The making of…Beer Soap

I am so excited that you can finally purchase Payback Porter Beer Soap on the Etta + Billie website. I’ve partnered with on of my favorite breweries, San Francisco based Speakeasy, to get some fantastic local beer. The beer soap has been months in the making (some of you may have noticed the photos I’ve been posting on Facebook and Instagram) and up until a few weeks ago was only available in select brick and mortar stores and at craft events.

A lot of work goes into the beer soap to ensure that I get a great batch. First, I have to prep the beer by letting it go flat for 2 days. Next, I simmer the beer for about 15-25 minutes to burn off as much of the alcohol as I can. After that, the beer goes into the fridge for 24-48 hours for chill time. Once the chilling and resting phase is complete, it’s time to make some soap! I slowly blend the lye and the beer to keep them from overreacting (they don’t always play nicely together). After that, I can add the lye/beer solution to my melted oils, blend, pour into my molds and then create the beautiful pattern seen above.

I have to say that all the prep is worth it because the Payback Porter Soap has a nutty, malted slightly fresh baked bread scent to it and a wonderful creamy lather. A true beer lovers soap. Grab yourself a bar (or two) and keep an eye on Facebook, Instagram and at the blog for more beer based soaps!