At a table near the entrance at Annapolis Home Brew, four members of the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber’s Successful Women in Business group attended their first in-person networking event in months.
Aside from the joy of seeing each other, the women delighted in sampling small glasses of home brew. Brittany Billings wore a surprised expression as she tasted Kombucha for the first time while Lauren Gerlach, Angela Smith and Angela Balsamo savored samples of Blonde Ale.
Gerlach from Challenge Auto, Smith from Flaherty Solutions, Balsamo from Coffee News and Billings from Consolidated Insurance and Risk Management.traded local business news. All four giggled when host Steve Bolton dropped by the table and announced, “This is the most women we’ve ever had in here”.
Nearby, Cheryl Pace from Change Your Pace Therapeutic Massage and Body Works was saying she detected a raspberry taste in her Kombucha. Bolton told her that he flavors the beverage with raspberry or pineapple and ginger to improve the taste.
Everyone attending the event wore a mask but, as usual, conversation flowed freely. SWIB co-chairs Nancy Greer of Jing Ying Institute and Pam Spearman of Mary Kay Cosmetics were pleased to hear multiple women exclaim what fun it was to see everyone …..or to see anyone for that matter.
Noting what a “rare thing” it was to be attending a networking event, Laura Wegman of Laura’s Eyes Photography summed up the entire group’s feelings.
“It’s good being around all these people that I really like but am never seeing,” she said.
The doorbell sounded and Lisa Edelman Schneiderman from neighboring Lisa’s Cakepops walked through the door with a tray of delicious looking chocolate covered pops. Greer and Spearman gratefully accepted her gift for the snack table.
Minutes later, they called the meeting to order in Annapolis Home Brew’s kitchen/workroom surrounded by bottles, jars, boxes of yeast and brewing equipment.
As is traditional, members were invited to introduce themselves and talk about their businesses.
Each member’s description of her company was interesting and some members had news to share. Greer extended invitations to Jing Ying’s Halloween Drive-By taking place Saturday October 3 from 1:30 to 2:30 pm. She also highlighted Team Jing Ying’s participation in Anne Arundel County’s “Kick Alzheimer’s to the Curb” Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sunday, October 18.
Schneiderman announced that Lisa’s Cakepops is taking orders for Halloween custom cakes and Halloween-themed cakepop decorating kits while Spearman drew attention to a Mary Kay lipstick sale.
Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber CEO Liz League thanked everyone for coming out. Then the program was handed over to Steve Bolton. who provided a bit of history about Annapolis Home Brew with help from his German Shepherd Letty.
Surrounded by bottles, jars, buckets, cardboard boxes of yeast and brewing equipment in Annapolis Home Brew’s kitchen/workroom, host Steve Bolton addressed the meeting. Surrounding him, left to right, are Successful Women In Business members Angela Smith Brittany Billings, German Shepherd Letty, GSPACC CEO Liz League and event co-chair Pam Spearman.
“i’m one of the owners who took over the business three years ago but Annapolis Home Brew has actually been at the same location at 836 Ritchie Highway for 18 years,” Bolton explained. “We’re off the beaten path here but we’re a destination for people who need our products to make wine or cider or Meade or cheeses.”
Because the business is considered an essential grocery business since yeast and other food products are needed for the fermentation process, the shop remained busy throughout the COVID pandemic and even picked up customers new to the hobby.
Bolton described the basic fermentation method for making beer, wines, and other beverages. He emphasized that yeast does all the work. so the process is easy and said the shop holds classes from time to time.
He talked briefly about Kombucha, a healthy fermented beverage made by combining organic black tea with organic sugar and a yeast cake called a scoby. The mixture ferments for about two weeks transforming into a slightly sour beverage that is packed with probiotics and is good for the digestion.
For Bolton’s official tasting there were two beers, Chardonay and Kombucha on tap plus some special products made by Annapolis Home Brew or its clients.
“For us, it’s not about what we can make, it’s about what you can make,” he said. “I have the best job in the world because people bring me bottles of their beverages to taste for my opinion.”
The tasting was a fascinating experience.
“Steve was very funny,” League said. “He served us an Apple Pie beverage, Spiced Cider, some absolutely delicious Rasberry Chocolate Port and something he called Cherry Bombs. We had a great time.”
For information about Annapolis Home Brew, visit https://annapolishomebrew.com.
Blessing of the Animals Drive-Through at Woods Church
If Fido is shy or nervous, he’ll love this year’s Drive-Through Blessing of the Animals at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church this Sunday, October 4.
According to committee member Cheryl Querry, pets will be able to stay in the car with their families this time.
There will be good traffic management for two lanes. Two pastors will give the blessings – Rev. Dr. Susan DeWyngaert and Rev. Nancy Lincoln Reynolds.
People with last names beginning with the initials A through K are being asked to arrive and 11 am Sunday and people with initials L through Z may come at 11:30 am.
Following the blessings, each pet will receive a Certificate of Blessing, a treat bag.and a bandanna.
“Obviously there will be one kind of treat bag for dogs and one kind for cats,” Querry said.
In past years frogs, a chicken and a pony have shown up to be blessed so there are additional treat bag options. For information, visit http://www.woodschurch.org/.
