New business offers opportunity to brew your own, take it home

Image credit: Food Experience Corporation.

If you've ever wanted to try your hand at making your own beer, but were hesitant to take the plunge on purchasing the necessary equipment, a new local business now offers a hands-on program tailored for aspiring homebrewers.

Up and running as of April, Food Experience Corporation is a commercial kitchen offering cooking and brewing classes in Aubrey. And not only is the beer program all-inclusive, the company is licensed as a brewpub, which means you get to take home the finished product.

According to Chef/Owner Angie Graffigna, classes consist of two meetings - one to work on the mash, and a second (two weeks later) set aside for bottling. Sessions include access to equipment and ingredients, as well as hearty appetizers and a dozen 12-ounce bottles filled with your beer to-go.

Current pricing is $60 for the "Brewer," who gets the bottles at the end, and $10 for guests and helpers. All are welcome to participate in the brewing process, and snacks are provided for everyone. Participants also have a say in choosing which style will be brewed.

"We ask people what they'd like to try," says Graffigna. "The first recipe we made was an Irish red ale (called 'Eric the Red'). "Our two brew masters tried to choose something that was liked across the board, and that would have interesting processes, but not be too complicated."

As for how often classes will take place, a bi-monthly schedule is planned.

"We are planning on having two brewing cycles per month," explains Graffigna. "Our next cycle will start with the class on June 18, but from now on we will try to stick to classes on roughly the 1st & 3rd and 2nd & 4th Fridays each month."

For more information, or to sign-up, visit the company's website at https://www.foodexperienceco.com/, and click on the "Cooking Classes & Brewing Classes" tab.