Hendrik doesn't remember how the topic came up, but somehow in the middle of Mystic Seaport in Connecticut during a family gathering, he, his cousin Atty, and his brother Hudson decided they should have a homebrew competition for Thanksgiving.
Three teams became two when Atty and her husband were no longer able to attend the usual Thanksgiving in New Jersey (with Hendrik and Hudson's sister Corina) and joined forces with Hudson and his wife Catherine, who all live in Boston. The competition became a north-south rivalry: Beantown Brew vs. Hendebrau.
This was to be my first homebrew, and the first one Hendrik has done for about 6 years. We chose a rye pale ale, and used a kit from Brewers Best. We didn't take any photos of the process for that first batch, but stay tuned for photos of the competition!
Up next: Starting a batch of Deep Winter Stout.
