HOPS & VINE
brew your own
beer & wine IF YOU CAN FOLLOW A RECIPE YOU CAN BREW YOUR OWN BEER OR WINE ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY SUSAN LANIER-GRAHAM
ADAM AND ALLIE VATH LOVE HOME BREWING. When they
What Ale’s Ya originally sold everything
discovered What Ale’s Ya, opened by Chuck Therio in 1996, they
for the home beer brewer, but now also
became regular customers. Their dream of opening a taproom
has kits for making wine from high-quality
was set for early 2020. Then the pandemic hit. The Vaths decided
varietal wine grapes. Those who prefer can
instead to purchase What Ale’s Ya and haven’t looked back.
work in the newly installed brew kitchen
Adam, born and raised in Tucson, is a helicopter pilot for an air medical transport company. He met single mom and mother of twins Allie
and get a lesson. Look for regular beerand wine-making classes.
and the couple married a decade ago. Allie went into direct sales so
Allie enjoys the winemaking. “We have
she could stay home with the twins and the couple’s baby girl. Now,
a lot of fun with it. There are a couple of
as the owners of What Ale’s Ya, the entire family—from the 6-year-old
private releases.”
to the 17-year-old twins—pitches in to make the brew store a success.
She enjoys the Bordeaux, a Double Noir,
“Brewing was Adam’s hobby,” explains Allie. “He’s been brewing
and Sangiovese Rosé kits. Sweet summer
for about 12 years now. He was home brewing before we met, and
wines, including Muscato, and crisp Pinot
we started doing it together. Then we decided to make wine one
Grigio kits are also popular.
year for Christmas as gifts. So, it’s just kind of fun.”
Adam prefers the beer kits. “Honestly,
Adam says it felt right to buy the brew store. “Instead of a man
it’s really hard to screw up making beer
cave, we bought the home-brew store,” he laughs. “I love to brew
when you use the kits,” he explains.
here in the store with customers.”
“You just need to be able to clean and
Customers most often shop at What Ale’s Ya—coming in from
sanitize. As long as you do that, you can
across the Valley—to purchase one of the beer or wine kits. “It’s
make beer. I tell everyone that if you can
really simple,” explains Allie. “People can come in and pick up a kit
follow a recipe to bake a cake, you can
and we’ll help them.”
make beer.”
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North Peoria Lifestyle | August 2021
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