Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Pubs out of beer? Then get brewing own booze
Set up by Posy Parson and Claire Russell, Home Brewtique (homebrewtique.com) helps beer-lovers make brewery-quality ale from scratch in their own homes.
Posy says: “We created a brewin-a-bag method so that you can
THE shelves of my local department store groan with every kind of yeast, tubing and demijohn as well as the things that you stick in the top.
It all looks so simple and so cheap. Do it yourself, drink it yourself.
Cheap – and you don’t even have to leave the house.
If only it was quite that simple. I make your beer in one large pot on your stove top. We test each recipe for the best results and then write step-by-step instructions a novice can re-create time and again.
“Anyone can use our kits – our aim is to break the stereotype that homebrewing is a relic of the 70s and empower more people to take up the hobby. Our fermenter is only 22cm in diameter so can “People are drinking wild and wacky brews in pubs and they want to re-create them, or try something similar,” says Andy Parker, who started home-brewing in 2012 and opened Elusive Brewing near Wokingham, Berks, in 2016.
“Craft beer has really fuelled our imagination. We’ve realised how good beer can be,” he adds.
Now Andy’s new book, with Graham Wheeler, helps fans re-create their favourite styles. He said: “Home-brewing is an incredibly rewarding hobby for anyone.”
The London Fields Brewery (londonfields brewery.co.uk) in Hackney run a hands-on, day-long class every Saturday and Sunday (£99, including lunch).
Ubrew in Bermondsey also offer various courses on their industrial brewing kit at different knowledge levels ( from £44; ubrew.cc). It also has plans for a site in Manchester.
Brew School’s craft beer brewing course in Bakewell, Derbys, is very popular, so book ahead (£115, brewschool.com).
CAMRA’S Essential Home Brewing, Andy Parker and Graham Wheeler, £7.99, published July 19.