Reasons to Start Making Your Own Spirits at Home

Let’s imagine this together for a second – you come home after a long day at work, feeling completely drained and just looking forward to kicking your feet up while enjoying a glass of your favourite liquor. As you tiredly shuffle through the kitchen, you realise you’ve poured the last drop of alcohol you had the other day. Bummer. And you’re certainly not going to go to the store now to stock up. You’ve just got back.

Can your day get any worse? You probably wouldn’t want to find out. But can your day get any better? Of course, it can and we’ll gladly tell you how. What if you had a never-ending supply of your favourite liquor in the comfort of your own home? Just think about it, you can have as many drinks as you want at any time of day without going to the store. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Now you can stop thinking about it and start doing it instead. Buckle up as we guide you through the delicious world of homebrewing.

Is Homebrewing Worth It?

The short answer is yes, there are plenty of reasons why you should start homebrewing. For starters, you get to enjoy the limitless experimentation and customisation you can do in terms of taste and appearance. Not only is it a highly enjoyable and rewarding hobby, it can also save you quite a bit of money. Sure, it’s a somewhat hefty investment initially but the payoff is much more satisfying in the long run. Think about it this way, brewing your own alcohol at home is a much cheaper alternative to buying a bottle or two every now and then, assuming you don’t buy the cheapest ones available. In this way, you can dip your toes into a new hobby without dipping in your budget. A total win-win situation, don’t you think?

Plus, can you imagine how cool you’d look in front of your friends? Giving out homemade liquor as a gift? Unforgettable. Truly heartwarming. You can even start a joint brewing hobby with some of your friends. How fun would that be? You’ll share your preferences and ideas with one another as you enjoy sipping on your latest inventions.

Is Homebrewing Illegal?

It’s completely legal so long as you have a licence. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since nowadays you need a licence for virtually everything. Make sure you ask the authorities in your area for guidance on how to get one so that you can start making liquor at home.

How Can You Use Spirits at Home?

The whole point of including homebrew spirits into the mix is to add a bit of flavour to spice up your alcohol. You’ll start off with neutral, white spirits as your base, including vodka, rum or gin. The reason why you’re supposed to choose one of these three spirits is that they’re unscented, transparent and don’t have a specific taste. This is what makes them the perfect foundation for you to build on, depending on your preferences.

Once you’re done with that, you’ll have to move on to the next step. This part is where you start to personalise the base using rich homemade spirits and essences. Want to add a bit of fruity edge to your alcohol? You’ve got it. Looking for that sweet flowery aroma? Say no more. How about that good ol’ mix of vanilla and caramel? Done and done. There’s a whole bunch of flavours you can try out when you start using homemade spirits. Once you get all your ingredients in, let them sit for a while to infuse. The timing may vary which is why you should pay close attention to the instructions on the product itself.

Word of advice – when you start experimenting with new flavours and concoctions, it’s a good idea to use about a quarter of a bottle. By doing this, if you don’t like the final product, you still have the rest of the bottle along with the remainder of your resources that you can use to start fresh. The whole process is built on trial and error so don’t get discouraged if your initial results aren’t what you were expecting. With a bit more time to practice, you’ll start using homebrew spirits like a pro.

Additional Homebrewing Tips

Before you begin your brewing journey, read through a few more tips on how to make the most out of the experience.

Start Off Simple

You don’t have to go overboard with the recipes when you’re just starting out. We know it’s easy to get carried away like a child in a candy store but if you do this, you make things unnecessarily complicated and difficult. Start off simple and build your way up once you get used to the brewing process as a whole.

Organise Your Equipment

We can’t stress this enough. While you are your own boss here, it’s nice to keep all your equipment neatly stored and ready to go. Make a list of things you’ll need before you start brewing so that you don’t forget anything important. And lastly, don’t forget to properly clean and sanitise everything to prevent contamination.

Use Fresh Ingredients

The overall quality of your final product relies entirely on having the best and freshest ingredients. For this reason, you should visit a nearby homebrew store to stock up on everything you need before you get down to business.