Domestic Arts Series

This post is the kick-off to our Domestic Arts Series. I began it when I was 8 months pregnant, and have finally finished it! My sister & Joe have been together forever. Or practically forever. And Joe’s been brewing beer for quite some part of that forever. And we’ve all (except me when pregnant & nursing) been enjoying that beer for all of that part of the forever! I interviewed and photo-journaled Joe about his love of homebrew. I hope this inspires you to do your own! There are now three homebrew stores in the Metro–a good sign that this isn’t just a growing trend, it’s an established pastime. Joe is experienced in homebrew. He originally chose Northern Brewer (with a St. Paul Grand Ave location and a new one open in Minneapolis) as his supplier because of a trusted friend’s recommendation, and hasn’t regretted it a minute. Given Joe and Bridget’s chic downtown living arrangements, brewing completely from scratch isn’t feasible. That’s only for monks in Europe with large monastic grounds, or people who live in houses with basements or garages, or who live in a commune with a commercial sized stove (us). Why brew your own beer? Joe says you get a lot of beer, and a lot of fun. With a little bit of time on a Sunday afternoon, you can brew 2 cases of beer, pretty much cheaper than microbrew specialty beer, or comparable. You get a vast array of options, and you build up a…