DeKalb residents with a passion for cooking and a taste for spirits now have a way to combine hobbies and brew their own beer and wine.

Mojo Brew Co., 120 S. Fourth Street, opened July 14 and sells the supplies needed to make beer or wine at home.

The 2,000-square-foot store, owned by Scott and Sheri Prutton, offers ingredients to make any kind of commercial beer and red, white or fruit wines. The store also offers recipe books, free samples for anyone 21 and older, customized bottle labeling, wine-related gifts and classes for home brewing.

“It’s less expensive and a lot fresher,” Scott said. “There are no chemical additives.”

Scott, who got into brewing because of a friend who owns a brewery, has brewed at home for more than decade.

He recommends wheat beer or a lighter beer, with a hint of raspberry or cherry, for summer.

The store offers kits for beginners with easy-to-make recipes, but the owners encourage customers to experiment a little and try their own recipes.

“Beer can be made with all-malt extract, all-grain or a combination of the two,” Scott said. “Wine is easier than beer; we just use concentrate kits and add water.”

The traditional and cheaper method is to brew all-grain, but it is more time consuming.

Preparation time takes a few hours, but the alcohol has to be fermented for about a month.

“Most of [the alcohol] is ready to drink in 30 days, but you can let them sit for many years, and they get better,” Scott said.

The store does not restrict its sales to people over 21 because it is a food service, Sheri said.

“Alcohol is made out of a lot of different things; there’s no regulation on [selling] the ingredients,” City Clerk Donna Johnson said.

The store will host its grand opening at 4:30 p.m. Saturday Aug. 9.