ARLINGTON — For local residents who have ever wondered how they can begin to brew beer or wine at home, they can look no further than downtown.

Down Home Brew Supply is a brand new business on Fifth Street in downtown Arlington that opened on June 1.

Owners Mike and Amy Scarsella decided to open their own business selling home brewing supplies when Mike gained interest in the pastime some two years earlier.

“If you can bake cookies, you can brew beer,” said Scarsella, who grew up farming and has been growing hops in Arlington for about three years. That experience led him to have an interest in brewing.  “I was already a member of the home brewer’s club here in Arlington,” he said.

Trading tips and ideas with other local home brewers alerted Scarsella to a pointed need for a supply store in the area.

“The nearest ones are in Anacortes and South Everett,” he said. So they opened their own store. They offer more than 50 specialty grains. “We have four different chocolates, four different barleys, dry malts, liquid malts, everything you need,” said Scarsella.

And beer is not the only drink that Scarsella’s customers can try their hands at making at home.

“On the wine side, we have all the fruit you need and all the supplies,” said Scarsella, although most of his customers have been interested in home brewing beer. But for those who have had an interest in home brewing but aren’t sure where to start, Down Home Brew Supply has something that will help.

“We’ve got the deluxe starter kit with all the brewing supplies for less than $150 dollars,” said Scarsella. Each batch yields five gallons and the brewer can choose which flavor profiles to employ.

“You’re brewing something that you actually want to drink,” said Scarsella. His wife, Amy, agreed. “It’s cool how they are all so different and we’re adding more all the time,” she said. “The best beer I’ve ever had is one that [Mike] made with coffee and vanilla beans and it was delicious. It’s funny because I used to always drink Bud Light, but now I don’t even like it anymore.”

The homebrew that Scarsella made had vanilla beans soaked in Portwood Scotch.

“It’s pretty darn delicious,” said Mike Scarsella. “It looks like road tar but it’s good.”

Down Home Brew Supply is located at 116 E. Fifth St. For more information call 360-403-3259.