In the winter of 1994, Sam Calagione was living in Manhattan and working as a waiter when he fell in love with beer and bought a beginner’s homebrewing kit. On a whim, he added overripe cherries from the corner bodega when he brewed an English Pale Ale in his kitchen in Chelsea.
Source: LifeHacker – How to get started in homebrewing, from the pros who mastered it