Hair not required for home brewing

Bald Guys Brew Supplies cuts down on travel time

MOSES LAKE — Erik Lampi says he hands out a business card to every bald guy he sees.

"They love the name," said the similarly-headed owner of Bald Guys Brew Supplies with a grin. "It's empowering."

Lampi launched his business, which offers kits for beer and wine home brewing, April 10.

"It seemed like something to try, since there isn't anything else like it anywhere close by and I've been doing home brewing for over 20 years," he explained. " (Home brewing is) just a hobby that I started when I was in college."

Lampi said he enjoys home brewing because it allows the opportunity to try a number of varieties of beers and wines that aren't available in stores.

"It's a fun hobby," he said. "And along with that, you get to share with your friends. I came from Coulee Dam, and I've got a circle of friends up there that started making wine five or six years ago. What we do, is we each make a different kind. We have bottling parties, so everybody gets together, we have dinner, we sample each other's wines, and bottle each other's stuff. It's just a fun thing to do with a group of people."

One of those friends in Coulee Dam has a son in Moses Lake, who suggested that Lampi open a home brewery shop in order to cut down on travel to Spokane. Lampi said he borrowed him for the name (thus putting the plural in Bald Guys) and he acts as all-grain brewing expert for the business.

A resident of Coulee Dam since 1984, Lampi moved to Moses Lake a year ago in May.

Bald Guys Brew Supplies products are available within Elements Inside and Out. Lampi said that came about because a friend of his knows Elements owners Mike and Krista Hamilton.

"I wandered in one day in the middle of construction and said, 'Hey, can I try this?'" he recalled. The Hamiltons responded positively.

There will also be a division for homemade beer and wine at the Grant County Fair this year, and Lampi plans on eventually putting together a Web site.

Lampi also offers home and store tasting parties, and classes.

Already, Lampi has repeat customers. He said statistics show that 5 to 18 percent of a population is interested in home brewing.

"From the people I've spoken to, there are a lot of people who don't want to have to drive clear to Spokane to pick up the stuff that they want to make a batch of brew," he said, pointing at high gas prices.

And the reason for Lampi's own lack of hair?

He is succinct with his answer.

"'Cause I already am," he added, with another grin.