Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 08/99) - When it comes to home brewing, things sure have changed.

You can carbonate your beer now. That removes the need to decant the tasty suds off the top of the sludge at the bottom of the bottle.

"Carbonation makes it sediment-free. You can take the beer anywhere," says Jody Cogdale, co-owner of the new Brew Den.

Today, it's also much easier to get rid of the cider taste so common in the beer brewing of days gone by, he said.

Cogdale said the business can provide all the equipment and supplies for beer brewing.

"If you like Guinness, you can make it. If you're after an Australian pilsner, you can brew any style."

If your less interested in yeast-fermented, malt- flavoured with hops, the Brew Den has all the gear needed for the oenophile.

Wine lovers can pick from dozens of different kits.

Cogdale said when it comes to beer brewing, getting the equipment and first batch runs about $50. For wine it's about $150.

There are more expensive kits. The product from top of the line wine kit from the Brew Den takes about a year to age.

By opening up the Yk shop, Cogdale said he can expand his market. Cogdale, who owns the Brew Den and Northern Arts Gallery with Gwen Woodward, has been running a Brew Den in Fort Smith for the past three years. The Fort Smith business also has a artistic side.

The Brew Den is located in the new 50/50 Mini-mall.

Adjacent to the beer and wine supply store, Cogdale and Woodward operate the Northern Arts Gallery.

The gallery, which features paintings, photography and moose-hair tufting, concentrates on work by artists from the Great Slave area, Cogdale said.

Currently, works by Fort Smith artists Bernie Ouellette, Leslie Leong and Charles Blyth are featured.

Prior to setting up the Fort Smith business, which is still running, he was a part-owner in Yellowknife's Great Western Lumber.