Brew Camp Shop

"Let's Make Beer!" says the lettering on the door of Brew Camp.

And those words are as easily said as done at this new resource for home brewers in North Center.

Owners Jared Saunders and Whit Nelson aim to supply, inspire and teach anyone intrigued by small-batch suds. Their petite, general-store-like shop will be the headquarters for free demonstrations and classes, and the website will be home to extensive brewing information.

Seasoned brewmasters will be excited by the shop's yeasts, dozens of hops-filled Ball jars and a wall stocked with 30 varieties of grain. Beginners can choose from more than 40 Brewer's Best ingredient kits to ferment such beers as American Light ($30) and Whiskey Barrel Stout ($45). Saunders and Nelson also offer preassembled boxes of supplies, and five of their own beermaking kits are in the works.

Most of the shop's nearly three dozen varieties of malts and grains are from a farm and mill in Wisconsin, and many of the hops come from Michigan. There are abundant herbs and spices, plus supplies for cider, mead and soda, as well.

Saunders plans to continue holding brew camps, too–in a park, in your yard, on a roof deck or anywhere, he says.

Brew Camp, 4639 N. Damen Ave.; 773-857-2400 or brewcamp.com