Brewing it for Ourselves A short guide to the long history of American homebrew

Brewing it for Ourselves

A short guide to the long history of American homebrew

America has a long history with home brewing beer. The pilgrims did it in Plymouth because it was considered safer than the questionable water of their adopted home. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson made beer at Mount Vernon and Monticello respectively.

Home brewing fits with the American sensibility: It’s an improvised, self-sufficient, penny-wise activity that was carried westward with the pioneers. Brewing remained an important part of American society right up until 1920, when the 18th Amendment, more commonly known as Prohibition, outlawed “the manufacture, sale, or transportation” of alcohol for “beverage purposes.”

Now, true, Prohibition couldn’t stop home brewing, but it certainly forced it underground. And even the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 couldn’t bring it back. When the hangovers lifted, it must have come as a surprise to find that while the new statutes allowed for home winemaking, they neglected to include beer brewing, an activity that continued to be illegal for the next 46 years.

Finally, in 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed H.R. 1337, which allowed for up to 200 gallons of beer for personal use per calendar year to be produced per household. Even before the law went into effect in February 1979, some former underground brewers in Colorado formed the American Homebrewers Association (AHA).

Home brewing fits with the American sensibility: It’s an improvised, self-sufficient, penny-wise activity that was carried westward with the pioneers.

America’s restrictive laws on home brewing prior to H.R. 1337 seemed to enforce some narrow tastes when it came to beer. In 1978, the year President Carter brought home brewers out of the closet, there were only 89 breweries in the U.S. Plenty of people across the country had continued making beer clandestinely since Prohibition, but few were able to pass along their experience to other would-be brewers. With the door opened and national organizations like the AHA in place, hobbyists were able to communicate with each other, repeating successes and avoiding mistakes. Odd and interesting experiments yielded both good and bad results, and the narrow range of tastes offered by Budweiser, Miller and Coors began to seem increasingly less satisfying.

In 1982 the annual Great American Beer Festival began in Colorado. In the ’80s and ’90s, driven in large part by the increasing ambitions of hobbyists, microbreweries began budding up across the country making innovative, traditional, and forgotten styles of beer that further stretched the American palate. Today there are well north of 2,000 small, medium and large-scale breweries in the U.S. According to the Brewers Association, the trade organization representing the majority of American breweries; you’d have to go back to 1887 to find a time when there were more. Though craft sales remain a small percentage of total beer sales (something like 5 percent), they command enough attention that large national brands have generated lines to appeal to the craft beer consumer—I’m looking at you, Rolling Rock and Black Rock.

As testament to how far home brewing has come, even the current President has gotten in the game, recently making a honey ale with honey from the White House beehives. Considering the number of founding fathers that have brewed, it’s amazing that the Obamas are apparently the only First Family to enjoy home brewed beer in the Oval Office.

Home Brewing: Soon To Be Legal In All 50 States

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Home brewing will become legal in all 50 U.S. states, if Alabama’s governor signs a recently passed bill. In March, Mississippi approved a bill that will take effect this summer.

iStockphoto.com

Home brewing will become legal in all 50 U.S. states, if Alabama’s governor signs a recently passed bill. In March, Mississippi approved a bill that will take effect this summer.

iStockphoto.com

The Alabama Legislature has approved a bill making it legal to brew beer at home, a practice that had been forbidden in the state. If Gov. Robert Bentley signs the bill, as is expected, home brewing will soon be legal in all 50 states.

Alabama lawmakers voted on the bill to legalize home brewing months after it was first introduced. And while it met with earlier debate and resistance, the arrival of the legislation — House Bill 9 — for a vote Tuesday night seems to have come to its supporters as a pleasant surprise.

Right To Brew, an advocacy group in Alabama, said that “after all hope seemed long lost, they brought up HB9 unexpectedly, out of the blue, and passed it 18 – 7 – 1 tonight, without a single word of debate. The Alabama Homebrew Bill has passed the Legislature!!!!”

Alabama had been in danger of becoming the only U.S. state in which it was illegal to brew beer at home. As we reported in March, Mississippi recently approved a home-brewing bill; Utah and Oklahoma enacted similar laws in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

If enacted, the new law would mean that Alabamans who make their own beer “will no longer have the fear of arrest hanging over their heads for simply participating in a hobby that is enjoyed by residents of 48 other states,” a representative of Right to Brew said in an email.

