Annie Johnson Named First Female Homebrewer Of The Year In 30 Years

It's a proud moment for woman brewers everywhere.

Annie Johnson of Sacramento, Calif. beat 3,400 entries to become the first woman in 30 years to win the Homebrewer of the Year award at the 35th Annual National Homebrewers Conference in Philadelphia. Johnson, 48, was not able attend the conference in order to take care of her father who is seriously ill in hospice care. She found out the winning news on Saturday night, reports The Sacramento Bee.

Johnson's prize-winning entry was her light lager, which won in 25 other style categories, taking the Best in Show award. This overall award then automatically designated her as Homebrewer of the Year.

"I knew my lagers were pretty good," Johnson said to the Sacramento Bee Sunday. When speaking about the winning light lager, she says, "It's definitely balanced. Because it's so light, you can't hide flaws in it."

Johnson is an active member of the beer judging and education circuit, and has been a competitive home brewer for years.