So you're sick of cruising the beer aisle and not finding that marshmallow stout you've been craving. Why not homebrew?

"If you're not happy with beer in stores, that's motivation for making beer at home," said John Haggerty, brewer for New Holland Brewing Company.

For beginners who are unsure about brewing in their house, or brewers who just don't have the space or significant other's patience, try brewing with Dave Turner at Saugatuck Brewing Company. For $250, an SBC brewer will walk you through the steps of brewing, allowing for a hands-on experience. The best part - they clean up the mess at the end.

"[Our system] helps because you're guided by someone who knows what they're doing," Turner said.

Participants are able to customize a recipe, make up their own, or choose a recipe that's already on file at SBC. For those ready to dive in on their own, Haggerty recommends locating your local homebrewing club and attend a few of its meetings.

"They would love to talk to you to the point where it will drive you crazy," Haggerty says of the club members.

While most homebrewing clubs are elusive, Brewers on the Lake meet at NHBC the second Thursday of each month. From there, you can decide if homebrewing is a commitment you would like to take on. If that's the case, Turner and Haggerty say Siciliano's Market (2840 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, Grand Rapids) is the place to purchase materials. Haggerty recommends starting out with an extract, which is a syrup of unfermented beer.

"I would recommend sticking with a recipe kit for your first few brews. They cost slightly more...but they're pre-measured and come with directions," said Adam Harden, who has been homebrewing for more than a year, and currently operates a 10-gallon all-grain setup. But most importantly, make sure you follow directions. Matt Szuminski recently brewed his first batch, but things went south when he didn't turn off the burner before adding the malt.

"[I] can't get the burn marks off of the bottom of my pot for the life of me," he said.