When it comes to beer and wine, local store owner Eric Hedin follows the old saying that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
In 2003, after 20 years of brewing his own beer as a hobby, Hedin left his job as a nurse to open the Athens Do It Yourself Shop, 6 Euclid Drive, where he sells a variety of home brew supplies.
“In the first 18 months, the building began paying for itself and paying my bills,” Hedin said. “I’m not getting rich, but I’m a happy man.”
For customers who wish to brew their own beer and wine, Hedin said the possibilities are endless. The shop offers dozens of different types of hops and barley to be used in the brewing process.
“There are thousands of different kinds of beer you can make,” he said. “There’s so much more than just Budweiser.”
With myriad ales at his disposal, Hedin said a new Indian Pale Ale has particularly caught his eye.
“My favorite is the dark IPA by Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale,” he said. “It’s dark, hoppy and full of flavor.”
Since opening the shop, Hedin said he has begun breaking down his clientele into categories based on observations he has made over the past two decades.
“I have the ‘bungee jumpers’ who do it as part of their bucket list,” Hedin said.
“There’s the ‘golfer’ who enjoys the hobby and there’s the ‘scientist’ who does the reading and constantly checks the formula.”
Customer Phil Short, 50, makes the drive from Marietta to purchase brewing supplies from Hedin. Short has been shopping at the Athens Do It Yourself shop for five years after hearing about the store from a friend.
“It’s a 45-minute drive, but it’s well worth it,” Short said. “(Hedin) is a really nice guy to shop from.”
Short said that he enjoys brewing as a hobby, but there are other benefits to making your own beer, including his belief that home brewing proves to be cost effective.
“You can make a much higher quality beer without always paying for the $10 six packs,” Short said.
Becoming their own brew masters has led Hedin and Short to some strange, but tasty, discoveries. Over the years, the two have experimented with vanilla, oatmeal and even jalapeno peppers.
“(The jalapeno pepper beer) is not a beer you would drink four or five of,” Short said. “But it’s delicious with a plate of Mexican food.”
Beer and wine lovers who are worried about their waistlines need not worry. Hedin is writing a book about his own experiences with beer and weight loss.
“It’s called the Beerman Diet,” Hedin said. “If you eat good food and drink good beer, you’ll lose weight.”
Hedin has put his writings to the test and has lost more than 60 pounds from his diet.
With all the beers of the world available to everyone, Hedin said that he is very optimistic about the future of his trade.
“We are in the golden age of beer,” Hedin said. “People in the past had to work with whatever they could get their hands on. You can now see all the new varieties and styles whenever you walk into a grocery store.”
ap338210@ohiou.edu
