There will be a fantastic opportunity next week to meet one of the legends of the brewing world at one of the finest breweries in Florida.

Charlie Papazian and I at Tampa Bay Brewing Co.

The American Homebrewers Association will hold its final AHA Rally of 2011 at Cigar City Brewing  in Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday, December 7, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The special guest will be none other than Charlie Papazian, renowned craft beer advocate, the president of the Brewers Association, founder of the AHA and author of such books as “The Complete Joy of Home Brewing,” now in its third edition and part of nearly every U.S. homebrewer’s reference library.

He also founded the Great American Beer Festival and hands out the awards every year. Oh, and he’s a nuclear engineer. And I had a chance to meet him this summer when he made a brief visit to the Tampa Bay Brewing Company. I shook his hand and chatted just a bit, and he was kind enough to pose for a photo with me.

The rally is free for AHA members, but you can download a membership form from the AHA website to bring with you and join the association at the event. Space is limited, so registration is required.

Also attending will be Steve Parr, AHA business coordinator, as well as Cigar City staffers and plenty of local homebrewers. The organizers promise great prizes from AHA and Cigar City, as well.

Click here for more information or to register.