Best of Phoenix

From pale ale to the ale pail, if beer production requires it, these "home fermentation specialists" have it. While beginning brewers may find the inventory overwhelming -- siphons, stopcocks, yeast, hops (whole and pellet), malt extract, blueberry flavoring -- liquid courage is easy to come by. Beer-brewing and wine-making kits pack all the necessary equipment (booklet, bucket, hydrometer, thermometer, etc.) into a single box. An initial investment of $108.50, plus a month's worth of patience, turns five gallons of water into 53 bottles of happiness. So pick your poison -- American cream ale, cerveza-style amber, Irish stout, Weizenbier -- and just brew it.