home brew

noun

: a beverage (such as beer or coffee) that is brewed at home

We arrive at happy hour, when the students who live on the farm and help sell the week's harvest at the market kick back with some home brew after a hard day's work.

—Caroline Campion

The company also has a brew school, which provides an accessible learning space for coffee novices and experienced baristas alike. Some of the classes offered include home brew methods, espresso extraction, and latte art to name a few.

—Kara Thompson

home-brewed

ˈhōm-ˈbrüd 

adjective

He also said health workers eliminated methanol or other toxins in home-brewed alcoholic beverages.

—Lawrence K. Altman

Examples of home brew in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His mother was left to support the family, in part by selling home brews of two potent alcoholic beverages, chang’aa and busaa. —Alex Williams, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024

The 18th Amendment, a federal law banning the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcohol that ratified in 1919, included home brew. —Allison Robicelli, Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2024

Because there are no official Taylor (or Traylor) costumes on the market, Swifties have filled the gap with their home brews. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 31 Oct. 2023

Houses were inspected for cleanliness and to check for home brew. —WIRED, 15 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above