MiBrew Trail - Issue 3, Summer 2021

Issue 3, suMMeR 2021

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The Upper Peninsula…Beer by Beer, Mile by Mile dogs & Brews: reader Submitted Photo Feature Festivals Are Back to Quench State’s Thirst For a “normal” Summer

And MUch More...

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W e a i s f C c

B 4 d b b m m

Are you a Brewmaster? Email MiBrewTrail@Hearst.com to learn more about featuring your brewery on the Michigan Brew Trail.

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MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

Bring on the summer brew trail DEAR READERS: Welcome to the summer edition of MiBrew Trail Magazine. And what a summer it’s shaping up to be as the state begins to fully open following a year and a half of COVID restrictions that were challenging to everyone.

But Michiganders, like the 400 or so craft breweries that dot our state, are a resilient bunch and are excited to be able to again enjoy so many of the things that make the summer season

so special in the Great Lakes state. Will your next cold craft beer shared with family and friends at the ballpark, backyard barbeque or brewery tasting room have ever tasted so good? When so many of the things we can take for granted are suddenly taken away, there is a greater appreciation felt when they return.

Beer festivals and other Michigan-themed events are a prime example. Attendance at these special events are expected to soar

Did You Know?

this summer throughout the state. Many of the small craft breweries whose own unique beers will be a part of all these festivities are to be applauded. They, through sheer will and creative business pivoting, found a way to maintain their customer base during the pandemic. In fact, according to the Brewers Association, the trade association that represents small and independent American Craft breweries, the number of operating craft breweries continued to climb in 2020.

Closings remained comparable to 2019, fueling optimism among industry insiders that the majority of our craft breweries will survive as they reemerge from COVID-19’s stranglehold.

After what we’ve all been through, this is a Michigan summer to savor. Enjoy it while you can. The season is short.

I hope to see you out on the trail. Cheers!

Ed Fritz MiBrew Trail

ED FRITZ

Michigan is fifth in the nation in the number of breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs according to Pure Michigan®. This magazine features just a small selection of the excellent businesses that make up the Michigan Brew industry. To be featured here, contact Ed Fritz at edward.fritz@hearst.com

Michigan’s Original Hop Source!

• 21 Michigan grown hop varieties • Hops from 9 different countries • 70+ Hop varieties in all • Professionally packed & cold stored • Industry leading customer service • Independent and Michigan owned • Order directly from our website • No contracts needed • Same day shipping

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in this issue ON THE COVER

18 & 19.......... Upper Peninsula, Beer by Beer, Mile by Mile

Mibrew trail Director Ed Fritz Muskegon Editor Kate Hessling Midland Advertising

26 & 27.......... Dogs & Brews: Reader Submitted Photo Feature 22................... True Michigan Summer

Tony Garant Midland Contributors Jon Becker Auburn Karl Klockars Traverse City Kevin McKinney Auburn Hills Mike Lerchenfeldt Rochester Hills Design & Layout

FEATURES 6.....................................Cherry Beers are Everywhere 7.....................................8 Degrees Plato Beer Company 8.....................................Untold Detroit 10...................................Coopersville Brewing Company 12...................................Burning Foot Beer Festival 14...................................Muskegon Distillery Answers Call 16...................................Husband-Wife Team Success 20...................................Meet The Brewer 24...................................Brewing Again 30...................................Twin Brothers Open Tasting Room 32...................................Rockford Brewing Company 4 | www.MiBrewTrail.com

Ariel Moreno Sparta Cover art RJ Sturdavant Reed City

MiBrew Trail Magazine is designed and printed in Big Rapids, Michigan For advertising rates and information call: 231-592-8334 or email: MiBrewTrail@hearst.com

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

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Cherry Fest is Coming Back and Cherry Beers are Everywhere Ed Fritz MiBrew Trail

Middlecoast Brewing

The annual Cherry Festival returns to Traverse City this year after a pandemic-induced time out, and while not all aspects of the festival are back - sorry, air show fans - at least we get the beer tent back! (Okay, beer “area” this year.)

While this is great news for fans of Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, the Northwest corner of the Lower Peninsula has many other offerings for those who are fans of sweet, tart or sour cherry flavor.

While their reputation continues to grow for their uniquely-flavored hard seltzers like passionfruit-basil, lemon-ginger and peppermint bark (yes!

Peppermint bark! And it’s pretty good!), this Belgian-style witbier is flavored with Michigan tart cherry concentrate which balances the creaminess of the wheat with a bit of sweet-and-sour sharpness.

If you’d like to attend this year’s Cherry Festival, make a plan to visit Traverse City between July 3-10. They’re carrying over the Very Cherry Porch Parade from last year between those dates as well, while this year’s Cherry Royale Parade Experience is a reverse parade where you drive past the floats at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa on July 10th.

Tickets are currently on sale for the Very Cherry Flying Pancake Breakfast, the Old Town Classic Car Show and the beer tent is hosting the National Cherry Festival Cornhole Tournament on the afternoon of July 7; to register your team there’s a $40 fee.

If you find yourself wanting to go beyond the festival beer tent, here are a few of our favorites that we’ve found along the MiBrewTrail:

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in July, or was it the proximity to the delicious cherry pies baked by the nearby Grand Traverse Pie Company?

Let’s assume it was a little of both.

GW’S LITTLE WHITE LIE

One of the newest breweries in downtown Traverse City, Middle Coast says this beer was inspired by our first president’s predilection for chopping down cherry trees, so if you find yourself motivated to chop, climb or otherwise assault a nearby orchard, please think twice.

Stone Hound Brewing Acme OBLIGATORY DARK CHERRY LAGER One of the newer breweries in the area, Stone Hound sits across Us-31 with a clear view of East Bay from a building that was once a laundromat.

While a cherry beer may be in many ways obligatory around here, putting Montmorency cherry flavor on top of a dark lager is very much not - but also very much appreciated. Brewer Chris Cargill, formerly a production brewer for Short’s Brewing a little ways up the road, extracts tart cherry flavors for this crisp lager much the way he did with other berries for Soft Parade.

North Peak Brewing Company

ARCHANGEL CHERRY WHEAT / RASCAL CHERRY PORTER Another TC brewery a stone’s throw from the Cherry Festival grounds, North Peak sits in a historic building originally built as a candy factory, so even without the Cherry Capital connection you’d imagine plenty of beers with chocolate, cherries and other sweet additions (and you’d be right).

The Archangel is a light, refreshing beer with just a wisp of cherry sweetness dolloped on top while the Rascal gives you bigger, bolder roastier flavors with cherry cola complexity backing it up.

Right Brain Brewing

This year Right Brain upped the ante at their Sixteenth Street location where pie proximity is concerned: they’ve got the GT Pie food truck in their parking lot all summer serving pie slices, pie shakes and pot pies. Perfect for pairing with this rich amber ale packed full of literal cherry pie, crust and all, for a cinnamonkissed charmer of a beer.

Cherry Public House Glen Arbor ...A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS.

Would it shock you to discover that this Glen Arbor outpost of the famed Cherry Republic stores features beers that also have a lot of cherry flavor to them? Because it really shouldn’t. Make your way to this recently-expanded outdoor space (thanks pandemic!) to find a shipping container bar pouring options like the Hoppy Bobby pale ale (with cherries), the Golden Bear blonde ale (with cherries) and the Night Swim Cherry Porter with … you get the idea.

CHERRY PIE WHOLE Before moving a bit further south of downtown, Right Brain’s former Warehouse District location had a pretty clear line of sight to the Clinch Park open space where the Cherry Festival is held. Was that the inspiration for their Cherry Pie Whole seasonal, released

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

Fun and Fellowship Drives Philosophy at 8 Degrees Plato Beer Company Jon Becker MiBrew Trail

if you can’t wax philosophical at an inviting place called 8 Degrees Plato, where can you?

A longtime stand-up comedian who once opened for the likes of Tim Allen and Dave Coulier (Full House) devotes his professional life these days to operating 8 Degrees Plato Beer Company, a cutting edge craft beer store and bar in Detroit.

“The name is a great conversation starter for the 99% of people who don’t know the meaning of our store’s name,” Costello said, noting that 8 degrees reflects a unit of measurement of sugar, thus alcohol, in brewing wine or alcohol. Eight also is an aesthetically pleasing number and Plato in their store’s name is a nod to the great philosopher, said the onetime funnyman who, truth be told, can still work a room.

Co-owned by Tim Costello and his wife, Brigid Beaubien, 8 Degrees Plato is Michigan’s first craft beer store with a bar. Specializing in smaller, self-distributing breweries, the shop has turned into a destination since the couple opened it on September 11, 2015.

