| Anybody can go to the local grocery store and | | | | recipes. Some swear that no commercial beer can |
| buy six pack of beer of their choosing, but it | | | | compare with the taste of a home brewed beer, |
| takes real dedication to learn how to brew and | | | | but because of the material cost and the time |
| enjoy your own homemade beer. 7,000 years | | | | necessary to prepare a home brew, most do not |
| ago, when it is estimated that alcohol was first | | | | take the time and/or effort to do so. |
| discovered and brewed, most people had no | | | | However, one popular trend that has emerged |
| choice but to brew in their own home. Eventually, | | | | from the home brewing crowd is the "micro |
| commercial breweries changed that when they | | | | brew," which is somewhat of a hybrid between |
| learned how to mass produce beer for | | | | the home brewing elite and the commercial |
| consumption. Still, even though commercial | | | | breweries. Micro brew is generally practiced |
| breweries exist and beer is easy to obtain, home | | | | extensively in the United States and is often sold |
| brewing is still practiced today by connoisseurs | | | | at smaller micro breweries and pubs. Although |
| and hobbyists. | | | | micro brews are more expensive than traditional |
| In the 1800's, once commercial breweries began | | | | commercial beers, they are widely popular |
| to take root, home brewing was heavily taxed in | | | | because of the unique taste and quality of the |
| an effort to bring more profits to the breweries. | | | | brew, which is something that a mass produced |
| Eventually, prohibition came about and banned all | | | | beer cannot duplicate. |
| forms of alcohol, again making home brewing the | | | | Home brewed cider is also a popular trend in |
| only way to obtain it. Although the practice was | | | | home brewing because it is much easier to create |
| risky, it was very popular until 1933, when the | | | | and is often more potent. For those that prefer a |
| prohibition was lifted because of how it enabled | | | | sweet alcohol to that of a lager or stout, cider |
| organized crime and beer smuggling cartels. | | | | offers a perfect alternative. |
| Although wine was the first alcohol that was again | | | | Although home brewing has generally declined |
| legalized in the United States, it took several more | | | | over the past several years, there has recently |
| decades for beer brewing to be made legal again | | | | been a rise in the practice because of the ease of |
| due to an error in the way the law was written. | | | | obtaining materials and ingredients. Readymade |
| Now, commercial breweries have forged their | | | | home brewing kits and instruction and materials |
| way into the fabric of Western society and | | | | have tremendously reduced the learning curve |
| although home brewing is legal and still practiced, it | | | | required to brew your own beer. Typically, a |
| is far less practical than it used to be. Most home | | | | home brewed beer can be produced in 6-8 |
| brewing has been left to the beer "snobs" and | | | | weeks depending on the type of beer and |
| fanatics that find pleasure in creating their own | | | | equipment used. |