The Association of Brewers is a popular site on the Internet.

The Association of Brewers now has a site on the World Wide Web, and already boasts more than 500,000 "hits" on the site. The AOB web page provides information on beer, brewing and beer-related events. The site also provides details about the AOB's four divisions--the American Homebrewers Assoc., the Institute for Brewing Studies, Brewers Publications and the Great American Beer Festival.

"We're excited to bring information about beer and brewing to the Internet community," says Cathy Ewing, vice president of the Association of BRewers. "Many of our members have requested a way to access AOB facts and statistics electronically. With our new on-line area, we can give them more data than in the past, quickly and in an environmentally friendly way."

The AOB's web site is located at http://www.aob.org/aob and includes topics like the following. "Beer Basics--How to brew your first batch of beer"; a North American brewery list and a registered homebrew club list--each updated weekly; as well as a brewing glossary and a calendar of events.

The site also provides an on-line order sheet where visitors can order Great American Beer Festival tickets, purchase Brewers Publications books or join the American Homebrewers Assoc. or the Institute of Brewing Studies.

"The initial response to our web site has been fantastic," says Shawn Steele, the AOB's information services administrator. "Since the page went active in February, we've improved the items we offer, and we're constantly receiving positive feedback."

The AOB has plans to add ne features to the site, including a beer trivia game, a list of beer publications and award-winning homebrew recipes. Live updates from the Great American Beer Festival will also hit the site in October.