“We offer 16 rotating taps,” Costello said. “You can come in and have a beer while you’re shopping or fill a growler to go. We’re the first ones in Michigan to combine a license for carry out and a bar.”

Customers rave about the shop’s amazing selection of bottled and canned beer, as well as its meads and ciders. Located at 3409 Cass Avenue, 8 Degree Plato’s Brigid Beaubien knows a thing or two about being first. Her ancestors were among the first European settlers to arrive in Detroit with Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. According to the Detroit Historical Society, the site that would become the city of Detroit was established by Cadillac, a French military leader and trader.

Beaubien is not averse to talking a little Detroit history with interested patrons. The dynamic husband and wife team pride themselves on their hospitality and sincere desire to get to know their customers. Everyone has a story and

Volume 3 | Summer 2021

“Yeah, customers will say I’m still a smart ass,” he said, smiling.

Costello spent 25 years touring the country doing stand-up. He performed with some household names (at least they were then) in huge venues and with some lesser names in smaller arenas.

“I played in front of groups of two and crowds of thousands,” Costello recounted. “I’m happy with what I’m doing now. I tell people that I never, ever, ever wanted to open a bar. I just wanted to have a place to have a beer. We’re doing okay here.”

The couple owned and operated their original 8 Degrees Plato Beer Company in Ferndale before making the difficult decision to shut down the popular bottle shop at the end of 2018 after a successful seven-year run.

“It was just a bottle shop, no taps,” Costello said. “We weren’t a party store but just a store that liked to party. We started doing Friday night tastings to get people in the door. That quickly brought breweries in. It was great

for them. They got to showcase their special beers to people in an intimate setting. Friday night tastings became an event. It was one of the things that put us on the map early on.”

Mothfire Brewing Company (Ann Arbor) and Traverse City’s Farm Club are two of Costello’s favorite breweries.

It’s difficult to keep their products on his store shelves.

Co-owner Tim Costello spent 25 years touring the country doing stand-up.

“As soon as I get them in, they go right out the door,” he said.

When Tim was cutting his comedic chops traveling across the country, he often sought out regional craft beers. This was well before the craft beer craze hit Michigan, so it was a real treat to bring some of his finds back home to his Dearborn neighborhood. Soon Sunday nights on Tenny Street became a gathering spot as Tim and Brigid hosted friends who were more than willing to sample some of Tim’s beer bonanza.

“That’s really where it all started,” Tim, an IPA guy, said of his craft beer journey.

As Plato said, “Ideas are the source of all things.” Or as Costello is fond of saying: “Beer is food. Drink better food.”

8 Degrees Plato Detroit is a fine place for conversation and tasty beverages. Cheers to you finding this trendsetting craft beer store and bar next time you’re in the Motor City. MI Brew Trail can’t promise you anything, but maybe if you catch Costello at the right time, favorite IPA in tow, he might regale you with a tale or two from his comedy days.

Good conversation, a friendly atmosphere and knowledgeable service are trademarks of 8 Degrees Plato, a Detroit beer company where people can enjoy a brew inside the store while they check out an amazing and eclectic inventory of craft beers.

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William (“Billy”) Wall-Winkel, host of the Detroit Historical Society’s first-ever podcast that explored in-depth the Motor City’s long and fascinating beer history that dates back centuries.

Detroit’s Brewing History Explored in New Podcast Jon Becker MiBrew Trail Detroit has long been known as the automobile capital of the world. That reputation, ignited by Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford, is the first thing that comes to mind to many people when they think of the Motor City. Yet the public’s enduring fascination with the automobile tends to obscure other notable elements of Detroit’s rich history.

Like beer, for instance. Beer and brewing go back a long way in Detroit and the Detroit Historical Society decided to shed light on the history of brewing in the city by developing its first podcast, “Untold Detroit: Beer.” Hosted by William “Billy” Wall-Winkel, assistant curator and oral historian for the Detroit Historical Society, the podcast takes an in-depth look at Detroit brewing, dating back to pre-French colonization to current happenings in Metro Detroit’s bustling beer scene.

“Detroit has a really interesting history with brewing,” said Wall-Winkel. “I was interested in exploring this history because I only knew about Stroh’s. I didn’t know about Voigt or Kling and I certainly didn’t know about Joseph

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Parent.” (Detroit’s first recognized brewer who arrived in the city in 1706).

Wall-Winkel said Peter Blum’s “Brewed in Detroit,” considered the definitive book on the city’s brewing history, got the wheels turning.

“It had been on my to-read list for awhile,” he said. “I can easily say that I should have read it sooner. He was a great starting point as our team jumped down the rabbit hole.”

The first season’s episodes featured interviews with giants of the industry such as Larry Bell, founder of Bell’s Brewing; John Stroh, chairman & CEO of The Stroh Companies, Inc.; Annett May, a female-certified cicerone who has worked in the craft beer industry for 25 years; and Dave Engbers, co-founder and president of Founders Brewing Company.

“We focused a lot of energy on making sure the podcast was not just for history buffs,” Wall-Winkel said of the six-episode series that covered one topic, beer.

“We wanted to make it accessible for everyone to enjoy. Beer is for everyone and we wanted the podcast to be the same way.”

Wall-Winkel’s on-air style is one in which he’d rather see the guests, not him, be

the center of attention.

“From the get-go, we knew people were more interested in hearing other people tell this story, not just me,” he explained.

“Podcasts that bring in the people that they are talking about are the shows that I enjoy the most.”

Historians, brewers and beer lovers were among the guests.

“I chatted with John Stroh, John Linardos, and Scott King which was absolutely amazing,” said Wall-Winkel, who grew up in Lincoln Park and is now residing in Detroit. “Hearing the history directly from them is 10 times better than hearing it from me.”

Folks may be surprised just how far back Detroit’s beer history goes.

“European settlers were here for only a short period of time before a brewer (the aforementioned Joseph Parent) was recruited to come to Detroit to brew,” he noted. “The arrival of English, Irish, Polish, Belgian, and German immigrants radically impacted the city’s beer scene through the years. The tug-of-war between ales and lagers was really fun to explore.”

Detroit’s beer scene has certainly

changed over time, “but Detroiters’ appreciation for it hasn’t,” Wall-Winkel said. “The size of Detroit’s breweries was immense. By the late 1800s, Detroit beer titans were producing millions of barrels of beer every year. Detroiter’s had their pick of great beer.”

With so many great beers to choose from and cool places to enjoy them in Detroit, picking a favorite is not an easy task.

“Eastern Market Brewing Company (featured in a previous issue of MiBrew Trail) tends to hang out at the top of my list,” Wall-Winkel said. “They make a great beer. But I wouldn’t say no to a Dirty Blonde from Atwater or a Ghettoblaster from Motor City Brewing Works. I’m a big sour fan. I’ll go to any brewery in the city and try their latest sour at least once.”

Untold Detroit is available on all major podcast platforms, including Google, Spotify and Apple.

“It was a lot of fun to make and I hope people enjoy it,” Wall-Winkel said. “We are hard at work on our next season.

We produced this season during the pandemic which was difficult. We’re looking forward to a smoother process for season 2.”

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

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Coopersville Brewing Company:

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND PRODUCING AMAZING LOCAL BEER has a much deeper and much more thoughtful meaning to Jeremy.

Kevin McKinney MiBrew Trail It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! Magazine, Salt-n-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine…

“It was all a C.R.E.A.M. Ale”, was one of the first pours I enjoyed at Coopersville Brewing Company. Now, if you’re a fan of old school 90’s hip-hop like the owner Jeremy Grossenbacher, you may think it’s a nod to The Notorious B.I.G. “JUICY” was his favorite song growing up. Or maybe paying homage to the Wu-Tang Clan’s “Cash Rules Everything Around Me.” Well, it is but in a Coopersville acronym kind of way. C.R.E.A.M.

“Coopersville Recreation Education Arts & Music” Every quarter Jeremy and the team at Coopersville will take proceeds from each and every pour of this flagship beer and give back to the community.

Whether it’s new soccer goals for the recreation center or paying for lunches at a local elementary school. It was the community in and around Coopersville that gave their time and money to the brewery, now the brewery wants give back. What better way than brew a beer that supports local.

Coopersville Brewing is supporting local in other ways. Purchasing many of the ingredients that go into the

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production of their beers from local business. Like the barley, wheat, and rye which all come from Kantola Farms in Ravenna.

What’s beer without hops? The brewery makes it a point to use Michigan proprietary hops when possible. Many coming from a farm just four miles down the road in Coopersville, Pure Mitten Hops.

