Antipolo has become a place for food and art lovers—a perfect place to channel one’s creativity. I Made It! was an arts and craft beer weekend at The Crescent Moon Cafe in Antipolo with different hands-on workshops.
There were five workshops that we could choose from: Pottery (Stoneware hand building), Simple Sewing, Silk Screening, Slow Photography, and Beer 101—each class had a designated teacher.
The classes were hands-on—something that we can say is pretty rare these days—which made them even more fun. Different age ranges were welcome – kids, parents, teenagers, grandparents, etc. We got to create our own crafts and take them home. Not only did we discover new hobbies, but we realised and appreciated how much work artists or craftsmen put into their work. The teachers were very talented, cool, friendly and amazing artists.
I chose to do the Silk Screening and Beer 101 workshops and learned a lot, especially from the Beer 101 workshop. To all the beer lovers out there who want to learn a thing or two about this widely consumed alcoholic drink then you might want to continue reading!
5 Things I Learned About Beer During an Arts and Crafts Beer Weekend
5. Craft beer is different from commercial beer.
Craft beer is actually different from the commercial beer that we buy in supermarkets or convenient stores, the main difference lying in the flavour. Craft beer is created in an old and artisanal way by beer enthusiasts while commercial beer is brewed on a massive scale
Craft brewers are more particular with the ingredients that they use, as well. They work hard to select barley and just the right hops to give each beer a unique flavour, taste, aroma and consistency to be proud of.
4. You can brew beer on your own.
Surprise, surprise! You can actually brew beer at home. The teacher actually started brewing beer at home for cheap by using things he bought in different shops. Here is a list of some of the materials that you can start with:
- Brew pot
- Heat source
- Measuring cup
- Thermometer
- Airlock
- Pots
- Strainer
- Cleaner and sanitizer
- Bung
- Fermentation bucket
- Racking cane
- Bottle filler and bottle brush
- Bottles, bottle caps, and bottle capper
3. Hops are some of the basic ingredients in brewing beer.
Hops are compressed pellets of hops flowers. Without this particular ingredient, beer would taste dull and too sweet. Hops are some of the basic ingredients of beer and are used to give beer depth and balance. This ingredient gives the beer bitterness and aroma. So, the next time you taste a craft beer and notice its bitterness, you might appreciate it more knowing that it’s probably caused by the hops used!
2. The three essential ingredients of beer are malted barley, yeast, and water.
Malted barley, yeast, and water are the three essential ingredients of beer. If hops are used for bitterness, aroma, and flavour; malted barley or grains are used for color, sweetness (flavour), and maltose. Yeast, on the other hand, is responsible for the fermentation of the beer, while water makes up around 95% of the beer. If you’re thinking of brewing your own beer, then you will definitely need these ingredients!
1. Beer has actually been around for centuries.
Beer is actually one of the world’s oldest beverage that have been produced, dated at around 10,000 B.C.E. in Mesopotamia and it was carried on by the Egyptians who prefer beer over water. Don’t you just feel like beer is timeless knowing how long it has been around?!
Learning about all of this has really changed how I see beer now. I look forward to more workshops and events like these in the future. I can’t help but feel the urge to go back to Antipolo for more of these experiences.
The Crescent Moon Cafe and Studio Pottery
crescentmooncafeantipolo@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/CrescentMoonCafeAndStudioPottery/
