The question isn't how did it get by us because the answer is simple, it did. Monday, May 4 marked National Homebrew Day. Now, most days that are given a status of some kind before Congress are a complete waste of time. What is an "Administrative Professional" and why did Congress need to tell me to pause, once a year, and say thank you to my secretary? There are others, and you know them in your heart. You begrudgingly go to a store (come on - you know you do, admit it) and thumb for a minute or two, probably the day before, to find that card NOT, mind you, for that special someone, but rather to not look like a boob, a heel, a loser when everyone else gathers and "friends" ask, "What did you get?" "Joe Bob bought me a fishing reel and a six pack for Mother's Day," she says at church, almost ducking her head hoping no one asks.
But this, this my friends, is a day we can call our own. Congress, probably not realizing what they did when they passed it in 1988, gave credence to the rise of the home brew movement before it was cool. Will I observe such a thing? Well, does a wild bear poop in the woods?
Naturally I spent most of the weekend honoring the day. Our own local homebrew store, Yellow House Canyon Brew Works (601 N. University) had a Big Brew Day that I attended. Fresh in my stock is a witbier (currently fermenting patiently). Bottled are two beers - a kolsch and a pale ale. And after going to the Big Brew Day at Yellow House, my commitment has ratcheted up a notch (more like four or five notches). Plans are already underway to purchase the necessary materials for a complete and full grain brew and not a partial batch as my first 10 (that means I don't buy the malts that come in concentrate form anymore, I steep the grains myself to create the sugars that eventually become the alcohol and flavor).
On Saturday, we had family over and I asked my nephew (bringing the paternal grandparents and joining our house which had his maternal grandfather) to bring a craft brew to add to my assortment, including my home brewed ales. So, from Big Brew event on Saturday to pulled pork and homebrew at night, I'd say we'd done a tremendous job acknowledging craft beer and home brews.
My nephew brought Deep Ellum IPA, brewed in South Dallas by the Deep Ellum Brewing Company. Having just brewed a pale ale, we had a homebrew next to a craft brew. The Deep Ellum IPA has similar ingredients to mine, but the hoppiness factor was much more clarified in theirs than mine (I begrudgingly tossed my third ounce of hops when I began cooling the wort instead of just at the end of the boil which gave it enough of a hops flavor for the pale ale enthusiast but left it not as hoppy for someone like me - accidentally I might add).
The pale ale, in general, was great against the salty, smoked flavor of pulled pork, so the contrast was great. I enjoyed the Deep Ellum IPA as did my nephew, so we recommend it if you can find it in a store near you. The upside to the evening was that we were with family who are friends (you know exactly what that means - everyone has family they dread coming over). The other upside is that most either don't drink beer or are "Bud" men, meaning my nephew and I had the run on the homebrew/craft brew market that night. The downside was it was the day before Sunday which of course meant that we had to limit our intake so as not to nod off the next day praising God and what not or go to church wearing sunglasses in the sanctuary.
On Monday, the actual day of National Homebrew Day, we sang Doxology in honor of God, the Father, who gave us the ingredients and know-how to create this miracle of beer. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below...." Happy Brewing!
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