Speaking of those beers, head brewer Jim Goodburn is concocting some delicious recipes.

I visited C.B.C. during their opening weekend. Saturday at 11am, new brewery, new beers. Always a great start to any weekend. Along with their C.R.E.A.M. Ale, I had pours of the Hand Squeezed Juicy IPA, Cow tippin’ Milk Chocolate Brown Ale, and American Dream Wheat Ale. I enjoyed each, but the two beers that really stood out were Another Man’s Treasure IPA

and Ties The Room Together Pale Stout with Coffee & Chocolate.

“Brick by brick, as a village, we built a brewery.”

You often hear, it takes a village. In the case of Michigan’s newest brewery, it takes Coopersville. When you visit the brewery, you’ll see a wall of personalized bricks dedicated to the Villager’s Lifetime Membership Mug Club. Two years before the doors were to open, local residents and businesses alike knew something special was happening here and wanted to be part of it. Folks parted with the hard-earned dollars to be a permanent fixture of the brewery. Coopersville came out to support local!

The brewery has an open floor plan. Sit anywhere and see everything. Plenty of repurposed and reclaimed wood

everywhere. Like the bar top, a local family business using repurposed wood created the one-of-a-kind bar that absolutely pops the second you walk through the doors. With the brightest of blues, The Grand River runs through the entire length of the bar. Jeremy explained that “he wanted to brewery to represent Coopersville as much as possible. For instance, the beer names or all the great artwork on the walls.

Like a friendly one-eyed family of cows, greeting you as you enter the restrooms.

When you’re seated at said bar, you’ll notice 28 taps. Most will have delicious beers flowing through them. The others will have different styles of cider.

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Game on!

“

Ed Fritz MiBrew Trail

“Burning Foot gives us a chance to show off the Michigan brewing community’s sense of family and how breweries have each other’s’ backs to work collaboratively.”

As Muskegon, the state of Michigan and the rest of the country moves forward with life postCOVID, the folks at the Lakeshore Brewers Guild are moving quickly to do their part.

The 2021 Burning Foot Beer Festival started selling tickets on June 12 for their Aug. 28 event on Muskegon’s expansive Pere Marquette Beach. The popular festival will be back after a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Burning Foot bills itself as Michigan’s only barefoot beer festival on the beach.

“Obviously, it has been a very difficult year for the guild and its members. We’re anxious to get back on the beach and to see our customers,” said Allen Serio, the co-founder of Burning Foot and Lakeshore Brewers Guild member.

BURNING FOOT BEER FESTIVAL LAUNCHES 2021 FESTIVITIES

”

Serio and co-founder Jim Hegedus made the tough call last year to cancel the event and even tougher call early this year to move forward so they were ready if the pandemic protocols allowed.

In 2014, the event was born out of a sense of deep community pride for Muskegon natives Allen Serio

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and Jim Hegedus. Muskegon’s brewery scene was in its infancy.

Pigeon Hill Brewing and Unruly Brewing were both getting ready to open new operations.

“We thought it would be so cool to give people outside of Muskegon a chance to experience our beach and a Lake Michigan sunset,” Serio said, making reference

to the festival’s location and hours into the evening. The inaugural event took place in the summer of 2015.

The festival itself is built in a circle to give attendees a 360-degree view of Pere Marquette’s beauty and atmosphere.

“This is so much more than a beer festival on the beach,” says Serio, who also is the owner of Wonderland Distilling Company in Muskegon.

Serio cited an example of an issue

a couple of years ago when one brewery from the east side of the state had unexpected staffing issues at the last minute and was going to have to pull out of the event. Quickly another brewer, who was in the area, pulled together some staff of their own to come over to the event and run their taps so that the show could go on.

In past years, Burning Foot has featured more than 80 breweries from around Michigan and other

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

states that boarder Lake Michigan.

Serios expects the number to be about the same this year.

“We will end up with a waiting list of breweries that want to participate,” said Serio.

The breweries that end up at the event are hand picked by the Guild and encouraged to bring unique or festival-only kegs.

“Our hope is that attendees will be able to drink some beers they have never tried before,” Serio said.

Beach camping will again be available for the 2021 event. Both tent and RV sites will be available at Pere Marquette Beach.

The festival has been growing each year since its inception with an attendance peak in 2019 approaching 5,000. Serio is not sure what to expect for demand this year but is planning on attendance close to 2019 results.

The Burning Foot Festival includes food from six local Muskegon eateries. Serio smiles and men-

tions, “this is not carnival food.” A portable stage is also brought in from California to provide entertainment with a full slate of local and regional acts.

Building on their culture of community, the festival benefits three local non-profits. Noah’s Project, the local Muskegon no-kill animal shelter, runs a “shoe check” for patrons to leave their shoes and other belongings at the entry. The Boys & Girls Club add a “bike valet” service allowing festival goers to get to the beach via bike trail or those that want to avoid the beach traffic. Kid’s Food Basket of West Michigan will be on site selling “pretzel necklaces” that pair well with the many beer offerings.

The world has changed in so many ways in the last year. Burning Foot hopes they can provide at least a little glimpse of life after COVID. Find details about Burning Foot Beer Festival on their Facebook page or at burningfoot.beer.

­ ­­ ­ ­

Volume 3 | Summer 2021

www.MiBrewTrail.com | 13

Muskegon Distillery Answers Call for Help During Public Health Crisis Jon Becker MiBrew Trail A new Muskegon distillery with a deep connection to Michigan’s Great Lakes and abundant natural beauty demonstrated an ability to pivot on a dime as it adjusted to opening just as COVID-19 reared its ugly head.

Wonderland Distilling Company, whose spirits are born and blended in-state, retrofitted its entire operation to answer a plea from the FDA to help produce hand sanitizer during the public health emergency. The distillery, owned by longtime food and beverage professional Allen Serio, opened on October 19, 2020, only to be forced to shut down on November 18, 2020. It resumed operation on a limited basis in February of this year. Talk about an inauspicious debut.

“We remained closed until February,” Serio said. “During this time we had to pivot quickly and restart our model. Within 72 hours after the FDA called, we became a medical supply company producing hand sanitizer. We were not alone. Every distillery got that call.”

Serio managed to keep his retail operation afloat (and employees earning a paycheck) through merchandise sales and cocktails to go.

“It played pretty well but it wasn’t the same as people coming in and staying for awhile,” he said.

All of the equipment the distillery has for making spirits couldn’t be used for producing hand sanitiz-

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er. A national shortage of plastic and the chemicals needed for the hand sanitizer posed additional challenges.

“We had to be very creative to build a supply chain,” Serio said.

“Fortunately West Michigan has a lot of dairy farms. County Dairy stepped up and provided us with semi trucks full of milk jugs that became the containers for the hand sanitizer. A local chemical company only 2 miles from us provided us with chemicals. We had to help our backyard.”

Once word got out that Wonderland’s production facility was churning out hand sanitizer instead of their hand-crafted gin and whiskey recipes, their phones began blowing up.

“We were getting 100 calls a day,” Serio recounted. “Doctors, nurses, firefighters, police, nursing homes, childcare facilities… we heard from them all. Our story is not uncommon. We’re not even open but we’re mass producing hand sanitizer.”

At the time, the company was in the initial stages of constructing a cocktail bar and tasting room in Muskegon’s Lakeside business district. That had to be halted, but the company’s production facility went into overdrive making gallon-sized jugs of the alcohol-based sanitizer.

“It’s pretty surreal what COVID has made life look like for us,” he said.

“That was a weird ying and yang year. We couldn’t build because retail is non-essential but our production house is essential so that remained open.”

Serio and his Wonderland Distillery co-founder Mark Gongalski began talking about doing a distillery together in 2018. Serio met Gongalski at Unruly Brewing Company, a craft brewery located in downtown Muskegon.

“Mark was one of the partners at Unruly and a production facility became available that year,” Serio said. “Our shared love of Muskegon and the sense of community in our industry spurred our desire even further to open a distillery and focus on distilling craft spirits that are second to none.”

The two realized their dream by opening their cocktail bar in October of 2020. It has 3,800 square feet of space that can accommodate up to 149 people, though it has been operating at 50% capacity.

“We’re doing well,” Serio said.

“We’re quickly getting a reputation for being a great cocktail bar.

We’re excited to get our name out there.”

The Distilling Company’s cocktail bar features a variety of gin, vodka and whiskey drinks, all handcrafted from Michigan ingredients and meticulously combined with fresh Lake Michigan water.

