Eastern Market Brewing Co

Eastern market brewing co DETROIT, MI

SOMETHING MAGICAL IS BREWING IN DETROIT'S EASTERN MARKET

The venerable Eastern Market, a Detroit institution since 1891, is said to be the largest public market district in the United States. Covering 43 acres in the city’s historic commercial district about one mile from downtown, one might be inclined to wonder what could possibly be missing from a venue that has attracted tens of thousands of visitors each market day, generation after generation. If you’re three buddies kicking it on the back porch over a few cold ones, the answer is obvious: beer. Why not start a brewery and be part of revitalizing the storied tradition of brewing beer in Eastern Market, an area that dozens of breweries have called home at one time or another over the past century? (Stroh’s Brewery is perhaps the best known of the bunch). In 2017, after a lot of soul-searching and Old School roll-your-sleeves-up kind of hard work, managing partner Dayne Bartscht and his gung-ho partners opened Eastern Market Brewery in an area they had grown quite fond of. The microbrewery bills itself as community focused, a commitment that it carries out by brewing its variety of craft beers with local ingredients whenever possible to support market vendors and local businesses. “We see people here from all walks of life, especially on weekends,” said Shayln Getz, the brewery’s marketing and operations director. “We have a large taproom which serves as a real cool meeting place, and we always have a wide variety of styles of beer on tap.” Eastern Market Brewery is noted for their New England IPA’s. their flagship beer, Elephant

The facade of the Eastern Market Brewing Company in Detroit is a welcome site for an area that, once known for its breweries, hadn't been able to claim one until three buddies with outsized ambitions and even bigger imaginations, renovated an old building into a popular microbrewery. A refreshing place for locals and visitors to get a taste of Detroit history while enjoying any number of house-made brews. (Photo Provided)

Juice, is a true hazy IPA with Citra and Mosaic Hops. “It has a strong grapefruit or passion fruit taste,” Getz said. “It’s our most popular beer and my personal favorite.” The brewery launched a new beer it calls Jumbo Juice (9 percent ABV) during the pandemic, just one of the ways the company has gone creative to weather the economic storm. With on-site imbibing prohibited, the enterprising ownership team began a beer delivery service it calls Peddlers. This delivers brews right to customers’ doorsteps — throughout the state. At the beginning of the shutdown, Eastern Market Brewing operated a drive-thru in an effort to satisfy its customers thirst for its house-brewed beers, ranging from Stouts to its signature IPA’s. “We’ve tried to be inventive and agile,” Getz said. “It’s been great to deliver a bit of joy and normalcy to people during such a difficult time. We’ve been making daily deliveries to different counties throughout the state. We’re active on social media, which helps us tremendously to stay connected with people and to let them know what we have planned next.” The brewery may have up to 20 beers on tap at a given time, though 12 to 15 is its sweet spot, according to Getz. White Coffee Stout is a popular choice, and many patrons swear by its fruited sour series. A silver lining throughout the dark days of COVID-19 has been the City of Detroit’s willingness to help impacted businesses by allowing for outside seating areas. In the case of Eastern Market Brewing Company, an entire city block has been closed to motorists to allow for expanded outdoor patio seating. It’s not quite the brewery’s impressive taproom, but there’s something to be said about enjoying a brew outside — no matter what the conditions. “The street has been permanently shut down, which has proven to be a huge blessing to us,” Getz said. “We have seven heated greenhouses to keep everyone warm. Throughout this ordeal, we’ve found that people are embracing outdoor drinking. We look forward to the day when we can invite people back inside to enjoy our wonderful taproom, but for now, we’re doing everything we can to provide some relief for people.” Eastern Market Brewing Company, the first brewery to call Eastern Market home in more than 30 years, has teamed up with its sister company, the Ferndale Project, for a special

winter promotion it calls “Après Ski.” This socially distant winter-themed celebration, aimed at local lovers of craft beers, began on Jan. 1 and runs to Feb. 28. Instead of cowering in the face of Michigan’s harsh winters, organizers are advocating a starkly different approach with this new event.

“With cold weather upon us and the necessary precautions related to COVID-19, we realize local craft beer drinkers need something to look forward to this winter,” Bartscht said. “January and February are the slowest months for our industry, and we’ve decided instead of shying away from the cold weather, we’re going to embrace our Michigan winters.”

Enjoying a beverage following a day on the slopes is a time-honored tradition and Après Ski promises to bring the feel of northern Michigan to Detroit and Ferndale during this promotion. A new release, “Brew Ski,” a limited draft-only wheat beer brewed by Eastern Market Brewing Co., will be available. “Lift tickets,” a prerequisite for attending the events in Ferndale and Detroit, may be purchased for $5, entitling patrons to 50% off all draft beer for the duration of their visit. Ticket holders, Getz said, will be able to enjoy a wide variety of half-off beers, from the New England IPAs and fruited sours Eastern Market Brewing has become known for, to the new Belgian wheat beer, Brew Ski, created specifically for this event.

“I’ve enjoyed my fair number of discounted Après Ski beers and have fond memories,” said Bartscht. “We’re excited to recreate that magical experience for our customers. If this year goes well, who knows, maybe it becomes an annual event.”

Getz said that Eastern Market has matched an emphasis on Detroit’s brewing tradition with a willingness to experiment to create a successful blueprint, one that has led to a second location. The taproom is located at 2515 Riopelle St. in Detroit, and its newest location, Ferndale Project, is at 567 Livernois, in Ferndale.

Après Ski goers can look forward to cozy outdoor fire pits at Ferndale Project after a “day on the slopes,” while heated outdoor greenhouses fill the alley at Eastern Market Brewing Company — in addition to its city block of outdoor, socially-distant outdoor patio seating. “Our team worked tirelessly to create an experience that’s fun and safe,” Bartscht said.

Elephant Juice, a hazy IPA with strong hints of citrus, is one of Eastern Market Brewing Company's most popular offerings. (Photo Provided)

January and February are the slowest months for our industry, and we’ve decided instead of shying away from the cold weather, we’re going to embrace our Michigan winters ”