Last Saturday, being one of only two remaining Saturdays in our friend's life as a bachelor, we spent the day being manly men, doing manly things, one of which was making our own beer.

Located in quaint downtown Edmonds, Gallagher's Where U Brew Beer & Wine is a beer lover's paradise. Upon entering, we were able to get to work immediately. We chose the beer we wanted to make (Galley Mac--an amber ale similar to Mac & Jacks) from a list of over fifty options. We were handed the recipe, shown where all the ingredients were stored, and set free to make beer!

The space itself is a single, open room with plenty of space for groups of friends to work with one of the six steam heated copper kettles situated along the outside wall. On the other side is the bottling station, and between the two is the bar where you'll find eight craft beers on tap. During the brewing process, there's plenty of time for talking, drinking beer, or watching football. We enjoyed two pints each of their White Knuckle IPA (8%) during our beer making adventure.

Takes about three hours to brew and two weeks to ferment. After two weeks we'll return to bottle the beer and take it home. Bring your own bottles and they'll sterilize them on-site, or pay a dollar each for their bottles.

Not a beer drinker? You can also make your own wine at Gallagher's. Takes about an hour to make and six weeks to ferment.

120 5th Avenue South Edmonds, WA // (425) 776-4209 // Tuesday-Friday 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Sun. appointment only), closed on Mondays

Gorgeous steam heated copper kettles for brewing. (Jack)

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