7 minute read
Michigan Brewery Review
It's all about nature, community and craft at The Workshop Brewing Company. Located on the edge of downtown Traverse City in the Warehouse District, live music, traditional craft beer and a revamped menu is proving to be a sustainable model for a brewery dedicated to honoring Northern Michigan's spectacular natural environment.
Katie Lynn to the rescue
Jon Becker MIBrew Trail
Chicago native Katie Lynn may not sport a cape or possess superpowers, but as far as a Traverse City brewery owner is concerned the longtime food and beverage professional is in a class by herself. Drawn by her passion for food and beverage establishments where music is a big part of the venue, Lynn left her corporate job in the Windy City to go to work for Pete Kirkwood, owner and founder of The Workshop Brewing Co., a Traverse City brewery whose entire business philosophy is tied to the region’s breathtaking natural environment. Lynn, the company’s assistant general manager, has only been there since September of 2020. But to say she’s had an indelible impact is like saying there may be some lakes and cherries around the Traverse City region. Lynn may very well be John Tapper-like, star of the television show “Bar Rescue.” This is not to say The Workshop Brewing Co., established in 2012, was mismanaged by any stretch of the imagination. It’s just that stepping into one of the hardest hit industries during the pandemic, (in Michigan, no less, with its strict mitigation measures) and playing a lead role in figuring out ways to remain afloat when so many businesses were going under had to be every bit as challenging a scenario as celebrity bar-restaurant fixer Tapper ever faced. “Katie appeared in our moment of need — in the thick of the pandemic,” Kirkwood said. “She rolled up her sleeves, threw on a mask, and jumped in. I told her she was nuts to leave a good job to join us, but she loved our business philosophy so much that she did it anyway. Now she’s living the embodiment of that philosophy.” How big of an impact has Lynn had? “She saved my sanity this year, and she may well have saved our business too,” Kirkwood said without a trace of hyperbole. “She’s amazing.” The business philosophy Kirkwood refers to centers around what the company likes to call “Trifidelity.” Said Kirkwood, “We call our philosophy Trifidelity because we are motivated by these three things: nature, community and craft. We are in business to preserve Northern Michigan’s spectacular natural environment, to reinforce Traverse City’s warm and vital community, and to honor traditional craft. We do not consider our business to be a success unless we are demonstrably doing all three.” Lynn comes from a tight-knit family. She said she is extremely close with her parents, Mary and Tom, and has an identical twin named Bridget and a younger sister, Maureen. When she decided to leave Chicago for Traverse City, it was a homecoming of sorts for the family. When Katie Lynn was 5, they moved to Chelsea when her father took a job there. The family had vacationed every summer in Petoskey and Harbor Springs, “so we were very familiar with Traverse City,” she said. “We always stopped there on our way home for lunch and a beer.” As much as the thought of living and working in Traverse City
See Katie Lynn on 32 "Katie appeared in our moment of need--in the thick of the pandemic," said Pete Kirkwood, the owner of The Workshop Brewing Company. "I told her she was nuts to leave a good, steady job to join us, but she loved our business philosophy so much that she did it anyway. She saved my sanity this year, and she may well have saved our business. She's amazing."
Volume 2 | Spring 2021 www.MiBrewTrail.com | 13
14 | www.MiBrewTrail.com MICHIGAN BREWERY REVIEW: Five Shores Brewing
Kevin McKinney MiBrew Trail
Breweries across Michigan, for many years have been involved in giving back to both local and communities across the state. One northern Michigan beer maker has joined the long list of breweries supporting local. Since January 2020, Five Shores Brewing located in the hidden gem of Beulah is doing just that. Even before opening Five Shores, owners Oliver Roberts and Matt Demorest have had a focus on not only making great beer but also highlighting other Michigan businesses. Roberts and Demorest both have a strong passion for inclusion and diversity in the craft beer community. Recently, Five Shores started the “Black Owned Business Collaborations.” Their mission is to produce beers incorporating as many ingredients as possible from black owned Michigan businesses. Along with proceeds from beer sales, they want to drive attention to those businesses across the state. Hoping to make an impact on their bottom line and customer base. Their first collab was with Barb Baker. You may know her better as “Siren of Stout” on most social media platforms. A true craft beer enthusiast. Barb is also vice president of “Fermenta: A Women's Craft Collective.” The beer she had in mind was a stout using whole sweet potato pies purchased from 24th Cheese Cakery, a black family-owned business located in Ypsilanti. This beer, aptly named Siren of Pastry Stout was made with 24 whole pies, aged on roasted pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Well, that
was the plan at least. While in the process of making the beer,
Oliver said that two possibly three of the pies accidentally fell into their mouths during production. The hazards of brewing beer! Lucky for me, it was on tap during my last visit to Five Shores. I’d describe it as rich but not overly sweet. A definite flavor explosion to say the least. The only thing that could possibly make Siren of Pastry Stout better is sipping it along with a slice of sweet potato pie. The second collaboration is planned for an April release. This time Oliver will be teaming up with Kuma Ofori-Mensa. His background in brewing comes from time spent at Arbor Brewing as an assistant brewer. Glasshouse Brewing where he was head brewer. At Tecumseh Brewing, Kuma was in charge of the small batch brewing. Also, he was the former collaboration brewer at Cultivate Coffee & Tap House in Ypsilanti I reached out to Kuma to get his inspiration for this beer. He explained “This was my first time creating a product as myself rather than a representative of someone else’s brand. I wanted it to reflect who I am and where I came from.” Kuma was born and raised in the states, his parents were both born and raised in Ghana. “This was the perfect opportunity to blend the major cultural influences of my life into something unique” he said. After researching the history of beer brewing across Africa, Kuma discovered several regional variations of beer were brewed using sorghum. In Africa it’s called Pito. A type of beer made from fermented sorghum in Northern Ghana, parts of Nigeria, and other parts of West Africa. His parents described it as a common person’s drink. A casual refreshment for everyday people. Kuma’s collaboration beer will be a slightly soured west coast inspired IPA, made using South African hops. He built the recipe featuring sorghum extract, African Queen, and Southern Star Hops. They named it “Saldanha”, after a natural harbor on the southwestern coast of South Africa. Look for it in four packs and on tap in the brewery. Their plans for the third collaboration are to make a beer with Terry and Jamaal, from Black Calder Brewing out of Grand Rapids. “Black Owned Business Collaborations” will be a bi-monthly series. Oliver and Matt met while tailgating at a U of M vs MSU game. What goes better together than football and beer? After being introduced and sharing a few beers, the conversation turned to both having an interest in opening a northern Michigan brewery. Business cards were exchanged and they went on to watch the Wolverines trounce the Spartans. Now I’m not 100% certain on that last sentence, but it just sounds better. A couple of days later Oliver slid into Matt’s DMs, “Hey, so about this brewery…” That meeting eventually turned into Benzie County’s forth, and Beulah’s first brewery. Five Shores Brewing is a stone’s throw away from the eastern shore of Crystal Lake. Oliver, a Great American Beer Festival award winning brewer brought 17 years of experience, while Matt brought his passion for craft beer and all-around business savvy. After multiple trips up north, scouting out different locations, they settled on a large metal round roof building. Once an Oldsmobile dealer back in the 1950s, the building had sat unused and empty for over 30 years. Like so many other Michigan breweries, they repurposed something old and made it new again.
See Brew review on 34