Serio said the Wonderland team is working on some new offerings as well, including a single malt whiskey, a Michigan Maple Finish Whiskey and a Turkish Coffee Liqueur.

So when your sense of adventure takes over, see what all the buzz is about by enjoying a visit to the lakeside town of Muskegon and its new craft distillery.

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

Volume 3 | Summer 2021

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Husband-Wife Team Tap Success in Their Grand Rapids Business Jon Becker MiBrew Trail

customers to choose in-store pickup. They put a lock box out in front of their store for all orders.

With all due respect to the late novelist Thomas Wolfe, you can actually go home again. It certainly has worked out well for West Michigan native Ben O’ Connor, who was working in Raleigh, North Carolina when the lure of returning to Michigan proved too strong to resist.

“This allowed us to do a no-contact curbside pick-up,” he said. “We also shipped out a lot of orders as well. Not only were more people brewing their own beer, wine, cider, mead and kombucha during the lockdown, folks were also serving more keg beer at home as well.”

O’ Connor, who met his wife, Allison, in North Carolina (where Wolfe, he of his most famous novel, “You Can’t Go Home Again,” was born). Allison was teaching high school at the time and Ben was a GIS analyst before “I convinced her to move to the Great White North in 2010.”

That’s why draft beer supplies and kegerators went in the opposite direction of many pandemic-throttled businesses: through the roof.

A year later they launched their own business, “O’Connor’s Home Brew Supply.” Today it is well-established as a premier beer and winemaking supply shop in Grand Rapids. It got there by offering what it calls “unmatched customer service and tons of knowledge about this wonderful hobby.”

“As hard as the pandemic has been, we are grateful for the uptick in business,” O’Connor said.

“We originally wanted to open a brewery, but thought better of it and decided to focus on something smaller and more manageable,” said Ben O’ Connor, who began home brewing in 2008 in North Carolina.

Unlike most businesses, O’ Connor’s enjoyed a surge in business during the pandemic, when, by all accounts, alcohol consumption went up as people were sequestered in their homes.

Deemed essential because they have a food license and sell things such as yeast, grain and other food items, “We noticed our business pick-up immediately,” O’ Connor said. “Our sales of kegerators and other draft beer supplies skyrocketed. We sold a lot of beer taps, faucets, beverage lines and draft cleaning supplies. Also, bread can be made with many of the items we sell.”

O’ Connor’s has a web store that allows

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The O’ Connor’s are sensitive to the plight of many hard-hit businesses.

If you’ve been thinking about brewing your own beer, O’ Connors is a great place to go for help. The couple pride themselves on being unpretentious so customers are at ease.

“It’s easy to produce your own home brew,” he said. “We sell starter equipment kits that have everything you need to get started.”

The O’ Connors are anything but absentee owners, so you get the benefit of the owners’ experience and knowledge when you take a step into their shop. They promise good results for even novice home brewers.

“We are at the shop to answer any questions one might have,” O’ Connor said. “If you sanitize properly and follow our directions you will produce a good beer your first time. Once you are comfortable with process you can branch out into putting together your own recipe.

Congratulations to the staff at O’ Connor’s as they mark their 10th anniversary in business this year.

Ben O’Conner is co-owner shown here with the shop’s manager, Drew Thiel.

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

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Volume 3 | Summer 2021

www.MiBrewTrail.com | 17

THE UPPER PENINSULA...

BEER BY BEER, MILE BY MILE. A CRAFT BEER LOVERS BREWERY TOUR Kevin McKinney MiBrew Trail Whether you’re heading north from Grand Rapids. Fleeing the hustle of Detroit.

Leaving Traverse City for an even more northern adventure. There’s nothing like the feeling of crossing the Mighty Mac! On the clearest of days, you may catch a distant glimpse of the Grand Hotel. On those overcast, windy days your knuckles have never been so white. The slightest gust has your vehicle being pushed in a direction you don’t think it should go. On many occasions your significant other is ducked down in the back seat with the feeling of anxiety pumping thru their veins.

Ahhhhh, you made it. Toll is paid and instantly you feel you’ve entered the 51st State. All your worries and troubles are waiting for you back in Mackinaw City.

Nothing ahead of you but miles on your car, new breweries, and nature like you’ve never seen.

This trip will start you westward. Although there’s nothing wrong starting eastbound and doing everything in reverse. Sit back, get comfy and enjoy the views of Lake Michigan and rolling dunes.

Ready for your first beer? We’re starting in Escanaba. The town experienced a boom in the early 1900’s. If it were 1914 you could plan on getting a room and stay the night at the Delta Hotel. Rooms which were once for rent, are now apartments sitting above a brewery. Hereford & Hops Restaurant and Brewpub, is located in the lobby of the Delta. If you were wondering, the brewery name comes from a breed of cattle. Usually there are seven beers on tap including the Light Haus Lager, St. Edmunds Porter and Redemption IPA. You can enjoy these brews while washing down a steak you grilled yourself. That’s right, prepare your own steak around the indoor charcoal grill. If you see the manager, ask for a quick peek downstairs. Once used as a Speakeasy below the Delta Hotel, CJ’s Lounge can

be rented out for private parties. It’s like stepping into a time machine. A room that hasn’t been touched since it opened. Small booths, tables for two, and the original bar.

Something out of an old gangster movie.

Escanaba also has Upper Hand Brewery.

Here you’ll feel like a true Yooper. With beer names like Deer Camp Lager, 906 Red Ale, and Escanaba Black Beer Dark Ale, you know where you’re at. The brewery has a definite log cabin feeling inside. Upper Hand is a sister company of Bell’s out of Kalamazoo. Brewed and bottled on site, grab a 6 pack to take home or to Deer Camp!

On your way to Menominee, a fifty-five mile drive south along the western shore of Lake Michigan, you’ll find Three Bridge Brewing Co. I truly enjoy being able to talk with many different brewers and brewery owners in my travels across Michigan. I’ve found each come with a different story on how they ended up making beer for a living. At Three Bridge it was no different.

It’s one of the most unique stories. Kris, the owner and brew-master was on his way to a PHD in Neuroscience. After getting fed up with big pharma and the direction it was taking him, Kris changed course and followed his other passion. Thankfully for craft beer lovers he did so. His Golden Stein Bavarian Lager, Dragon’s Blood Imperial Irish Red, Rise Up Marzen Lager, & Druidic Moon Smoked Maple Stout are all great!

90 minutes northwest of Menominee, your next stop will be 51st State Brewing Co. Located in Kingsford, this is my favorite brewery name along this trip. Why you ask? Again, that’s what the Upper Peninsula feels like to me. Possibly the best craft beer and pizza combination in the state! Family owned and operated. Victoria (mom) may take your beer order, and Ben (son) may serve it to you. All the while Jeff (dad) and brew-master is overlooking the operation.

Their wood fired stove cooks the pizzas to perfection. The 12” is supposed to serve 2-3 people. Ha!!! This one was all mine. Washed down with an easy drinking 3 Vagabonds

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Lager, My Neighbors Wife IPA, & Primordial Lithuanian Farmhouse Ale. 51st State will be one of the highlights on your trip!

Next, we’re on to Alpha. “The Smallest Village In America With A Brewery!”

Here you’ll find… you guessed it Alpha Michigan Brewing Co. 35 miles northwest from Kingsford. These two breweries make for great back to back stops. Their Krystal Koelsch, Blood Orange Saison, Porter School Porter, & Bear Cave IPA were a great way to end my night. There’s a very strong community feel here. Everyone knows everyone and made this Troll feel right at home.

Leaving Alpha and heading west, the next beer destination is Ironwood.

You’re now in the home of Michigan’s most western brewery. Cold Iron Brewing. If you didn’t already know, “look south” on a map. You’re further west than the most eastern edge of Iowa. Cold Iron you can choose between the Black River Dark Ale, Drift North IPA, Drift South Jalapeno Pale Ale and many more. No matter which brew you order here you won’t be disappointed.

Onward and upward! North we go into the Keweenaw Peninsula. There are four breweries ahead of us while here. One being a top 10 destination brewery for me.

Before you get there, start off in Houghton at Keweenaw Brewing Company. This is not just a college town, it’s also a beer town.

KBC is one of the top production breweries in the state. I’m positive you’ve seen Widow Maker Black Ale, Pick Axe Blonde Ale, and Red Jacket Amber Ale on store shelves throughout the state. There are many others on tap at the brewery.

Also in Houghton, Copper Country Brewery located inside The Library. I truly enjoyed the burger & beers here. It has a great corner bar feel.

