This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Father's Day and the Homebrew Kit - An Alternative Take

With Father's Day upon us, all the home brewing supply shops are making the annual push for a big Father's Day "Sale-a-Bration" with kits and widgets and things that light up - really, everything dad needs. I find myself of two minds on this - first, I think it's great that folks may try the art of home brewing, love it, and become avid brewers. While that's always a good thing, having these types of things on Father's Day promotes the idea that brewing is a "guy" thing, and that's unfortunate. 

In ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and up through the Middle Ages, nearly all the brewers were women! Men weren't trusted with this stuff! They'd all go off and do something insane like, oh I don't know, put a pound of hops in a light ale! Honestly! "Go take down a mastodon, sweetie. The girls will have a proper brew ready when you get back." 

And life was good.

Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But you ladies let it slip. Look how easy it is to brew! You probably thought you were doing us a favor, or making your own lives easier, but now look what happened! Men have made this great tradition all about the gear, and the controls (which light up), and what grain efficiencies you're pulling off your mash tun.

"Oh honey, you girls were doing this ALL WRONG! Dale and I figured it all out! See first, you need to isolate the melanoidins in the malt…"

Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

See? We "fixed" it. You know that's what we do when we get ahold of something. We make it "better". Well ladies, might I humbly suggest that you use the opportunity on this Father's Day to take it back! Sure, get dad that $250 brew kit. Then while he sits there staring at it, wondering how to make it light up, you quietly read the simple instructions and brew a killer batch of beer. It's in your DNA! Give it a shot. Take back an art form that is rightfully yours! 

Happy Brewing! 

For more info on women in brewing, check out Pink Boots Society, and brewers of all stripes should come check out the Devil's Slide Brew Club in El Granada! We meet the 2nd thursday of each month. 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?