Annie Johnson (brewer) facts for kids

Annie Johnson is a super talented brewer who makes amazing beer! In 2013, she won a huge award called the Homebrewer of the Year from the American Homebrewers Association. This was a really big deal because she was the first woman in 30 years to win it, and the first African American person ever! She also won another important competition in 2012, the Pilsner Urquell's Master Homebrewer Competition. A famous brewer from the Czech Republic said her beer tasted just like home. Annie has worked for a company called PicoBrew, which makes cool machines that help people brew beer at home. She's also a top judge for beer competitions and helps other women in the brewing world through the Pink Boots Society. She writes for Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine too.

Annie Johnson's Early Life

Annie Johnson was born in Germany. When she was a child, she learned a lot about beer and food because of the culture in Europe. Her birth mother, Colette, was from Ireland and met Annie's father, who was an American soldier in Germany.

Colette decided to have Annie adopted by the Johnsons, who were her employers. Annie was adopted when she was just four days old. Her adoptive parents worked for the U.S. Department of Defense, which meant they traveled all over Europe. This allowed Annie to explore different food and beer cultures around the world. These experiences later inspired her to start brewing beer at home when she moved to the United States.

Annie was especially interested in her adoptive mother's collection of beer steins (fancy beer mugs). This fit perfectly with the exciting brewing scene in Europe.

How Annie Started Brewing

In 1999, Annie and her friends bought a home-brewing kit while they were living in Sacramento, CA. Annie tried making different kinds of beer, like American Lagers, Czech Pils, and American IPAs. She really loved home-brewing as a hobby.

When her friends moved away, they left all the brewing equipment with Annie, so she could keep brewing on her own. She also started entering different brewing competitions in California. Annie's first win was in 2001 at The California State Fair homebrew competition. She won with her American Amber Ale.

Just before she won the big National Homebrewer of the Year Award in 2013, Annie moved to Philadelphia. Around that time, she became very ill and was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, a health condition. Even with this challenge, she still won the national award! Soon after, she moved to Seattle to start her new job at PicoBrew. Annie has won awards for all kinds of beer styles in competitions.

Annie Johnson's Career

Annie Johnson worked as an Information Technology Specialist for the State of California from May 1994 to August 2011. After that, she moved to Seattle and became the Director and Brewmaster for PicoBrew. This company makes special equipment that helps people brew and distill drinks at home using digital recipes. Their goal is to make brewing easy and fun for everyone.

After moving to Seattle, Annie also started working as the Brewmaster for Bluebird Microcreamery and Brewery. This unique place is both a brewery and an ice cream shop, and they are known for their dessert beers. Annie worked with PicoBrew and Bluebird until 2020. In 2022, she returned to work for the State of California.

Annie Johnson's Achievements

Annie Johnson has achieved many great things in the brewing world:

• Her very first brewing competition was at the California State Fair in 2001. She won first place with her American Amber Ale. In 2014, she shared her recipe so others could try it.
• In 2004, Annie won the "Queen of Beer" award. She earned this by winning four first-place awards and being named "best in show" at a competition.
• In 2012, she entered and won the Pilsner Urquell’s Master Homebrewer competition in San Francisco, California.
• Annie's "Lite American Lager" and "Mow the Dam Lawn" beers helped her win the 2013 National Homebrewer of the Year award. She won against 8,200 other beers in that competition!
• Annie Johnson is a national judge for beer competitions and has created many recipes for PicoBrew's library.
• In 2019, Annie was given the 2020 American Brewers Guild scholarship.
• In 2020, Annie was chosen to be part of the American Homebrewer Association's Governing Committee, where she will serve for three years.

See also

In Spanish: Annie Johnson para niños