A little further north, in the town of Calumet is where you’ll find Michigan House Cafe & Red Jacket Brewery Co. Here they only brew 4 in house beers. Although their beers hit the spot, you quickly realized this

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Escanaba

• Hereford & Hops Restaurant and Brewpub • Upper Hand Brewery.

menominee

• Three Bridge Brewing Co.

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6

4 5 6

alpha

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houghton

• Keweenaw Brewing Company

copper harbor ishpeming

• Cognition Brewing Co.

marquette 8

• Cold Iron Brewing

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• Michigan House Cafe • Red Jacket Brewery Co. • Bonus: Calumet Brewery Ruins 10

• Jasper Ridge Brewery.

• Alpha Michigan Brewing Co.

ironwood

calumet

• Brickside Brewery

kingsford

• 51st State Brewing Co.

• Copper Country Brewery

• • • •

Barrel + Beam Blackrocks Superior Culture The Vierling Restaurant and Marquette Harbor Brewery

• Ore Dock Brewing Co. • Drifa Brewing

harvey

• Lake Superior Smokehouse Brewpub

The Michigan House Cafe which was opened by the Bosch Brewing Company in 1905, feels like you’re walking into another time machine. Cozy and quaint are two of my favorite adjectives, and that’s how it felt sitting at the bar.

If you’re looking for something off the beaten path, Calumet Brewery Ruins are a short 3-mile drive from Red Jacket. Opened in 1897, this brewery made many different beverages with water supplied from a local creek properly named Brewery Creek.

Today there’s not much left of the building.

You can park on the shoulder of Tamarack Waterworks Road, step thru a few feet of brush and stand inside 4 walls that once housed another U.P. brewery.

You’re only 25 miles away from the next brewery in Copper Harbor.

Copper Harbor is a short 1990 miles from Miami, FL. Trust me, the sign says so. Home of Brickside Brewery, where there are usually 8 beers on tap with others bottled to take home. Stone Ship Stout, Uphill Both Ways IPA, Brickside Bete Gris Wheat Beer, and Walter’s Weizen are some of the favorites. It’s always a tough choice when I drive into town.

It’s time to head south. Down M41, which will take you all the way into Ishpeming.

Home for two U.P. breweries. After the 135-mile drive, Cognition Brewing Co. is the next stop for beer. After a tumultuous 2020/21, Cognition has closed their location inside the Mather Inn and are moving to a new spot in Marquette on 3rd Street. Once that’s up and running they will focus on opening a new Ishpeming location. I’ve had quite a few of their beers over the past few years. Really liking the Scene of the

Climb Stout,

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munising

• East Channel Brewing Co. • ByGeorge Brewing Co.

grand marais

• Lake Superior Brewing Co.

• 1668 Winery & Lockside Brewery • Superior Coast Winery &

they were all huddled up inside trying to stay warm. Personally, I think it was the beer. Tannenbaum IPA and 13 IPA were the two I had here. The best part of this stop was meeting and talking with the wonderful folks that call The Soo home.

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Brewery

cedarville • Les Cheneaux Distillers

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mackinac island 16

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• Great Turtle Brewery and Distillery

1668 Winery & Lockside Brewery, offers a great mixture of beer, wine, and delicious food. The name comes from the year Father Jacques Marquette founded Sault Ste. Marie, 1668. I washed down my burger with their Tiramisu Stout and Ojibway IPA. They also have an on-site art gallery to enjoy. Grab whatever beverage you decided to order and peruse.

paradise

• Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub

sault ste. marie • Soo Brewing Co.

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stop is more about the history, food, and atmosphere. I highly recommend going hungry, the menu is outstanding. I chose the 8oz Black & Blue burger. Made to perfection and topped with blue cheese. The Keweenaw Cowboy IPA and Smooth Trail Pale Ale paired well after a day out riding the trails.

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4 Kindred Spirits Coffee Porter, Gnome Wrecker Belgian Style Pale Ale, and Chough Pub English Ale. Although new and exciting things are on the horizon at Cognition, it’s sad to see this brewery have to relocate.

Before we head out to Marquette, don’t miss out on another brewery. Jasper Ridge Brewery. Go hungry, I did! I was in the mood for some comfort food and found it here. Their Shepherd’s Pie was absolutely delicious, but almost too much for me to finish. ALMOST! Lucky for me their hand-crafted beers helped wash the food down my gullet. The Slugworth Chocolate Stout, & Attack Penguin IPA did the trick.

After your beers and meal are finished it’s a short drive into Marquette.

In 2018, the fourth brewery opened in Marquette, Barrel + Beam. I will just say it now. Barrel + Beam is my favorite brewery in the entire state! This is where you’ll find Michigan’s best bottle-conditioned farmhouse & barrel-aged ales. Most beers you drink are not bottle conditioned.

They’re carbonated through a process called forced carbonation. Basically, CO2 is pumped into a sealed container. The term “bottle-conditioned” means, after the initial fermentation the beer is bottled flat and fresh yeast or priming solution made of Michigan beet sugar are added to the beer.

This allows for the beer to ferment again.

The benefit is all the oxygen that trapped in the bottle gets consumed by the yeast creating a very shelf stable beer. This is where the carbonation happens. If you ever wanted to age a particular beer this is the style for you.

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

Lastly, Superior Coast Winery & Brewery is inside of Karl’s Cuisine.

Alongside of a delicious Honey Whitefish sandwich, I decided to order a flight here. The four beers included 447 Ghost Pumpkin Stout, Holiday Brown Ale, Bricklayer ESB Extra Special / Strong Bitter, and my favorite Ashmun Creek Blonde Ale.

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B+B chose a building with a rich history in Marquette. Originally the Northwoods Supper Club. It 2 opened in 1934, before the restaurant closed in 2007. In that time the build aged and fast. Holes in the roof, snow falling through to the floors.

Making a lovely home to many pigeons and squirrels. Still with plenty of work ahead for them, B+B has turned a large part of the building into my favorite brewery in the U.P.!

Probably the most well-known brewery in the U.P., Blackrocks never disappoints.

From MYKISS IPA to Trenary Toast Lager the list of outstanding beers here never stops. Including Presque Ale Pale Ale, 51k IPA, Barbaric Yawp Scotch Ale, Flying Sailor Red Rye IPA, and Coconut Brown Ale. I’m asked all the time to name some of my favorite Michigan brewed beers. One from Blackrocks is always near the top of my list.

GNOMAS Barleywine!

Walking distance from Blackrocks is the second brewery on 3rd Street Superior Culture. Without a doubt the most unique beverages you’ll sip in Marquette. Honey Booch Pale Ale has a blend of kombucha, UP honey, lemon, and basil. Birch Beer made with actual birch bark. No Joke! Citra Hopped Jun differing from kombucha, its

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base ingredients are green tea instead of black tea. Adding to my list as a must stop each and every time I’m in Marquette!

Ready for some really, really good food and beer of course? Head to Marquette’s oldest brewery. The Vierling Restaurant and Marquette Harbor Brewery. This building has stood for over 100 years and has been brewing small batch beer since 1995. The Vierling has some of the best food in town including the freshest, most tasty whitefish I’ve had. Their Plank Road Pale Ale and Laid Back IPA paired perfectly with my meal.

For many years, one of Marquette’s craft beer staples is the perfectly named Ore Dock Brewing Co. Another building that has been standing for well over 100 years, Ore Dock has a great community feel. In the warmer months you’ll find rotating food trucks out front serving up great tacos, pizza, or burgers. I’ve been here multiple times since they opened in 2012. Loving each and every time I’ve stopped in! With beers like the Serrano Saison Spiced/Herb Beer, or Chief Hopper BIIPA, and the Peels Out Pale Ale, Ore Dock will become one of your favorite U.P. beer makers.

Marquette Brewing Cooperative or

Volume 3 | Summer 2021

Drifa Brewing, is the first member-owned microbreweries in the state. Ever want to own a small piece of a brewery? Look them up, they’re still accepting members. Located in south Marquette, Drifa’s beer garden offers a great view of Superior while you sip their delicious beers! Like, Goat Horn Pale Ale, Nuclear Submarine Power NEIPA, and Intolerant Milk Stout are just a few of the pours I’ve had here.

The final stop on your way out of Marquette is in Harvey. In the same building that once was Chocolay River Brewery, now is home to Lake Superior Smokehouse Brewpub. A great restaurant with all the meats! Fill up on the usual 8 beers made in house or choose from their many guest taps. Brisket sliders say hello to a Blueberry Wheat, and a pour of the Grasshopper IPA. Adding to the delight of seeing one of America’s most stunning shorelines is beer. Munising, now home to two craft breweries. East Channel Brewing Co. being the original. As you sip on a Final Mile Red Ale or the Widdle Stick Smore Stout there are decisions to be made. How are you going to view Pictured Rocks? Jump on the ferry? Take a guided kayak tour, or paddle around on your own? Go out and create or own adventure. Just make sure to grab a few 16oz. cans of beer from East Channel Brewing Co. before you do so.

