Cheers: Bring your own brew

October is the unofficial month for celebrating beer, a time when Oktoberfests and homebrew festivals reach a peak nationwide. In Baton Rouge, we do things differently: In July, the first Baton Rouge Beer Fest was held at the River Center with more than 100 varieties available for tasting. Although the beer selection was intimidatingly grand, the highlight of Beer Fest was the homebrew competition. Ron Dunham of Central, a member of the local homebrewing club “Brasseurs a la Maison,” won over the judges with his strawberry amber ale, which delivered a real “punch of strawberry,” according to event officials. Other interesting homebrews included a honey kolsch, a coriander-twist amber and a watermelon kolsch. The usual place for finding these homebrews is at either a fundraiser or another festival, but if the idea of concocting a brew yourself sounds tasty, check out brew kits online at redstickhomebrew.com. You can keep up-to-date with events sponsored by the Red Stick Brewmasters at hbd.org/redstick. Why not literally BYOB to your next party?—Shelia De Guzman