Stephen Valand and Erica Shea love exotic beers. They use the most unorthodox ingredients while brewing at home; they have tried maple syrup and coffee, among other obscure flavors, in their beers.
They share these original ideas with customers of the Brooklyn Brew Shop, but the brew shop isn’t a beer shop, or a bar. It’s a company that distributes a home beer making kit.
Valand and Shea, the co-founders of the brew shop, would rather you have the fun of making your own beer.
brooklynbrewshop.com
Valand and Shea started the Brooklyn Brew Shop in 2009. Since then, beer connoisseurs and casual beer drinkers alike have found joy in home brewing. The couple’s home brewing kit has been a popular holiday gift for the family brewmaster.
You only need a kitchen and a couple pans to make your own beer.
You also need a little patience.
After a process of boiling and mixing, the beer is stored and ferments for around a month.
Why would a beer drinker want to wait for a beer? To the couple, drinking your own creation instils more pride than walking to a local bodega and spending too much money.
“It’s like cooking,” Shea said. “It’s simple, creative and enjoyable.”
The couple just released a book with 52 seasonal beer recipes. The book breaks down what beers are good for which seasons and directs you how to make a refreshing summer brew or a warm winter ale.
brooklynbrewshop.com
I spoke with Valand and Shea about their business and home beer making. They displayed the beer making steps while speaking to the fun people can have while creating their own beers.
The home brewing kit is available at Whole Foods, Urban Outfitters and at the Brooklyn Brew Shop Website.