Brewing Through the Winter Blues

With the holidays quickly approaching, I often look back to my childhood, recalling a much simpler time, not having to worry about buying gifts for people, or gaining an extra ten pounds from gorging myself on tons of food.

I firmly believe it has been my many hobbies over the years that have helped me see through the winter slump. I can be considered a kind of “Jack of all Trades” because I do have many hobbies.

I enjoy playing the guitar, I feel connected to outdoor activities, and I love video games. In 2007 Beer making or “Home Brewing” was pretty much it for me. A friend and I scrounged up $95 and headed to the local home brew shop .We purchased a kit, and after our first batch, a Pale Ale, was finished, I was hooked.

Although the friend who I initially started making beer with lost interest after just a few batches, I continued to hone my craft. Even more recently I entered my first home brew competition and took third place with a Pumpkin Spice Ale. That was enough encouragement for me to continue brewing. I look forward to the days dedicated to making beer. In fact, I consider it a way to relax.

Starkly enough I feel happier when I’m doing things that I enjoy. The art of brewing beer has been around for thousands of years and when Home brewing was made legal in the United States in 1972 the craft beer industry started to make a name for itself.

Craft breweries like The Boston Brewing Company started becoming popular; beer enthusiasts now had several different choices of beer styles to drink. Connecticut is home to many craft breweries; The Thomas Hooker Brewery is a Micro brewing company based in Bloomfield Connecticut who was recently voted best tasting beer in Connecticut by Yankee Brew News, they have also won many national brewing competitions over the years.

Brewing beer is a great hobby of mine, and with stores like Maltose Express Located in Monroe; you can pick up everything you need to begin brewing your very own batches of beer. So the next time you’re looking for a way to beat the winter blues consider the possibilities of home brewing.

Cheers!