For many suds lovers the best brews are those made in small batches right in your own home. Intimidating? Not once you've taken a beer-making class at Brewbox Miami with owners Dave Dunn and Jorge Diaz. Every Saturday at 11 am these two longtime friends lead a group of thirsty beer enthusiasts through two hours of tasting and mixing their way to the perfect home brew. "Our goal is to demystify beers because there is no big secret on how to do it - it's very easy" Dave tells us as he takes us through the steps to make a Belgian White with coriander and orange peel for complexity. Dave, like many home brewers, makes up his own blends. "Once you have the basic recipe you can make adjustments and add your own flavors - from herbs and spices to fruits.
Some combinations are better than others and Robert Christie, relatively new to brewing, is a regular at Brewbox Miami. He tells the group about his jalapeno pepper beer that "is not great for drinking but does make a mean chili". Admittedly bit of a disappointment after 8 weeks of waiting for full fermentation, he's not discouraged. He shares his mango brew with the group to positive feedback.
"Brewbox Miami offers both an educational and a social component" says Jorge as he pours samples of an English pub bitter. The modest warehouse location features a classroom/lab,/social area with a small local art exhibit and a stock room where novices and masters can stock up on everything needed to brew at home. Be it bottles, caps, grains or malt it's all here at reasonable prices. For those unsure on where to start, there's the Equipment kit ($100), which features everything you'll need for your first home brew.
Every beer is different, and so is the motley crew that visits Brewbox Miami. The stereotypical pot-bellied beer guzzler is nowhere to be seen and a group of vivacious young ladies can ramble off styles, flavors and tasting notes like a well-versed beer sommelier. These "wicked women who love beer" are the Craft Brewjas and with a following of over 120 lovely Miami ladies you can rest assured that the microbrew trend that's hit South Florida is here to stay.
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Brewbox Miami
8831 SW 129th street, Miami
305-762-2859
