As I have mentioned before, my husband is a home-brewer and makes his own beer and wine. I shouldn’t say he is just a home-brewer, but an award-winning home-brewer. He is as passionate about home-brewing as I am about sewing (which is saying a lot).
This past year, Brett (The Cottage Papa) won “Best in Show” with one of his home-brews at a very large brewing competition. Part of his prize package was the opportunity to brew his beer on the big, giant brewing system up at The Rock Bottom Brewery in Milwaukee, WI. And for a home-brewer this is super-exciting business!
So the Friday before Labor Day, we took an hour and a half journey up to Rock Bottom to taste The Cottage Papa’s beer that he had brewed on their larger, commercial system several weeks prior. His beer is called “Hop Noir” and it is an Imperial American Brown.
We sort of felt like celebrities with all the compliments and the first-class treatment we received. The Cottage Papa works very hard at his craft, so it was so nice to see him get the credit that he SO deserves.
The Cottage Papa works for an advertising agency as a writer. His company designed this super-chic graphic/logo for the Hop Noir that you can see above on the tap handle. I love it – I think I might need a t-shirt or something.
I am so proud of The Cottage Papa for many things, but this was just my little opportunity to share with you a little more about him. I think it’s so, so important for each person in a relationship and family to maintain their own identity and have something they can call their own. I love that we both have our hobbies and can come together in talking so passionately about them.
Lindsay Wilkes is the owner and designer behind The Cottage Mama. She creates timeless, vintage inspired sewing patterns for children’s clothes. She is also a fabric designer for Riley Black Designers / Penny Rose Fabrics, author of the book ‘Sew Classic Clothes for Girls’ and can be seen teaching nationwide and online in her video series ‘Lessons with Lindsay’ sponsored by Baby Lock Sewing and Embroidery machines.
Yay for the Cottage Papa!!! And a very sweet post! Are they going to have his beer at all of the Rock Bottoms?
Congrats! My husband is a home brewer too, and I’m hoping he follows the footsteps of yours. 😀
wow, that is so cool. My husband visited the brewery last year on business, I just looked at his free pint glass a couple days ago. You must live in IL somewhere then? I forget. 🙂
Very cool! My husband just won a bunch of medals with his beers at the state fair. Not quite the same caliber but I’m still proud. 😉
Yeah for husbands!! I am blessed to have been married to mine for 31 years… and the best is yet to come…
Love your blog Lindsay, you are a great inspiration. I am not sure I could have pulled it off when my kids were so young. But glad to be in business with my grown daughter with her daughter, my granddaughter as inspiration!!
Congrats to your hubby, wish we lived closer so we could try his brew!!
Keep the creativity coming!
Congrats to your husband! Wow, how cool! I love the name and the logo. And I love Rock Bottom too! My sister lives in Chicago (she works @ and Advertising agency too) and we go there quite a bit.
That’s so awesome! Congrats Brett!
Ship some to NYC okay?
Congratulations, Brett! The t-shirt idea is a good one…You and Lindsay are such a good team!
Awww, so awesome! I can’t wait to try some of that beer when we finally get to hang out!!! Yum!
Love your post! It’s clear that you are very proud, and very much in love with your husband, the award winning brewer of great beer. So wonderful! Congrats to him!
Congratulations to the Cottage Papa!!
I love trying new beers all the time,
Oktoberfest beers are my favorite!
I agree that couples need to have their own personal hobbies, and be okay with it. I love when my husband goes away for a weekend of fishing, and hunting. We feel so renewed after we each get to do our own thing and then come together again as a family.
Aww very sweet post! I know you love him very much! Congrats!
Woohoo Go Cottage Papa!!! That’s so awesome 🙂