Home brewing has been growing in popularity along with the public’s surge in interest in craft brewing. But the hobby had long been either forbidden or in a legal gray area. It wasn’t until 1978 that it became legal under federal law.

The Alabama bill limits how much beer can be produced, and it forbids brewers to sell their beer. It also discourages stockpiling.

“The bill allows 15 gallons to be produced every three months,” says Republican Rep. Mac McCutcheon, who introduced the bill, “and there shall be no more than an aggregate amount 15 gallons of beer, mead, cider and wine stored in the home.”

Brewers must also keep their beers under the 14 percent alcohol by volume mark.

The Alabama legislation’s success was welcomed by the American Homebrewers Association, which has advised state groups of brewers.

“After five years of working with Alabama home brewers to legalize the hobby of home brewing in the state,” says AHA Director Gary Glass, “it is gratifying to see the Alabama Legislature finally pass a home-brew bill.”

Despite being passed by the state Legislature after Mississippi’s bill was approved, Alabama’s home-brewing bill may take effect first — the Mississippi legislation is scheduled to take effect this July.

Celebrate home brewed beer on May 4

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WARWICK — The Jockey Hollow Brewers Guild of Warwick will celebrate National Homebrew Day by hosting a “Big Brew Day” on Saturday, May 4, at Mistucky Creek Homebrew and Wine Making Supplies.

This outdoor event will include multiple beer-brewing demonstrations utilizing a variety of different types of home brewing setups. Demonstration will run from 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Home brewers, family, friends and enthusiasts are all encouraged to help out with the brewing activities, enjoy the fun and join in on a world-wide toast at noon.

Call Mistucky Creek Homebrew and Wine Making Supply if you would like to bring your own brewing equipment to this event. Brewing space will be limited and as a result will only be available to participants who receive approval in advance.

A charity BBQ will also be occurring between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., with all proceeds going to support the Warwick Valley Humane Society. Burgers, brat wursts and a variety of side dishes will be available, as well as refreshments for $5 to 7 per plate.

Mistucky Creek Homebrew and Wine Making Supply is located at 331 Route 94 in Warwick.

For more information, call 845-988-4677 or visit online at mistuckycreek.com.

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Let home brewers have their fun

Do you know a felon? Are you a felon?

If you or a friend live in Alabama and have bought one of those beer-making kits online — they run about $39.95 — and have brewed up a batch, you have committed a felony.

When powerful prohibitionists once roamed the halls on Goat Hill, the “drys” had the votes to outlaw the buying, selling and making of alcoholic beverages. Time passed and most of those laws fell by the wayside, leaving Alabama and Mississippi as the only states where home brewing is illegal.

Granted, the law did not stop the practice. There are those who can remember when most of Alabama’s “dry” grocery stores would display malt, sugar and yeast together, convenient for the home brewer. Today, this once-fugitive enterprise has become a pastime for many who treat home-brewing much like cooking — recreation enjoyed for the fun and creativity.

Yet, by law, those folks are still felons.

Past efforts to change or even repeal the homebrew law have failed. Now Rep. Mac McCutcheon, R-Huntsville, has filed a bill that would legalize home brewing of beer, wine and cider for non-commercial use.

McCutcheon’s concern comes from the fact that many of the people he represents, government workers who are in science and technology fields, like to experiment with home brewing. If they were arrested, they could lose their government-issued security clearance. He and others also point out that home brewing is how many people in the rapidly growing “craft beer” industry got their start. Making home brewing a crime stifles this enterprise and is a job killer.

The bill addresses many of the concerns of those who in the past have opposed home-brewing. It limits the amount that can be legally made, clarifies restrictions on transporting home brew to brewing competitions, and continues to prohibit people in dry counties from making their own.

Opponents of home brewing generally oppose the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages no matter how they are made. Their opposition is based primarily on religious grounds, though social concerns rank high, as well.

Supporters of home brewing cite the economic benefits and point out that there is little evidence to suggest that home brewers make their product to sell or to get drunk. With legal beer and wine readily available (distilling whiskey would still be outlawed), people who want to “tie one on” would hardly take the time and go to the expense to brew at home.

Although this page is not ignorant of the dangers that accompany alcohol consumption, we believe that changing the law so that home brewing would be legalized and better regulated is a good idea. McCutcheon’s bill is sound legislation and should be passed.