ByGeorge Brewing Co. is another success! Munising’s second brewery is in high demand during

the peak months.

Which to me are January thru December!

On my first visit here I started with the Meenie Tangereenie a tropical Milkshake IPA. My second pour was the Perro Muerto IPA. Tradition West Coast style. They share a roof with Driftwood Deli. Great Paninis to fill up on before you find yourself on an adventure. Turkey Apple was my choice.

Both breweries are just steps away from Lake Superior.

Adding to the amazement you’ll get from seeing Pictured Rocks is another brewery.

At the very north-eastern edge of the lakeshore you’ll find Grand Marais. Home to Lake Superior Brewing Co., inside the Dunes Saloon.

Next on the tour is where Michigan’s only brewery is located on state owned land. Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub. You’re now in Paradise both literally and figuratively. Enjoy the fall, but also sit back and enjoy a Harvest Wheat Pale Ale, Black Bear Stout, or a Porcupine Pale Ale. Heading a little bit further east, your next stop is Sault Ste Marie..

Sault Saint Marie is home to three breweries. Soo Brewing Co. was the one stop in town that I met the most locals. This was part of the same late December trip thru the U.P., so maybe

Your trip is nearing its end. Our second to last stop is 35 miles directly south of the Soo, in Cedarville. This is where you’ll find Les Cheneaux Distillers.

Spirits, beer, and food Oh My! I fell in love with their Dark Side of the Brew Stout and Island Hopper IPA. Distillers doing beer right!

The final beers on your epic brewery tour will require a stop in St. Ignace, and jumping on a boat. Whether you choose Shelper’s or Star Line, get onboard for a trip across the Straits of Mackinaw.

2020 brought Michigan’s second island brewery and the first to Mackinaw Island, Great Turtle Brewery and Distillery.

Once off the ferry grab your luggage, grab your bike, then grab a beer! Four in house brews with plenty of guest taps.

Pedal Fast IPA, No Cars Allowed Cream Ale, Hoban Street Stout, & Mackinac Summer Sour. All are extremely crushable!

Well, there it is! With roughly 1200 miles on your vehicle, plus more on your bike and kayak, you’ve accomplished one helluva brewery tour!

Having touched on every brewery, I’ve barely scratched the surface on what the Upper Peninsula has to offer. I implore you to go explore. Meet the wonderful people that call the U.P. home!

Go out and create your own adventure.

Just make sure you stop for beers along the way!

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MEET THE BREWER:

Jef smith

Mike Lerchenfeldt MiBrew Trail Jef Smith is the only brewer at Loaded Dice Brewery in Troy which goes by the slogan, “good beer shouldn’t be a gamble”. Jef and his wife, Jen, are also the owners of this upstart nano brewery in this vibrant community. In the world of craft brewing, he is said to be a risk-taker who is not shy about making different beers.

Smith is a 50-year-old from St. Clair Shores, who moved to the San Francisco Bay area in California about twenty years ago to continue his career as a web developer where he was responsible for working with company teams to create websites. He focused on front-end development, which involved using his creativity to design websites and produce content. For fun, Smith started homebrewing beer with his new friends in California. They would enjoy their new creations while playing poker and barbecuing.

When Jef and Jen eventually decided that it was time to return to Michigan with their three kids in tow, he brought his new homebrewing hobby back with him. He ended up entering his new creations in various homebrewing competitions. The people were lining up to taste them. After

20 | www.MiBrewTrail.com

receiving a couple medals, Jef received even more encouragement and support from his wife in the direction of opening a family-owned brewery.

While on vacation in Ludington, Jef went to Starving Artist Brewing Company. This small barn along with owner, Andy Thomas, inspired him and pushed him even further in the direction of opening a family-owned brewery.

The dream became a reality for Jef and Jen when they officially opened Loaded Dice Brewery this past September where they have impressed their walked-ins with the gambling theme, unique beer selection, and the loud, grungy music.

He is creative with his beers and thinks outside the box. Smith is a great role model for anyone interested in learning more about brewing some ale or a career in the craft beer industry. He has worked alongside other brewers, producing and learning about a variety of beers.

Jef is doing what he loves and is following his passions. He absolutely loves the recipe creation and the beginning to end process from ingredients to beer. Being able to write a recipe and create something different out of raw grains that people can enjoy is a great feeling. He is still learning and is

consistently changing and tweaking his recipes.

In the spirit of cooperation and collegiality shared by brewers, Smith has collaborated on some mighty fine, high quality brews with local businesses and other breweries giving him the opportunity to put Loaded Dice Brewery on the map.

He is still getting around to identifying his flagship beers. Out of the sixty-one different batches of beer that he has created since opening, fifty-seven of them have been unique.

His favorite beer style is old world, German malted wheats, such as the Hefeweizen, showcasing yeast-driven fruit and spice. His own version, Hef’s Smoking Jacket, is one of their beers that you will see regularly on tap. It is a cherrywood smoked Hefeweizen that’s like a bit of campfire in your mouth.

Jef’s Pass Line Bender is a Coffee Porter recipe taken to the next level. For the current recipe, he chilled out the roasted malts in hops to let the coffee shine. This specific Sumatra blend coffee is roasted locally at

Sabbath Coffee Roasters in Clawson.

For Pride Month, and at the request of his several gay and lesbian customers, he is creating a Milkshake IPA batch using thirty pounds of Fruity Pebbles. The lactose and milk sugar will give this brew a thicker mouthfeel. To give back and support the gay and lesbian community, he will be donating one dollar of every pint sold to Affirmations of Detroit.

Through a collaboration with Artic Circle Brewing Company in Chesterfield Township, Smith recently created an original Sour beer called Cooler Hand which was made with Sour Patch Kids.

Jef is a proud member of the Michigan Brewers Guild, and he is looking forward to continuing participating in collaborations with breweries that have helped him along the way from being a glorified homebrewer to a brewery owner.

Loaded Dice Brewery is exceptional and worth putting on the summer to-do list.

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

Volume 3 | Summer 2021

www.MiBrewTrail.com | 21

It’s Truly a Michigan Summer Again Jon Becker MiBrew Trail Michigan’s long love affair with beer, rekindled in recent years by the state’s crafty and creative microbrewery industry, is about to reach a fever pitch. Following Gov. Whitmer’s June 22 announcement that the state is lifting capacity restrictions on indoor and outdoor capacities, our friends from the Michigan Brewers Guild shared some exciting news with us: Beer Festivals are returning to the state. If this isn’t indicative that we can all return to some semblance of normalcy and enjoy socializing and partying with friends and family again, we don’t know what is.

“We are happy and excited for the opportunity to get back to Michigan Brewers Guild beer festivals and look forward to seeing people in person,” says Scott Graham, Guild Executive Director.

After a more than one year hiatus, the pro beer industry advocacy group is planning three beer festivals across the state for August and September. Tickets for all three events, featuring some of the state’s finest breweries (and we have a lot of them), went on sale to the general public on June

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24. Enthusiast Member Pre-Sale Tickets became available on Tuesday, June 24, at 10.m. at MiBeer.com The first beer extravaganza is the Michigan Beer Festival-South. This event will take place on Saturday, August 14 at LCMU Ballpark, home of the minor league baseball club, West Michigan Whitecaps, in Comstock Park, just north of Grand Rapids.

General Admission is 1-6 p.m., with the gates opening at noon for a VIP hour for Enthusiast Members. Tickets are $50 per person in advance ($50 day of ) with designated driver tickets also available for $10.

Two weeks later, Michigan Beer Festival-North will take place on Saturday, August 28 at Turtle Creek Stadium in Traverse City, home of the Traverse City Spitters, a baseball team that competes in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer league. General admission hours and the pricing structure is the same for all three festivals.

The Michigan Beer Guild Summer Beer Festival Series concludes on Saturday, September 11 at Mattson Lower Harbor Park, in Marquette.

“We are currently working on logistics and

re-

safety protocols with our partners at the West Michigan Whitecaps and Traverse City Spitters,” Graham said. “This gives us the added benefit of the infrastructure and experience with their own events.”

