Sheridan’s 4th annual Homebrew Festival is a gathering of brewing connoisseurs and beer enthusiasts alike. On July 9th at the WYO theater the Homebrew Club puts on its annual Homebrew Festival, an event that attracts visitors from across the region.

This year’s Homebrew Festival takes place on July 9th at the WYO Theater, and is hosted by the Sheridan Homebrew Club. The event runs from noon to 4pm and features a variety of whimsical interpretations of lager and ale crafted by brewers with decades of experience and some just testing out the (foamy) waters for the first time.

We visited with Heather Parker, a Homebrew Club member and homebrewer with ten years of experience, and asked her to demonstrate her brewing process and share her technique.  Heather started with a tutorial kit and has added on to her equipment over the years. Heather stated that some people have thousands of dollars worth of elaborate equipment but that is not needed to produce fine beverages. As Heather and her husband progressed as brewers they started to branch out and experiment with new flavors and additives to explore what could be done when making beer. Things such as Golden Graham cereal and Honeydew have been added to Heather’s recipes over the years, all in her quest to craft unique flavor profiles and interesting beers. Another ingredient that she has used is the sugar from Fun Dip. While still being beer and consisting of all the main components these simple little additives can make taste-testing beer more eventful (to say the least). Heather is excited to debut her Cinnamon Toast Crunch beer at the festival, which is sure to be a crowd pleaser. This is what Brewfest is all about. Different brewers take what you know about beer and turn it on its head.

All brewers are competing for two different prizes at the Homebrew Fest. The first is Best Batch, judged by Luminous Brewhouse (essentially the award for best beer). The winner’s brew will go on tap at Luminous until it runs out. The People’s Choice Award is voted on by those in attendance. The brewer with the most votes wins $200.

Tickets are available through the WYO Theater box office at 42 N Main or online at wyotheater.com.