Proposed bill would legalize home brewing in Alabama

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -

Home brewing is legal in 48 states and if an Alabama lawmaker gets his way, Alabama will be the 49th.

Representative Mac McCutcheon has proposed a bill that would allow Alabamians to brew up to 13 gallons of beer, wine, cider or mead every three months.

McCutcheon says the change is long overdue, “we have many, many people in this state that like to homebrew. There’s a lot of interest in this and this is a hobby.”

The legislation would prohibit making stronger types of alcohol such as bourbon, whiskey and vodka.

Home brewing is currently illegal Alabama and Mississippi.

Copyright 2013 WSFA 12 News.  All rights reserved.

Katy brewery has taste of success

Brian and Jennifer Royo are the beer barons of Katy, hands-down. 

Owners of No Label Brewing Company, located at 5351-A First Street, the couple oversees a company that has grown from having one small account serviced by a “glorified homebrew system,” to a craft brewery that turns out 88,000 bottles of beer a month delivered to a client list of 275 that includes bars, restaurants, grocery stores and specialty markets across Texas — but mostly centered in and around Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.

“It’s grown a lot faster than we expected,” said brewmaster Brian, a 1996 graduate of Taylor High School who later attended the University of Houston to study construction science.

Brian also met Jennifer at UH, where their romance blossomed and led to marriage. Parents of a two-month-old son, Travis, the couple will celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary in April.

Construction was Brian’s first passion — until he became interested in home brewing.

“I just fell in love with it,” he said. “Next thing you know, I’m spending all my extra money on homebrewing supplies.” 

According to Jennifer, the idea to open a brewery in Katy first surfaced while the couple was talking with some friends. 

“We all thought it would be pretty neat,” she said.

However, it took several years of planning before the idea became a reality. Joined in the venture by Brian’s parents, Gil and Melanie, the two Royo families leased spaced in one of Katy’s old rice silos and set about fulfilling the dream. Thus, the No Label Brewing Company was born.

The small brewery hosted its first keg sale in late December 2010, which drew a small but appreciative crowd. That event has now morphed into regular Saturday afternoon (1 p.m. to 3 p.m.) “tastings” that are attended by several hundred beer connoisseurs. Admission is $5 and the kid-friendly, dog-friendly event features live music, food vendors and beer. Note that IDs are required, those under 21 are admitted for free (but must be accompanied by an adult) and no outside alcohol is allowed.

About 20 volunteers also turn out for the “tastings” to help out, said Jennifer, who handles the brewery’s marketing duties.

“We have great support from the people in Katy,’’ Brian noted.

“It’s just a great place for people to socialize,” added Jennifer.

No Label Brewing Company also hosts private parties, but cautions anyone interested in renting out the brewery that it is not air conditioned or heated. Prices for a two-hour party depend on the number of folks in attendance — $250 for parties of 25, or $350 for parties of 50.

The brewery’s output has grown in leaps and bounds since 2011, the first full year of operations when Brian and a small crew produced about 700 barrels of beer (one barrel equals 31 gallons). Last year, after the Royos signed with a major distributor and purchased some large brewing equipment — including a 15-barrel brewhouse and some fermenting tanks — the production increased to about 2,500 barrels. The goal for 2013, said Brian, is to produce between 5,000 and 6,000 barrels of beer.

“We expect bigger and better things this year,” said Brian. “We will continue expanding and upgrading our facilities, and we will have a garden/seating area behind the brewery.”

The brewery’s growth in 2012 also led to the hiring of three new employees, bringing the total to six full-time and one part-time, and Brian plans to add a few more employees to the payroll this year.

Also on Brian’s list of things-to-do in 2013 has been the creation of some new beers. 

His latest experimental brew is the Elda M Stout, a creamy and sweet winter seasonal stout featuring rich flavors of roasted and chocolate malts with a hint of coffee. Brian says it’s the perfect drink for a cold winter day. This beer is named after the boat that Brian’s mom, Melanie, grew up on in Panama.

Another new brew, Don Jalapeno Ale, is being brewed this month and will be released in February. Based off the brewery’s popular Pale Horse Ale, Brian says this ale is brewed with 60 pounds of jalapenos — 30 pounds raw and 30 pounds roasted (seeds included) — and has a slight burn at the back end. 

Production of Don Jalapeno Ale will continue “until we decide to stop — or run out of jalapenos,” he added.