Coming out of stringent COVID-19 shutdowns and restrictions gives Michiganders added incentive to celebrate July—which is “Michigan Beer Month.” As part of this year’s celebration, a one-of-a-kind commemorative pint glass will be available at many member breweries. These participating breweries are also being encouraged to feature a special beer throughout the month—like a collaboration or a special

lease— to help celebrate.

You may find additional details on these special promotions and the names of the participating breweries at MiBeer.com and the Guild’s social media channels: www.facebook.com/MichiganBrewersGuild; www.instagram.com/ MiBrewers; MGB YouTube (Podcast+); and www.twitter.com/MiBrewersGuild Founded in 1997, the Michigan Brewers Guild represents nearly 300 members. Its mission is to promote and protect the Michigan beer industry with an overarching goal to help locally brewed beer attain 20% of all beer sales in the state by 2025.

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

BEER AND BEER AND BASEBALL BEERS BASEBALL 2 BEER AND BEERS 2 BEER AND BASEBALL BASEBALL BEER AND BEER AND BASEBALL BASEBALL $

$

Volume 3 | Summer 2021

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“

... We wanted something you’d be able to get some flavors that maybe you weren’t used to, to make a little more interesting.

”

Greg Hall Is Brewing Again.

(Sort of.)

Karl Klockars MiBrew Trail

beers will be under), what it’s like returning to brewing after so long away and why the world doesn’t need another brewhouse right now:

When a cider maker decides to pivot to brewing beer...well, that’s interesting. When the cider maker in question is Greg Hall, former brewmaster at Chicago’s Goose Island (aka the man who made Bourbon County Stout famous) and it’s his first foray into professional beer making in a decade? That’s big news.

MBT: You brought your skills as a beermaker to cider a decade ago. Now that you’re brewing again, what skills from creating cider do you think you’ve brought over to making beer?

These days Hall is known in Michigan as the founder of Virtue Cider, and they’ve been making farmhouse-style ciders in Fennville for a decade. After finding inspiration in the flavors of Norway while also seeing many similar ingredients growing in Western Michigan, he and his team decided now was the time to release Vestland: a lager with juniper, rye and caraway.

We wanted to more about how Vestland came about, what’s next for Virtue Farm (the brand his

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GH: It’s pretty clear to me what the answer is: [it] is more about complexity than intensity. And I think if you look at beer right now, intensity is a pretty, pretty big deal for beer. A lot of beers have a lot of flavor. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But when you, when you drink cider for 10 years..in traditional old world style ciders, there’s really never, that kind of intensity. The flavors are more subtle.

See brewing again on 28

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

SUSTAINABLE BREWING AT KALAMAZOO VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE The only sustainable brewing program in the world, our unique 34 credit certificate and 64 credit associate of applied science hybrid programs are acknowledged by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas and offer more hands-on learning, labs and instruction than any other program in the Midwest!

Our state of the art, on-campus brewing facility features technologies and methodologies utilized by all sizes and types of breweries!

Fall semester classes begin September 8. www.kvcc.edu/register Learn more at: www.kvcc.edu/programs/sustainable_food_systems/ or call 269.548.3203.

Volume 3 | Summer 2021

SUSTAINABLE BREWING

www.MiBrewTrail.com | 25

SUMMER Barks

& Brews

Cicely loves being outside and active. She enjoys exploring different places and loves when she gets to join my wife and I at our favorite breweries. We have visited 353 Michigan breweries in the last couple years!!

Gus is a 1 year old Samoyed that loves hanging out at Alebird. He gets plenty of pets from staff and customers that love a good fluffy boy. Just watch your napkin! Gus loves to steal them whenever he can.

We reached out to readers to show us how they are enjoying the Michigan brewery experience with their dogs this summer. Here are some of their submissions

Cicely

Owner, Bryan Reed | Lake Ann Brewing, Lake Ann

Sam is underage and therefore doesn’t have a favorite brewery yet. Sam is just shy of 3mos. Just rescued all the way from Nebraska to Michigan. As soon as she is legal (still needs vaccinations) then we will be going for a truck ride to get some brews with my mom.

In this instance, we were picking up our special order, which was a drive through only experience. However, the New Holland employees were happy to see Bandit when we opened the door, and he was happy to keep an eye on our Dragon’s Milk for the ride home.

Gus

Owner, Emily Engelbrecht Alebird Taphouse & Brewery, Byron Center

Sam

Bandit

Owner, Stephanie Morris

Owner, Molly Vineyard New Holland Brewing, Holland Enjoying a nice cold brew and some snacks on this hot summers day at our local towns brewery

Callie & Jake

Owner, Carly Simmons | Thumb Brewery, Caseville

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Just hanging out, having a brew.

Sam

Timm Cappell | Rolling Oak Brewery, Grayling

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

Rory had an amazing time at Homegrown Brewery in Oxford, MI. She loved the homemade dog treats and water bowl as well as being greeted by all the staff members. Many of the customers were welcoming too! The beer and food was delicious and overall we all had a fabulous time. Rory loves going everywhere with her humans so luckily breweries are always welcoming and dog-friendly!

Everyone at Fetch loves Dixon both customers and staff. We go there regularly and Dixon greets everyone with smiles, slobber and 115 lbs of loving!

Rory

Dixon

Owner, Becca Shaver Homegrown Brewery, Oxford

Owner, Deb Williams Fetch Brewery, Whitehall

Jo was celebrating her 21st birthday in dog years on the dog friendly porch at Witches Hat in South Lyon. Her favorite part was the popcorn and all her friends that joined her to celebrate!

He loves hanging out in the yard at rolling oak brewing! His favorite beer is named Oh Fred Bearry after the original Fred Bear!

Fred Bear Moody

Owner, Sarah Parrish Rolling Oak Brewing Company, Grayling We named our rottweiler “Suds’ because we love beer. He has vitiligo so is turning white… he fits his name perfect now. He loves to travel to different breweries and especially loves to sit on patios and seek shade under tables while we enjoy our brews.

Suds

Jo

Owner, Joy Choiniere | Witches Hat Brewery, South Lyon

Owner, Tracy Blandino Four Leaf Brewing, Clare

We visited Traverse City Jolly Pumpkin with our Bernese Mountain Dog pup and enjoyed some stone baked pizza and brews. The outdoor area was so inviting and accommodating for us and our four legged family member!

Juni enjoyed the pizza and the beautiful views.

Riley loves to meet the other pups and people enjoying Baffins Brewery in St Clair Shores, Mi.

Riley

Owner, Jim Nicholson Baffin Brewing Company, St Clair Shores

Volume 3 | Summer 2021

Juni

Owner, Alyssa Utter The Jolly Pumpkin Restaurant & Brewery, Traverse City

Cooper goes everywhere with us. He loooves the outdoor patios and loves even more when people want to say hi to him.

Cooper

Owner, Rachel Sprenger DeHop’s Brewery, Walker

Lucy loves visiting breweries, and the folks at Terra Firma always treat her great....even when she chases her mom into the brewery because she’s afraid of missing out on anything!

Lucy

Owner, Brian Paynter Brewery Terra Firma, Traverse City

Emmy was the biggest ham, posed for pictures and loved life. She was a Master “Draft” dog and always had a smile. I had to put her down due to old age and a huge tumor at 12 in 2020 but she is survived by her niece Lola which still hangs out at breweries but not as open to it.

Emmy

Owner, Susan Wronski People’s Cider Company, Grand Rapids

www.MiBrewTrail.com | 27

brewing again from 24 It’s much more like drinking white wine - the flavors don’t knock you over, but there’s a lot of stuff going on. For beer, we wanted malt flavors and we wanted spice flavors, but not stuff that you can smell from across the table like we do with so many IPAs these days. Which is great! But we wanted something you’d be able to get some flavors that maybe you weren’t used to, to make a little more interesting.

MBT: Have you been brewing this whole time? Or is Vestland really your first true foray back into beermaking since leaving Goose Island?

GH: I’ve done a couple of small-batch things with Goose Island, just kind of like little guest brews. But beyond that, it’s been all cider. Now, I still enjoy a beer on a pretty regular basis, and I like to keep up with what’s going on because it was part of my life, my identity for so long. But this is the first time in a while.

MBT: When you came back to it, was there anything that you realized that you’d forgotten over the last 10 years?

Was there anything that surprised you about making something with grain instead of with fruit?

GH: That’s a good question. I think [it’s] the body thing. Typically, even the sweeter ciders have a pretty limited body. And beer is a little more mouth filling, which I welcome, but it’s a little bit of a different experience drinking a few ciders versus a few beers. Not just flavor-wise, but body wise. Again, it’s different - not better, not worse.

