As We See It

U Bottle It teaches beer brewing and winemaking for beginners

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Liquid pastime: U Bottle It owner Gary Hails wants you to discover the joys of making your own beer and wine.
Mona Shield Payne

The Details

U Bottle It
2230 W. Horizon Ridge Pkwy., #150, 565-5040
Mon-Fri, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Beyond the Weekly
ubottleit.com

Too intimidated to dive face-first into the intricate world of home brewing? Want to dip your toe in and test the hoppy waters?

U Bottle It

Enter U Bottle It.

The Henderson business, first opened strictly as a home brew supply store in November 2011, recently started catering to wary winos and cautious hop heads with its home-brewing and winemaking classes.

“It’s a fun thing,” says owner Gary Hails, adding that he sees a lot of customers come in with friends and spouses. Some have even bottled wine for their weddings.

Classes cost $60 (beer or wine) and include personal instruction and the use of U Bottle It’s equipment and storage space throughout the process. Students also must buy beer or wine kits for the class, which cost $23 to $54 (beer) and $75 to $195 (wine), depending on which beer or wine you want to make. And you won’t be disappointed in U Bottle Its selection—the store boasts 30 wine kits, 50 beer kits and 60 types of hops.

Hails says beers take two to three class sessions (around a month) and wines take four to five class sessions (around two months). In the end, you’ll take home either 30 bottles of wine or 50 to 64 12-ounce bottles of beer.

Do the math and you just might reconsider your next trip to the booze aisle. Hails says he can make a nice Napa merlot for just $7.

“It’s one of the few hobbies that will actually save you money,” Hails says. “It pays for itself.”

Tags: Nightlife, Dining
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