The two new brews join a tasty lineup that already includes the aforementioned Pale Horse Ale, as well as El Hefe, Ridgeback Ale, Black Wit-O and Mint IPA.

Brian likens brewing to cooking, adding a pinch of this and a pinch of that. He said he learned quite a bit about brewing from books. But, like cooking, the best teacher is experience.

“There’s a lot of trial and error,” he said. “Eventually, you just know much malt and hops to put in.”

For information about No Label Brewing Company, call 281-693-7545, e-mail Jennifer@nolabelbrew.com or visit www.nolabelbrew.com.

Residents homebrew for the holidays in Owatonna

OWATONNA — Almost a century ago making your own beer was illegal, but after then President Jimmy Carter legalized home-brewing in 1979, the craft exploded.

According to the American Homebrewers Association website, as of 2012, there are more than 1 million home-brewers in the U.S. — aside from Alabama and Mississippi where it is still illegal.

And the hobby has caught the interest of some Owatonnans, especially during the holiday season.

Bryan Christjansen brewed 30 gallons of beer for the holidays.

Christjansen started brewing in 2009 after receiving a brewing kit for Christmas. He started with extract brewing, which he said became boring after three batches.

Three batches then was equivalent to 15 gallons; however, now, three batches totals 30 gallons.

“I probably make about 150 to 170 gallons a year,” Christjansen said.

According to U.S. law, an individual can brew 100 gallons per adult in household legally. So, for Christjansen, he can brew up to 200 gallons of beer for his wife and himself.

“No license is necessary for the level we do,” he said. “If I brew more than 200 gallons, then I would need a small brewery license.”

Christjansen went to school to become a chemical engineer, and after working at Poet making ethanol for 10 years, decided home-brewing would be fun.

“I started to like more and more craft beer,” Christjansen said. “I thought it would be fun. It is my creative out. I enjoy creating a product for friends and relatives to enjoy. It helps me enjoy the brewing process even more.”

Christjansen said home-brewing is popular because people enjoy different types of beer. He brews some clones, but has two of his own recipes.

“I ask people to taste my recipes and give me suggestions,” he said. “I’m constantly experimenting and fiddling with them.”

Christjansen has brewed ales, IPAs as well as tried his hand at porter among others.

He started brewing holiday beer in late September and October. Christjansen said the whole process can take up to six weeks before he’s able to serve it.

Christjansen said he would someday like to open his own brewery with his neighbor, who has 15 years of restaurant experience, but until then he said he will continue to educate myself.

“I got three advanced brewing books for Christmas this year,” he said. “I’m going to continue to educate until I can get the same batch with the same consistency and quality each time no matter how far apart they are made.”

Christjansen said he enjoys sharing his brews with his family and getting feedback.

“(My family) really enjoys it,” he said. “To get compliments from my dad is huge because then I know I am doing it right.”

Tim Hunst, also of Owatonna, enjoys brewing beer to share.

“It has a lot to do with being able to create and share,” Hunst said. “You want to share. You don’t want to keep if for yourself.”

Hunst began brewing in 2000.

“It is my creative outlet,” he said. “I have a bunch of friends that are brewers, so they tell me what to do.”

Now, Hunst and his friends get together in one of their garages and have a “brew fest.”

“About three to five guys get together and brew different beers, but it is together in the garage,” he said. “We brew together, but it’s a solo effort.”

He said a variety of beers are made, including stout, IPAs, Belgian, lagers and ales.

Hunst said he probably brews about 25 to 30 gallons of beer a year.

“It goes in spurts,” he said. “It depends on our schedules.”

Hunst said he didn’t brew any beer for the holidays because of his coaching schedule during the girls hockey season.

“My schedule gets pretty busy with coaching, so brewing isn’t the top priority,” he said. “I didn’t make any this holiday season, but some guys brew and give it as a gift.”

Although Hunst didn’t brew for the holidays, he plans on participating in the home-brewing competition at the Steele County Free Fair, for which he is also a judge.

More than 300 home-brew competitions are scheduled to be held in the U.S. each year, according to the American Homebrewers Association.

“The fair’s competition has grown a ton,” he said.

Hunst said his goal for brewing is to make something better than he can buy.

“Be careful with what you’re doing, but don’t be afraid to try something new out,” he said.

