I love beer. I love drinking beer, talking about beer and making beer. The first time I took some, frankly quite unappetising, grain and over the course of an afternoon (and following month of fermentation) transformed it into one of my absolute favourite beverages, my mind was blown and I was hooked!
That was (a lot) more than a decade ago. My mission in life is still to brew the best beer in the world (Erin laughs at this). Part of that mission has involved learning how plants grow and how food and drinks can taste of the land on which it was grown. Wine makers call it terroir. I will brew the best beer in the world here at Laurelbank Farm - just give me a couple more decades.
In the meantime, we have created the ultimate afternoon for beer and food lovers here at Laurelbank Farm. We’ve been running this course since 2015 and I’m so thrilled when previous attendees come back with an armful of beautiful homebrew beer (that I get to try!) that is now firmly embedded in their day-to-day lives. But it’s not just a course for wannabe homebrewers - it’s also just a really fun afternoon of beer appreciation and a great way to learn the basics of food and beer matching. We brew, we learn and we eat and drink. In my opinion, the perfect day.
Join us on Saturday 22 October from 1pm to 6:30pm for an afternoon of brewing, eating and learning. Experience a full-grain brew – learn how to homebrew while enjoying some delicious food and samples of beer.
This is a course for people who have no homebrewing experience but are interested in giving it a go, or are already brewing from a kit but want to take the next steps towards a “full mash”. You are also very welcome if you like beer and just want to sit back, eat and drink, observe the transformation process of grain to beer and learn a bit about beer & food matching. Beers we will sample will include: a Pilsner, a Borage Pale Ale, a Winter Savoury Ale, a West Coast Session IPA, a Raspberry Lambic and a Porter.
Here are the details:
The brew: Throughout the afternoon we will be jointly brewing a 40-pint batch of a hoppy pale ale, while learning the basics of homebrewing, the ingredients, the kit, recipes and the brewing processes.
The food: We will be keeping you well fed and watered throughout the afternoon, with various beer and food matches for you to try out (see above).
Dietary requirements: Veggie options are available for all the dishes but please let us know in advance if you require the veggie option. For all other dietary requirements just let us know when you book and we’ll try our absolute best to accommodate you.
The time: 1pm to 6.30pm, Saturday 22 October 2022
The place: Laurelbank Farm, 121 Middle Road, Saintfield, Co. Down, BT24 7LS
The cost: £72 per person plus (inc VAT and booking fee).
This course will cover:
How to make beer from malted barley and whole hops at home
Selecting grains and hops for brewing different styles of beer
The equipment you will need to do a full grain brew
An introduction to the basics of beer and food matching
A useful handout covering the basics of homebrewing and a couple of recipes to get you started.
A sample bottle of the brew we will be making to take home.
Finally, plenty of drinks and snacks throughout the afternoon.
Homebrewing instructions and some favourite beer recipes will be provided as part of the course, ready for you to start your own homebrewing adventure.
Cancellation Policy: If you need to cancel your booking, for whatever reason, please let us know as soon as possible. For full details of our cancellation policy please click here.
