“You can’t buy beer like this anywhere else in town,” he said.
What’s really cool is these are all do-it-yourself (DIY) nutriments, and High Altitude Homebrew Supply Owner Adam Harrington can guide you in the right direction to all the ingredients to make them.
“Tepache is a South American drink made from fermented pineapples,” said Harrington. “There’s been a lot of focus on using these outside sources to re-introduce natural ferment, which helps you break food down in your gut. It’s like magic.”
Although alcohol was always taboo for Harrington, he says he discovered a society outside of intoxication. “I found that having a beer is a nice way to loosen up and have conversations with people you wouldn’t normally approach. I also discovered that there are flavors out there outside of American lager, like Guinness from Dublin, Ireland. The hard water there works with the dark malt to make a perfect stout. They created a style that wasn’t replicable anywhere else at the time.”
Harrington says there are some fringe benefits to drinking beer at night. “Hops have a sedative effect and can help you sleep well. And, up to one or two beers a day can help you avoid kidney stones. Some studies have shown that beer contains more protein and B vitamins than wine, and the barley and hops used in the production of beer contain flavonoids,” he said. “But still, it’s alcohol, so caution is advised.”
Harrington, a Tucson native, set out on a journey outside of his Northern Arizona University (NAU) degree in parks and recreation and decided to travel down a different road chasing after his interest in making beer.
“I went to every brewery in Flagstaff looking for work in the kitchen or whatever it took to get me into the industry,” he said. “I finally got a job at Mother Road Brewing Company cleaning kegs and packaging. After years of hard work, I earned the position of lead brewer and barrel manager.”
A back injury forced Harrington to step down from his position, but his determination to follow his love for craft beer prevailed. After some discussion during a meeting at a local brew club, he decided to open his supply store in Flagstaff.
“I started making my own beer about 45 years ago,” said retired Coconino Forest Service Civil Engineer Shannon Clark. “I got involved with home brewing just in case the engineering position didn’t work out. I pretty much buy all my products from Adam. His store is well-stocked for the types of beers I usually make. He’s also a great consultant when I have a new recipe or need advice for different techniques. There are certain tricks to the trade and Adam’s background as a professional beer brewer has given him great knowledge.”
The inventory in High Altitude Homebrew Supply is a homebrew aficionado fantasyland, with just about everything one would need, as well as kits for sourdough, cheese, kimchi, mustard, hot sauce and tepache. Ingredients for making vinegar, sake and even mead (a fermented honey beverage) are also available.
Customers from across the Four Corners states order from Harrington. “I believe our store is the only brew supplier in the region,” he said. “Vintners from down south frequently drop in for supplies as well as local breweries.”
“I’m a homebrewer and Adam is my go-to guy for all my supplies,” said John Roberts of Flagstaff. “I used to live in Phoenix and there were no one-stop homebrew supply shops like this one. Adam is also super friendly, really knowledgeable and treats you like family.”
Equipment rental is also an option at High Altitude Homebrew Supply. “I have corkers and apple and wine grape presses and keg serving equipment.”
Showcasing Harrington’s love for beer, he sells a selection of handcrafted highly curated beer from all over the world. “You can’t buy beer like this anywhere else in town,” he said.
Keeping in touch with the Northern Arizona community of homebrewers is important for Harrington. “These are an amazing group of people. They support my business and want me to succeed. I’m here to answer their questions so they can further their craft.”
An avid outdoorsman, Harrington worked as a Grand Canyon bicycle tour guide for a season as well as at Arizona Snowbowl. He loves to mountain bike and run trails. “I just love the outdoors, that’s why I chose Flagstaff. It’s so gorgeous here and I enjoy the solitude.”
Future aspirations for Harrington include opening a beer and wine bar that has ties to his namesake. “There are Harrington family bars around the world. They’re not all related to us but I think it would be cool and we have some plans in the works.”
High Altitude Homebrew Supply is located at 2711 E. Lakin Dr., Unit 1, Ste. 2.
LAST TIME I FELT PROUD
Recently, I have had multiple customers come into the shop and tell me how much they enjoy having a home brew shop in town. This is a labor of love and I have been struggling to keep the doors open. But when customers tell me that they love shopping here and having me around to be a source of information, my heart beams and it makes everything I do worthwhile.
PERSON I ADMIRE
I have great admiration for my little brother. He is an accountant who is running several credit unions in Southern California. He is an extremely hard worker and has learned his trade so well that he is considered at the top of his game in his age group.
MY SUPERPOWER
My superpower is ADHD. I know that sounds strange, but I am able to use the hyper focus that comes along with it to teach myself almost any skill so long as I am excited about learning it.
IN MY SPARE TIME
I do all sorts of stuff in my free time (ADHD, remember?). I brew beer, harvest apples to make cider, mountain bike, hike, snowshoe, tinker on my cars, etc.
I WILL KNOW I’VE SUCCEEDED
I feel pretty successful right now, but I think that once I open Harrington’s Tap House and get it running smoothly, I will be very content with my accomplishments. FBN
By V. Ronnie Tierney, FBN
Photo by V. Ronnie Tierney: Adam Harrington says there are benefits to drinking beer at night. “Hops have a sedative effect and can help you sleep well.”
