Any brewer will tell you that the vast majority of their work is cleaning and sterilizing. It’s enough to put anyone off. But don’t let that deter you. Citizen Brewers, a new facility on Mission Gorge Road in Grantville, offers patrons a small, fully-outfitted brewery to make beer—and they provide as much or as little guidance as you like. If you’re a complete novice, owner Judd McGhee will guide you through the process and help craft your quaff so it satisfies your personal palate. Already an experienced homebrewer? McGhee is perfectly happy to leave you alone.
Visitors select a style of beer from a portfolio of 12 core house recipes. Each beer requires two visits: One to brew and another (about 3 to 4 weeks later) to bottle and label. Costs range from about $260–$300 for a 50-liter batch, which produces about 72 22-ounce bottles of beer.
Bonus
Vista’s Bear Roots Brewing Co., already a homebrew shop and tasting room, recently added an on-site brewing option.
Citizen Brewers