Nearly every parent desires the best for their kids. At times, things go awry when a parent begins living vicariously through their child. Mom wants daughter win first place at the fashion show for which she scored second when she was a little runt. Dad places a football in his six month old son’s incubator and dreams of the day his little boy leads his team to the Superbowl.

I could care less about football (sorry). I’ll throw the ball around with my son, but he, like his father, is not so inclined to obsess over the inflated animal hide. But I love spending time with my son, and I love beer…and it seems, so will he someday, for he is already fascinated with the process of brewing. In fact, all my kids are. They love beer bottling Saturdays. Everyone crowds into the kitchen and gets involved where they can, which, sanitation in mind, can make me a bit nervous…but I love it and we are all careful.

I love teaching my boy. He already understands the role of yeast and glucose, how carbonation is created, and he can fill a bottle of beer to the correct level and properly secure a cap on a fresh bottle of brew. Many might find this appalling…perhaps considering him to be too young. Maybe so…but I do know that when he turns 21, fifteen years from now, beer will not be some forbidden fruit or instrument of parental rebellion. It will be an icon of pleasant memories of father son bonding.

As we were wrapping up the process today he said, “This is so fun!!! When I turn 21, I’m gonna make my own beer.” My heart was filled with pride. I responded, “When you turn 21 I’ll give you all this equipment.” Judging by the ear-to-ear grin on his face, he was filled with pride too.