Clarkehead Brewery

My name is Phil and I brew beer, at home. I started brewing in 1991, but back then I really sucked at it, so I eventually gave up and just started making hard cider, which I was better at anyway. Then in 2003, my friend Gregg invited me to join him at the Real Ale Festival in Chicago. There, I learned how to really make great homebrew. So when I got home, I brewed my first batch of real ale, and it was phenomenal.  I never looked back and have been brewing at least one batch of beer a month since that day.

I love to brew beer.  It’s one of my life’s simple pleasures, and it makes everyone around me happier.  Win, win.

Some questions you may have:

Do you sell your beer?
No. I’m not a professional brewer. It’s illegal to sell homebrew.  So if you want some, you’ll have to schedule a time to meet with me, where I’d be more than happy to share whatever I happen to have ready for consumption.

What’s with all the cat stuff?
I’m a cat lover. I like dogs too, but I own cats.  And if you know anything about cats, they run the place.  So Clarke, my cat (and patron saint of the brewery) is the inspiration for all of my labels and marketing . . . of the beer I can’t sell.

Where can I buy your beer?
OK.  Did you not catch the first question?

How can I make my own beer?
I love that question.  Visit howtobrew.com and The Brewing Network.  You’ll learn all you need to know from those two sources.