It’s getting warm outside and that means that it’s time to finally be able to enjoy one of life’s simple pleasures: a cold beverage on a sunny afternoon. Have you ever been to the grocery store looking for your next six pack and wondered if the few flavors available are really all that’s out there? Have you ever wanted to try an out of the box flavor combination but have never been able to find it at the store? Then it might be time for you to start a new hobby: home beer brewing.

It’s A Great Summer Hobby

Let’s face it. This winter was a tough one. It just seemed like it wanted to go on and on, but we are finally knocking on the door of summer and the weather is looking spectacular for the time being. It’s time to start planning for all the fun adventures you’re going to have this summer and part of that plan may include a new hobby: making your own craft beers!

Getting Started

Starting down the road of brewing your own delicious handcrafted beers can be a bit daunting, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. There are several places around the Treasure Valley that sell tons of brewing supplies that can help you get set up. We like to recommend Brewer’s Haven off of Vista Avenue in Boise and HomeBrewStuff off of Chinden in Garden City. Both of those places are very beginner friendly and will help you get set up with the supplies you need for your first brew and any advice you may need along the way.

If you’re really wanting to start on the basic route, you can even pick up a home brew kit from a big box store like Walmart. Those kits are typically the cheapest and easiest to use, but they definitely won’t be as high quality or reusable as a kit put together from one of the two local stores. A solid option if you want to start with a minimal investment before really deciding if brewing is right for you.

Customization Is Key

Aside from being an entertaining hobby that you can enjoy solo or with friends and family, brewing your own beer at home can offer a huge benefit: the opportunity to style and craft your own unique flavor combinations to your specific tastes and desires. The sky is literally the limit here! You can make an IPA that finishes sweet and has a hint of mint if you’d like, or you can make a dark draught beer that has hints of mushroom and soy sauce. You can even make your own hybrids to really blow people’s minds.

The fun thing is that you can truly make each beer in your own signature style as a creative and enjoyable outlet of self expression. The downside? Well, if your most recent batch doesn’t quite meet your standards, then you will just have to drink it and start over again and having a bunch of beer lying around that you “have” to drink sounds like an ok problem to have.

Conclusion

We hope that this home brewery guide was helpful. If you end up creating some tasty concoctions, please share it with us on social media and maybe invite us over for a glass or two. Also, don’t forget to check out our events page on our website. Our events are always a blast and it’s a great opportunity to show all of our products in person and to meet Justin (the man himself!) and to get expert product tips, demonstrations, and samples. It’s always a blast to see our great products in action for yourself. Hope to see you around. No matter what you do this year, we hope you have a wonderful year from Better Man Beard.