West End Wine Bar hosts Homebrew for Hunger

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said the event took place at West End Wine Bar. It actually took place at West End Public. The article has been changed to reflect this.

Lines of people from all across North Carolina filed into West End Public on Saturday for Fifth Season Gardening Company’s second Homebrew for Hunger.

The event, which allowed attendees to taste local brews from 31 booths, had about 350 people turn out to the West Franklin Street event space.

Fifth Season Gardening Company partnered with People Offering Relief for Chapel Hill Carrboro Homes — called PORCH — an organization that gathers food for families living in poverty in the area.

Susan Romaine, co-founder of PORCH, said she was very pleased with the opportunity to raise both awareness and donations for the cause.

Romaine said the event helped draw interest to the charity.

“People will have more knowledge and appreciation for the home-brewing business,” she said. “They will also have more information and interest in the work local charities do for the area.”

The event was divided into two three-hour sessions. Each session was teeming with people eager to give back to the community and to learn more about home-brewing.

Jeff Spear, a home-brewer from Raleigh with three years of experience, had a very popular booth that served an Andes Mint-flavored beer.

“I wanted to experiment with new flavors. I like to do interesting stuff for these kinds of events,” Spear said.

Other brews included a jalapeno cream ale, a coffee chocolate stout and a fig blonde ale made with chamomile and whiskey.

Richard Quinn, president of Fifth Season Gardening Company, said he was amazed with the large turnout and support.

He said last year’s inaugural Homebrew for Hunger event sold out, and this year’s event quickly sold out, too.

“They get to try homebrews, craft beer and realize it is just as good, if not better, than the commercial beer,” Quinn said.

Sara Mishamandani, a UNC alumna and Carrboro resident, said she has enjoyed going to the event for the past two years.

“You not only try the beer, but they tell you what went into it,” she said. “One of the beers was even made from butternut squash and fennel.”

Steve Young, a Burlington resident, said he wished the event took place more than once a year, especially because such a good cause benefits from all of the donations.

“This state is in bad shape,” he said. “We want to give back in any way we can.”

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