Reach reporter Ashley Stewart at 444-2378 or follow her on Twitter.com @OPPashley

Beer brewers form homebrewing club in Jacksonville

At 11 a.m. on a recent Sunday, a group of men stood outside a Henderson Drive store in Jacksonville, laughing, talking and drinking beer.

While 11 a.m. may seem early to start drinking, these men had an excuse — they weren’t just drinking beer, they were brewing it.

The men are part of a nationally recognized beer brewing club called the Beer Alchemists of Coastal Carolina (BAC²). The club gathers once a month to talk about, taste and, occasionally, brew beer.

Each of the members regularly brews beer at home, as homebrewing has become an increasingly popular hobby in the U.S. since it was legalized in most states in 1979, with an estimated 1 million homebrewers and more than 1,000 homebrewing clubs in 2011, according to the American Homebrewers Association.

Marine Gunnery Sgt. James Lafferty,31, one of the leaders of BAC², said he started homebrewing because, to him, beer is more than just a drink — it’s a lifestyle.

“I like to be able to create something that other people can enjoy on a level further than just drinking it to get drunk,” Lafferty said. “(Beer) is something you can enjoy and … there’s so many different tastes that can come out of beer, not just Budweiser flavor and Bud Light flavor.”

Lafferty started brewing beer a few years ago, when a friend introduced him to the craft. He said once he discovered the world of homebrew, there was no turning back.

Now, half of his Jacksonville home has been converted into a small-scale brewery. He said he spends his free time, when not with his wife and two young girls, brewing beer.

He started frequenting the Fermentation Station — a store that sells kits and ingredients to brew beer and wine at home — on Henderson Drive and began meeting others who also brewed beer at home for sport.

Store owner Tom Kahl told him about BAC², which meets at the Fermentation Station on the first Sunday of every month.

The goal of the club is simple: to discuss the many methods of brewing beer at home, learn about different styles of beer and to bring homebrewers together. They also taste plenty of beer, Lafferty said.

“The best way to learn about beer is to sample it,” he said. “We’re trying to show people that it’s not that hard to brew and it’s not just something you get drunk off of.”

Many of the club’s members submit their beers in brewing contests across the nation. Earlier this year, Lafferty won a competition in which he earned the honor of having his beer brewed and sold at Front Street Brewery in Wilmington.

“I remember when I won, but I don’t really remember because it was so exciting,” Lafferty said. “When they called my name I was just … totally shocked. I was in a whole different mindset on some kind of weird high — but not on drugs, just on life.”

Lafferty was able to brew a batch of his recipe at the Front Street Brewery in May and have it sold at the brewery throughout the summer.

“It was a very proud moment,” he said.

Ian Patterson, a Marine gunnery sergeant who recently moved to the area from Oklahoma, said he started brewing beer 10 years ago as a cost-saving measure for his expensive tastes.

“Beer is really expensive, especially when you’re talking about a good beer,” Patterson said. “Ten dollars a four pack doesn’t bode well to drinking good beer as often as I’d like.”

Patterson, who wants to start brewing beer professionally after he retires from the Marine Corps, said he likes brewing beer at home because it keeps his mind busy.

“Instead of lying around watching TV, I can kind of engage myself to do things like (brew) and make beer that would cost $2 or $3 per pint for less than $1 a pint,” he said.

As for Lafferty, he isn’t as sure about his beer brewing future as Patterson. While beer is his passion, his family comes first, he said.

For more information on BAC², including meeting dates and times, visit beerarmy.com/group/bac2.

Contact Daily News Military Reporter Amanda Wilcox at 910-219-8453 or amanda.wilcox@jdnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AWilcox21.

Liberty Village Brewing Co. debuts home-brewed beer

The idea of a new brewery that’s advertising home-brewed beers at its launch doesn’t really seem all that inviting. Typically, new breweries will present the credentials of their award-winning, well-schooled brewmaster–the impeccable standards of the region in which he or she studied the craft, and the breweries in which he or she has been employed previously.

So it was not without some trepidation that I attended a tasting session last week for newly-launched Liberty Village Brewing Company, which trumpeted the beers of brewmaster Eric Emery–a man whose sole official beer brewing credit was “3rd place finisher in the IPA category of the 2011 Toronto Beer Week Homebrewing contest.”

But then, after I met the company’s founders–Cassandra Campbell, Steve Combes, Kosta Viglatzis, and Emery himself–some of their clear enthusiasm for their company couldn’t help but rub off on me.

