Brothers putting on a show OAK PARK TO WELCOME DOG & PONY BREWING IN 2021 Kevin McKinney MiBrew Trail
New home of Dog & Pony Brewing
What goes into opening a brewery? Outside of money, other big factors are time, patience and planning. In the case of the Gierada brothers Kyle, Aaron, and Josh, it has been 10 years in the making. From the inception of their idea to deciding on the location then building out the brewery. It has covered the better part of a decade. Entrepreneurship has been a common thread in the Gierada family for many years. Following in their grandfathers and great grandfathers’ footsteps. Owning their own business is in the genes. In 2018, the plans were put into motion and the ball started rolling. Kyle had recently left a career at Quicken Loans. Now having more flexibility on a day-to-day basis to put forth more effort on the brewery. The first question, where? Detroit, that was an option. Having worked downtown Kyle had been witness to the city’s rebound and wanted to be part of it. Plymouth, they took a peek there too. Being from that area originally, it felt like a good option. After going through the list of possible locations, they ended up choosing an older industrial building on Eleven Mile Road in Oak Park.
Barley
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Not quite the east or west side of town. They felt it’s centrally located near both Woodward and 696. With surrounding cities like Berkley, Royal Oak, and Ferndale that would
supply plenty of traffic. Plus, Oak Park doesn’t have a brewery yet. Why not be the first! Kyle explained that since deciding on this building, “the city officials have been awesome to work with every step of the way.” From the beginning, they were promoting this particular location as one they’d love to see a brewery in. Oak Park Michigan, once described as “worthless, not fit for habitation.” For over 60 years, Oak Park was the largest dry community in Michigan. Today that couldn’t be further from the truth. In 2013, they voted to allow beer and wine to start pouring. And in 2015, the city once again voted allowing spirits and cocktail sales in the city. Since then, businesses have been popping up all around town. Fast forward to 2021, Oak Park is preparing to welcome its first craft brewery. Dog and Pony Show Brewing will be opening in the repurposed Randolph Tool Building, at 14661 West 11 Mile Road. Once the old lettering from the tool and die comes off the front of the building, they plan on displaying them somewhere inside the brewery. Paying homage to the past. Like many breweries in the state, taking something old and making it new again. The three brothers teamed up to turn this 7,000-square-foot building into the city’s first craft beer producers. It didn’t take long for them to realize that this is a unique location. While they’re adding some needed new elements to the building, the goal
was to keep as much of the industrial feel as possible. Eleven Mile and the surrounding area is quickly becoming a hop spot for startups. Restaurants, coffee shops, and now a brewery. What’s in a name? I asked where the name for the brewery came from. As they chuckled, Kyle said “we were looking for something nostalgic, thinking of their dad specifically.” The brothers explained it’s something their father would occasionally utter while growing up. With three wild and rambunctious boys running around the house, it tended to be a Dog and Pony Show. Josh will be the mastermind behind the scene. Concocting all the goodies that brings us through the doors. His background in brewing comes from time spent at Schramm’s Mead and Northville Winery & Brewery. He has plans for beer styles that will cover a broad spectrum. From sessionable lower ABV beer like Kolsches, Lagers, and Pilsners. Expanding into more hoppy beers like Pale Ales, and IPAs. With a ton of barrel aging in the future. There will also be other beverage options on the menu including ciders and potentially meads, with 12 taps to keep the beer flowing. Over the years the brothers' taste and passion for local craft beer comes from breweries like Kuhnhenn, HOMES, Founders, Short’s and Dark Horse. Dog and Pony Show won’t have a kitchen, but the brewery is very food friendly. The guys will be
MI Brew Trail | Spring 2021
