An introduction to making alcohol at home

When it comes to making alcoholic beverages at home, it is still considered sort of a ‘niche’ area. You either know how to do it or you don’t!

This is very hard to believe as people have been making alcoholic beverages for thousands of years. Just recently it was confirmed that wine making was invented in Cyprus rather than western Europe.

As we still discover the facts about the history, what about the present? Why is making alcohol at home a ‘taboo’ subject if you may? Is it because of the ‘legal’ aspects involved with alcohol in general?

Or it just sounds messy and confusing, and something we should all leave to the professionals alone? I’ve been involved with wine making and home brewing since 2001 and I’ve found it to be one of the most ‘quiet’ form of entertainment (Yes its actually that fun!). It’s one of those things that people do, but don’t talk about it, at least not to strangers of the genre.

Now there are two main ways of making booze at home. One is called ‘wine making’ and the other ‘home brewing’. Although I feel like the Home Booze Kit has started a new genre by helping people just like you create cocktails, ciders etc. but those two are still considered the main ones.

Let’s now get into a little bit of detail on the difference between wine making and home brewing . . .

Wine making (As it sounds) is about wine making only. The most basic ones are red wine and white wine. Their are many type of kits you can buy and even get special sub-level kits that go right down to the exact type of wine (chardonnay for example).

Home Brewing refers to ‘brewing’ beer and is slightly more complicated as it involves more ingredients. Most common are hops and barley and the fermentation time varies when compared to conventional wine making. I guess that only depends on the type of kit you are using.

Besides the fun factor, other reasons to home brew or for home wine making would be price (Make bottles of wine for less than $0.25 cents), more control of taste, and of course the freshness.

Everyone has their own unique reason as making alcohol at home is just like any other hobby, you can share it with your friends, and you do it because you simply enjoy it.