge, ingredient availability and innovation in homebrewing is still driving a lot of the creativity in the craft and larger brewing sectors.”

Attendees can plan on educational seminars as well as nightly activities including Pro Brewers Night and Club Night. The 2009 conference, to be held at the Oakland Marriott City Center , will feature inspiring and informative speakers from all arenas of the brewing world.

“I attended my first homebrew conference in the Bay Area in the mid-seventies, during that time I owned The Home Brew Shop,” said Grossman. “Just like now, it was an exciting time to be a homebrewer.”

Registration is now open for the conference and tickets are expected to go quickly. Information on the conference can be found at www.AHAconference.org.