By Janell Bradley
ELKADER – Buying an historic brick building in this town and renovating it into both her business and residence, has been a welcome adventure for Deb Winter.
She's only lived in the town the past year, but Winter grew up in nearby West Union and graduated from North High School in 1977.
Having just opened 'Deb's Brewtopia' – a homebrewing equipment and supply shop, Winter probably couldn't have ever imagined that a passion for home-brewing and entering competitions with her wine and beer would be the thing to bring her full circle and closer to her family.
The oldest in a family of seven children, Winter married her high school sweetheart and for all of the 34 years of her marriage, worked as office manager for a court reporting firm in Waterloo – a job she loved.
But with a divorce, came her decision to leave that community and move back closer to her parents and several siblings. As she readjusted to single life, Deb stayed alternately with her parents in West Union and youngest brother, David, who with his wife and children, live west of Elkader.
She admits at first, she didn't know which direction her life was headed.
"I had put in applications at several places, but then one morning I just knew. I woke up and thought, 'What's my passion? What do I know? What do I love'?" She had her answer.
Having gotten her start with brewing in 2007, Winter first entered her brews at the Iowa State Fair competition in 2009. She took first place gold with her pale ale and second with a Vienna lager. Since then, she's been entering competitions in California, Tennessee, Kansas City and other locales. She took first and second place honors in Vail, Colo. in January 2010 at the Big Beers & Barley Wine competition and participated in the Masters Championship of Amateur Brewing – an event for which she had to first qualify.
Winter admits there is a secret to the beer she's been most successful with, the American red pale ale. Acquiring pieces of discarded Templeton Rye whiskey barrels, she has a process to transfer the flavors of oak and Templeton Rye whiskey – to her beer.
Another top award-winner is a bourbon oatmeal stout.
"No," Winter says with a grin and a laugh, "I don't do the 'chick' beers!"
Winter also grows 18 varieties of hops. In all, her brew shop offers 46 varieties of grains to potential brewmasters. The combinations are limitless, she says.
While she offers kits for beginners, Winter also offers everything an experienced beer brewer or wine maker might need.
At any given time, she's likely to have seven or eight varieties of wine 'cooking' and another 10 or so completed and available for tasting in a 5 gallon kegs in a chiller.
As for brewing beer, Winter is still establishing that area, but once it's up and running, she hopes to offer beers for purchase – by the growler, or by the keg, to area restaurants. If enough interest is shown, she will begin scheduling classes to individuals, on both brewing and winemaking. She estimates a person can get started spending as little as $30 or could spend up to $200 if purchasing all equipment and ingredients.
Overall, Winter is excited about her new venture.
When she started to look for a place from which to operate her brewing supply business, she says the former Clayton County Register building wasn't a tough sell. It had everything she needed: character emanating from the brick walls and floors, a storefront, a potential living area in the back and a garage where she eventually hopes to set up her own brewing tanks.
"What's not to love? There's the Turkey River, the downtown ... it was love at first sight."
Admittedly, there was a lot of work involved in renovation before Winter was ready to open shop. She says she used 100 tubes of caulk alone, closing gaps in the wood ceiling in what was once the composition/paste-up area of the long-time newspaper office. With help from her brothers and her Dad, Dan Winter, Sr., she tore out walls and opened up the area that once separate the front office from the composition area.
As construction progressed and Deb was able to use the building as a residence, she found a calico cat in the alley that barely weighed a pound.
These days, "Ophelia the cat," joins the dog, "Louie," in having the run of the place, since Winter has rehabbed the one-time job-printing area into a studio apartment. The overhead balcony was once an office for newspaper employees. Now, it's a loft bedroom where the original pipe railing is still in place, as are the concrete steps leading upward.
Having the project as a goal was tremendous motivation for Winter. Nieces Jessica and Kate Winter helped with selecting colors for paint and getting a website in place. Other family members helped with construction and de-construction – and they frequently offer opinions on new brews she's trying, too.
"The support of my family has been unbelievable," she says. "It's really helped me believe in myself."
Deb's Brewtopia is open Tuesdays through Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 5 and Saturday from 10-2. The shop at 106 Cedar Street is closed Sunday and Monday. She can also be contacted at 563-245-3737 or toll-free at 855-210-3737. Her website, is: www.debsbrewtopia.com.