Plus, I must admit, there is some beer-nerd appeal to the idea of a savant whose homebrew is so good that others would want to launch a brewery around it–which may well be the case. I spoke to Emery about his introduction to homebrewing in Toronto and he confessed that, having moved here from BC and finding the craft beer scene lacking, he had a panic attack and thought, “Oh my god. What am I going to do?” And so he started brewing beer. When he wanted a new style of beer he couldn’t find here, he’d make one.

But the cynic in me was still willing to brush that off as deft marketing–it’s certainly an interesting narrative for the company’s origins. How, I wondered, did the beer actually taste?

As it turns out, pretty damn good.

The first beer we tried at the tasting session, held Tuesday night in the Liberty Market Building, was their “Penitent Pale Ale”–a beer which assured me that yes, Liberty Village Brewing Company was indeed the real deal. In fact, for my money, this beer would rank as highly as any other pale ale currently on the market in Ontario. It had citrusy, grapefruit notes and was assertive and hop-forward. Basically, it was a great example of the exact style of beer that’s currently doing extremely well in beer bars and LCBOs across the city and the province. But at 6%, it would also be a little easier drinking than some of the higher alcohol offerings currently on the market.

In addition to the more superficial appeal of their event–flashy glassware, thoughtful food pairings, a space donated by Lifetime Developments, and a collection of Liberty Village’s young, good-looking, professional demographic–after one drink, it was clear LVBC had done their beer homework.

And it’s also clear they plan on doing some more homework before they make any big moves. Their tasting event Tuesday was all part of a larger plan to gauge public interest before they officially launch their company. This public tasting was the first of a handful of planned outings at which they’ll actively solicit public input on their brews, with an eye to narrowing the field to one or two to brew on a larger scale once they decide on a place to contract brew their products. Eventually, once they’ve introduced their product to Liberty Village’s restaurants and bars, they’re aiming for broader expansion, an LCBO release and, ultimately, an actual space in Liberty Village where they can brew their beer, offer tastings, and let people walk out with a case of their product.

In addition to their pale ale, on Tuesday they presented a dry-hopped IPA with slightly more bitterness and piney notes; a fantastic robust porter with nutty, chocolatey characteristics; and, the surprise of the evening, an imperial amber ale. In my opinion, any of these beers would fare well if they were kegged and sold tomorrow (which is saying a great deal for a brewery’s first public outing), but the imperial amber ale was clearly the hit of the party. This subtly spicy, malty anomaly with caramel biscuit notes and a slightly bitter finish had the distinction of being unlike much else that’s currently on the Ontario market, but also proved to have enough mainstream appeal to please the frat-boy sect–some of whom were certainly in attendance Tuesday and one of whom I actually overheard say, “I usually drink lagers, but I would drink this amber. Fully.”

Fully indeed, sir.

If you want to participate in future tastings, you can get on LVBC’s mailing list and help them shape the beers they’ll eventually present to the public. While it seems a dubious feat to attempt to launch a brewery with beer brewed on home stovetops and cooled in bathtubs, if what I sampled Tuesday is indicative of the product to come, here’s hoping they pull it off.

Photos by Paul Aihoshi

ECO to hold beer-brewing workshop

The workshop will be held at Southern Appalachian Brewery at 822 Locust St. in Hendersonville.

This program will teach participants the skill of brewing their own beer. Chambers will provide a live presentation on the beer-making process, and participants will get to walk away with a basic knowledge for making beer at home.

The process includes the creation of wort with malted barley and the addition of hops for certain flavors and aromas. An explanation of the purposes and benefits of certain ingredients will coincide with the presentation.

The next step involves the fermentation process and what to look for in a successful homebrew. The final product can either be kegged or bottled, both of which are viable options for homebrewers. As a bonus, this live presentation will include how to make hard cider, a similar process to brewing beer.

Chambers is representing Asheville Brewer’s supply as a product resource, as well as for future questions and needs of the homebrewer.

After the presentation, attendees can participate in an optional beer tasting and social at Southern Appalachian Brewery, which has a number of different styles of beer on tap. The instructor will explain the different styles of ingredients that go into a variety of beers, which the participant can taste afterward for an additional cost.

The demonstration begins at 6:30 p.m., with the doors opening shortly before. Bring extra cash for the beer tasting. Registration is $15. Pre-register online at www.eco-wnc.org or call 828-692-0385. Seating is limited.