While beer and kids typically do not go hand-in-hand, this Sukkot beer-brewing dad Josh Sattin will give parents the opportunity to learn about beer while their kids eat pizza and complete fall-themed craft projects. On Sunday, Oct. 12, Josh, a former head brewer at Boston Beer Works, will teach the New Center NOW Pop Culture Circle all about what it takes to make harvest-inspired brews for Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival. (Even if you’re not already a member of the Pop Culture Circle, you’re welcome to join the event with your family.) Why Josh? Well, this talented brewer is the owner of the brand-new Boston Homebrew Supply in Brookline’s Coolidge Corner and a nice Jewish boy to boot, raising 4-year-old twins David and Noah with his wife in Jamaica Plain. He tells us all about brewing and life with young kids.
What inspired you to open a homebrew supply store in Brookline?
My wife and I both grew up in Brookline. We lived in Colorado for five years, where I worked as a math teacher in a public high school. We moved back to Boston in 2010 to be near our family and have children. Brewing has been a hobby of mine since I was a teenager in the mid-90s. I worked as a professional brewer for three years and left my head brewer position at Boston Beer Works in Fenway to open Boston Homebrew Supply in April. I mainly wanted to work for myself but also combine my passion for teaching and brewing to help people make excellent beer at home. One of my main goals with owning and running Boston Homebrew Supply is to provide expertise and advice for home brewers to help them get started and improve the beer they make. Running my own business isn’t exactly the quick way to get rich, but it gives me some flexibility to be with my kids and drop them off at school at Temple Ohabei Shalom’s Trust Center for Early Education.
What do your kids know or say about beer?
David and Noah don’t have too much to say about beer at this point, but beer and the making of beer is not unfamiliar to them. They sometimes ask questions while I’m brewing, and they see me and my wife enjoying beers at home. I look forward to being able to teach them how to brew when they get older.
What’s your family’s favorite Jewish holiday?
We all enjoy lighting the candles on Shabbat. My boys will be turning 4 in a few weeks, so their favorite holiday is probably Chanukah because they get presents. Their understanding of the holidays is limited at this age, but they’re learning a lot very quickly. My favorite part of Jewish holidays has always been spending time with my family and eating good food. We love to cook together—making latkes is fun and so is preparing and eating the Passover meal.
What harvest ingredients do you think would make a good brew?
I feel weird using etrog since we ritually don’t eat them! For this upcoming class, I’ve created a brew with rye, pumpkin and seasonal spices to give it a Sukkot harvest feel.
Learn more from Josh and sample his brews at the New Center NOW event on Sunday, Oct. 12, at Josh’s store in Brookline. The brewing class and pizza party for adults is $22; pizza and crafting for kids 6 and up is $10 (and free for kids 5 and under).
