Craft brewing has been on the rise on the Eastern Shore for the past few years, as breweries and brewing companies continue to pop up locally from St. Michaels to Ocean City. Craft brewing just got a little bit more personal however, thanks to the latest addition to Berlin, Brews Up, a brew on premise operation that gives customers the chance to brew their own beer or make their own wine.
Owner Tony Hilligoss officially opened Brews Up BOP(Brew On Premise) late last year, in hopes of accessing a sector of the beer and wine market that hasn’t been tapped into in our area as of yet, home brewing supplies and on-premise brewing. “About five years ago I got a beer-making kit…and from there I started making beer” said Hilligoss, adding, “the problem is, there’s no places nearby to buy supplies.” After getting fed up with ordering all of his supplies online, Hilligoss decided to take matters into his own hands by opening a store for fellow home brewers.
The store is stocked with anything you would typically need to start brewing your own beers at home, from more concise beer kits, to essential parts and glass beakers, to seeds and flavorings. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the store however are the beer and wine making classes. Currently, Holligoss holds wine and beer making classes every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Wednesdays at 6pm is wine-making night, while Saturday at 11am and Sunday at 1pm are slotted for beer making classes. Classes cost $30 plus the cost of ingredients for the wine making class and $40 plus ingredients for the beer making class.
The wine making classes last one hour, at which time you will learn how the process works while making your own wine. The wine then sits for about 6 to 8 weeks, when you return for your second class – an hour and a half session and bottling party.
For brewing on premise, after just two visits you will leave with 2, 4 or 6 cases of your own beer (or keg if you don’t want to bottle it). On your first visit you will taste a few beer samples and then make your own. In the 2 to 3 hour session you will learn how the entire process works, along with the importance of measuring ingredients, steeping, sparging the grains, adding the malt, boiling hops, chilling the wort and pitching the yeast. After two to four weeks, it is time to return for the bottling party where you will learn how to rack the beer, add priming sugar, and fill and cap bottles.
Each bottle brewed on premise is fitted with a Brews Up label, as well as a place for customers to write their names or the name of their brew or wine on. For the month of February, Brews Up will be offering a special on classes. For the entire month, two people can take a class for just $35, while 3 people can participate in the wine making class for $35. Holligoss also pointed out that the classes are a terrific option for businesses looking for team building activities for employers.
Customers also have the option to purchase home kits for both beer and wine. In addition to kits, the store is also stocked with just about anything you would need for brewing beer or making wine at home. The store has also provided a much needed source for local craft brewing companies who, according to Hilligoss, have been a solid customer source for Brews Up so far. Not only can local brewing companies turn to Brews Up for supplies, but they will also be able to experiment with smaller batches. Holligoss also plans to partner with local breweries to produce at “Kit of the Month” special. For example, Tall Tales will be partnering with Brews Up to produce and sell Tall Tales home brewing kits for a month-long special.
Holligoss reported an incredible amount of local support so far, from local breweries to social media and local news coverage. “Locals are your best advertising,” said Holligoss. “Everyone has really jumped on the bandwagon and really helped to spread the word.”
As the weather warms up towards spring, Holligoss anticipates a busy spring and summer season. Currently, Brews Up is open 7 days a week; 11am to 7pm Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturdays and 11am to 4pm Sundays. For more information visit the Brews Up BOP Facebook page or stop in the store, located at 9028 Worcester Highway in Berlin. In the meantime, check out a few of our photos from our visit to Brews Up last week:
