Homebrewing for Valentine's Day

How do you say love? Flowers, chocolates, I.O.Us on chores, big ticket gifts, and fancy dinners? I don't think any of those things are a proper substitute for sharing your passions with your significant other. Why not share the joy of brewing?

Good beer is one of my passions, and my wife shares a passion for good food and drink: so began a brew day with my wife. She wanted something on tap that reminded her of the Young's Chocolate Stout she had enjoyed on a night out with her good friend at the Happy Gnome in St. Paul.

She had also discovered the joy of Left Hand's Milk Stout. Bam! I thought it a brilliant and chivalrous idea to make her NB's Chocolate Milk Stout. Better yet, why not brew the beer with her and teach her the basics of brewing a 5-gallon batch?

I chose extract to keep the brew day simple and manageable. And it turned out we could spin this brew day into an episode of Brewing TV. The brew day yielded some laughs, some cheap shots, and in the end some wort ready to get its ferment on.

Four or five weeks later we decided to keg the batch as samples were deemed excellent and session-worthy. Now, my wife is asking when we can make another batch. I may just set her up with the ingredients this time and let her fly solo.

I'd like to think that love is about sharing what you love. Getting involved in your significant other's interests and passions can teach you a lot about the one you love, and in turn, about yourself. Having them share your passions makes your passions all the more enjoyable.

This Valentine's, do what you've gotta do to let your sweetie know how you feel ... but take a minute to schedule a Brew Day of Togetherness, and let them know you'd like to share the joy of homebrewing.