Waltham Resident Honors Late Wife With Special Brew

About 15 years ago, Alan Muir’s wife bought him a home brewing kit.

But the kit eventually led to more than Muir developing a cool hobby. Before his wife’s death in late 2009, Muir, a Waltham resident created a special brew to honor his wife – a raspberry cherry wheat beer inspired by her love for the berries.

“She loved it,” Muir said. “She wanted it all to herself.”

Now, Muir is receiving recognition for his special beer brew. In order to mark its 15th anniversary, , located on lower Moody Street, recently hosted Muir and two individual brewers to create beers for their customers. For Muir, the opportunity meant more than large-scale beer production — it was also a way to honor his wife.

Muir didn’t hesitate when he was asked what beer he would create for Watch City — of course, he produced his wife’s brew, which he lovingly named “Stephanie’s Wit.”

“She was my life partner, she was my best friend and she inspired me to get involved in home brewing,” Muir said of his wife. “She inspired me to make this recipe. I think she deserves a tribute. I love her very much and I miss her very much.”

The brewing process started at Watch City in early June, according to Muir. He and Watch City’s brew master Aaron Mateychuk spent more than three weeks creating 12 barrels of Stephanie’s Wit. While the actual brewing process only took a day, the beer then had to ferment for a week before going into a special conditioning tank for about two weeks. During the conditioning stage, Muir and Mateychuk added fresh raspberries to infuse the beer with fruit flavors.

The beer is currently on tap at Watch City, where Muir said he has gotten a lot of positive feedback from his friends and fellow customers.

“They like the fact that it’s a light, refreshing beer, which is good for the summertime,” he said. “They like the blend of the fruit with the wheat malt. They tell me it’s a very good beer.”

Having made his own beer for years, Muir added that it is fun hobby, giving individuals the chance to share their creations with their friends and brew something that differs from store offerings.

“What I like best about home brewing is tasting it when it’s done and sharing it with my friends and getting their feedback,” Muir said. “I don’t have the quality control expertise that the guys at Sam Adams do, for instance, but I am able to brew stuff that they don’t make, like the raspberry cherry wheat.”