In 1999, The American Homebrewers Association declared November 1 National Learn To Homebrew day. The craft beer culture is going strong in Louisville, as evidenced by the Louisville Mayor’s recent pledge to help grow local craft breweries. The logical next step in craft brew appreciation is learning to make your own special craft brew. It may seem like a lot of work, but once you learn the method it’s really quite rewarding. In fact, at my other job I recently helped put an infographic about getting started homebrewing together, which you can find below.
There are two major homebrew supply stores in Louisville. The first, Winemakers And Beermakers Supply Company on Westport Road near the intersection of Hurstbourne Lane, has been in business since 1972. I remember going there with my dad as a child. The family who runs it are very knowledgeable and helpful and they have everything you need to get started. Check out their website here.
The second store is My Old Kentucky Homebrew, which is run by Paul Young. Young also runs LouisvilleBeer.com and is one of the hosts of the Louisville Beer Podcast on Louisville.am. Surprisingly even though I also host a show there, I’ve never actually met any of the Louisville Beer dudes in person. The entire Louisville Beer and My Old Kentucky Homebrew operation is a great resource for craft beer and homebrewing enthusiasts in Louisville.
Finally, local author Kevin Gibson recently wrote a book all about Louisville’s beer history called Louisville Beer: Derby City History on Draft. We all know about Louisville’s bourbon history by now, and you have to make beer before you can turn it into bourbon. According to Gibson, Louisville was once a beer powerhouse that rivaled even St. Louis and Milwaukee. You can buy his book here.
Now that you have all the resources you need at your fingertips, it’s time to get out there and brew your first batch. According to Paul Young, the Lagers Club of Louisville will be hosting a “brew-in” at Apocalypse Brew Works on November 2 starting at 8:30 a.m. If you’re thinking about getting started with a new hobby, check out the infographic below for the basic method.
Photos Courtesy of The American Homebrewers Association and Kegerator.com