MBT: Since Virtue doesn’t have a brewery yet, Vestland is being brewed at an Anheuser-Busch plant [Virtue Cider is owned by Goose Island, whose parent is A-B/InBev]. Since you left Goose before their beers were moved up to A-B breweries, was it hard to transition your recipe to such a larger scale?

GH: Here’s my opportunity to really play up our team. The beer was developed not just with me but with Seth Boeve, who is our Director of Innovation. He did all the hard work: Getting the spices right and sourcing them.

And then on the production side, our director of operations Mike Stoneburg - we call him Stoney - he’s got a great brewing background. He was a Marine first and then he worked for A-B for a while including in the malt house. From there he was

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a brewer at Goose Island and then he was the brewmaster at Blue Point Brewing in New York. We got him to come back and try something new with cider. So he’s really the guy who did all this setup with the brewing system - he’s an old pro at that.

So we’ve got a really strong team in Fennville now who loves making cider, but loves the challenge of making a beer too.

MBT: What is the brewing operation going to look like at Virtue Farm once you get it up and running?

GH: We got our TTB permit, now we’re just waiting on the state of Michigan and we know that patience is a virtue. We’re waiting patiently - we’ll get it - and once we do, we’re going to focus on what I think is the fun part of brewing, and that’s not necessarily the brewhouse: it’s fermentation and aging and blending.

You asked before what’s the difference between beer and cider: beer is very brewhouse dependent for a lot of breweries, and the cellar seems a little more secondary there - you just gotta ferment it and put the same yeast in for everything and off you go. But cider is so much different than that. There isn’t a brew house, you simply squeeze the juice. But then, that’s when the fun part starts: fermentation, aging, we do a lot of barrel aging. And then, you know, then we still have to blend it.

Everything’s blended.

So we’re going to apply a lot of those same principles to making beer. We’re going to have a coolship that we’ll be able to

place outside and do some wild fermentation stuff. We’ll also be able to take some yeast from different fruits and grow that up; ferment with that. So it’s gonna be very,very, very much a farmhouse brewery.

And then just about everything will probably be in a barrel. We’ve got some foeders on order, and once it’s been in there for a while, it’s going to be blended like we do with our ciders. And I think that’s just going to be really, really fun - being able to build layers of complexity.

That’s something that Ron [Jeffries] has been doing at Jolly Pumpkin for a long time and their beers have always been so excellent and inspiring. We had some of that at Goose Island too, so we’ve got a good amount of experience on the team, including our newest team member, a guy named Bill Savage, who before he came to us was running the massive barrel warehouse at Goose Island. So he’s the guy who probably has as much barrel aging experience as anybody in the country, so having him on board is really exciting.

So, yeah, we’ve got a few Goose Island “refugees,” or “graduates” if you will. But we think we’re gonna make some pretty interesting beers right from the get-go.

MBT: Are you going to be back working on a tiny brewhouse or are you jumping into a bigger system at the start? 10 barrels, 30 barrels…?

GH: Here’s the fun part: We’re going to start without a brew house. We’re just going to be fermenting and blending.

So what we’re going to be doing is working with Goose Island and then hopefully some small breweries in Michigan to collab on producing wort, bringing the wort up to the farm and then fermenting there, doing the aging there. The world doesn’t need another brewhouse right now.

Certainly at a small brewery you’ve got a lot of brew houses that are only working two shifts a week, 20 hours a week. There’s plenty of room there. And hopefully we’ll be able to do some really cool stuff with [collaborations] so as it comes out we’ll be doing stuff that might be probably a max of around 10 barrels. But a lot of stuff will be just a smaller blend - maybe a three barrel [batch] that we bottle off.

MBT: Now that Vestland is in the world, how many people have asked you to put it in a bourbon barrel at this point?

GH: [laughs] I...have heard that. And I shouldn’t have been, but I was surprised to hear that. Believe it or not, that had not even occurred to me.

Our friends at Waypost Brewing, which is the closest brewery to Virtue Farm, they make a lot of great beers, and that’s a place where a lot of the Virtue staff end up on days off or after their shifts.

One of the beers I’ve been most impressed with is their foeder lager. It’s just kind of a base lager, based in the foeder, and it’s so, so, so good. It’s one of my favorite beers - I’m certainly inspired by that. So we’ll be putting some Vestland into foeders for sure.

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

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www.MiBrewTrail.com | 29

Twin Brothers Open Mackinac Island’s First Tasting Room Jon Becker MiBrew Trail Twins Michael and Adam Kazanowski may be natives of Birmingham, but their hearts have long belonged to a special place they regard as unique to Michigan: Mackinac Island.

That’s why the brothers are tickled to have recently opened a new business there, Mackinac Island Rum Company, the first and only tasting room on the iconic island. Located near Shepler’s Ferry Dock in the Horse Corral Mall, the business began pouring on May 28. The opening culminated an arduous COVID-19-marred journey for the Kazanowskis whose fascination for the state’s most famous island began with childhood trips there. If the pandemic-related delays weren’t enough, please keep in mind that the island, of course, doesn’t allow vehicles, posing immense logistical challenges when it comes to getting supplies to your business.

Nobody said dream-making is for the faint of heart, and the Kazanowskis are not the type to easily wither.

“Opening a new business is never easy and doing it on an island with no cars makes it that much more difficult,” said Michael Kazanowski. “We spent months and months bringing materials over by boat in the middle of winter and used horse-drawn drays to deliver the material to our build site.

If we didn’t have guidance from many of the locals I don’t know if we ever would have figured it out.”

It took the entrepreneurs nearly two years to get the necessary approvals to open Mackinac Island Rum Company, an offshoot of their Petoskey-based distillery, High Five Spirits.

“We are very thankful to the locals and City Council for giving us the opportunity to be

30 | www.MiBrewTrail.com

the first and only licensed tasting room on the island,” Kazanowski said. “It’s something we do not take for granted and we want to make sure we do everything the right way and give back to the island. It’s had such a positive impact on our lives.”

Michael Kazanowski, co-owner and founder, Michael Kolkmeyer, director of operations, and Adam Kazanowski, co-owner and founder, of Mackinac Island Rum Company. The new business, part of the Kazanowski’s Petoskey-based distillery High Five Spirits brand, features its signature Gypsy Vodka, Petoskey Stone Gin and bourbon barrel aged rum drinks served in their tiki-themed tasting room.

It started early as kids venturing up there on family vacations to later when the two would attempt to sell their spirits to island merchants.

“The island has always been one of our favorite places,” Kazanowski said. “When we opened our distillery in Petoskey we would make it a routine to head to the island to try and get our spirits on the shelf, sometimes successfully and sometimes not so successfully.”

No matter the outcome of their sales pitch, “It didn’t stop us from enjoying all the island has to offer. The spirit of the island and its beauty and history is what led us to distill Mackinac Island Rum which we finished with chocolate fudge from Murdicks.”

That was the third spirit they released from High Spirits, fueling a labor of love.

“We knew if we could make fantastic rum and stayed persistent that one day we might have the opportunity to open our own tasting room on Mackinac Island.”

The Kazanowskis respect Mackinac Island’s storied history, but they decided to go in a different direction décor-wise with their tasting room--from which you have a view of the Straits of Mackinac.

“In going with our brand we wanted to take a more tropical approach with our tiki-themed tasting room,” explained Kazanowski.

Imbibers can sample their Gypsy Vodka, Petoskey Stone Gin and three varieties of rum that are bourbon barrel aged in old white oak barrels.

“We also offer a delicious craft cocktail menu that has drinks like a Mackinac Island Sunrise, Rum Runners, Lilac Martini, Pina Colada, and many more,” offered Kazanowski.

Summer is the big tourist season on the island, but Kazanowski said, “We like to consider ourselves a year-round business.

We live in Petoskey and that gives us the opportunity to be open in the winter during the holidays. And whenever an ice bridge forms, we cannot wait to spend the winter on the island.”

So, visitors to Mackinac Island can now enjoy the best of worlds: a tropical paradise ambience at the new Mackinac Island Rum Company and the myriad activities and must-see sights of this historic Northern Michigan gem.

“We hope to see everyone on the island. We look forward to sharing our journey with those who have the opportunity to visit one of the coolest islands on the planet,” Kazanowski said. “Opening is a dream come true and we are thankful every day for having the opportunity to do what we love.”

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

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2350 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor, MI •734-355-2827 • towniesbrewery.com Volume 3 | Summer 2021

www.MiBrewTrail.com | 31

Rockford Brewing Company

EXPANDING ITS FOOD AND BEVERAGE IMPRINT IN IMPRESSIVE FASHION

An artist’s rendering depicts the planned Malph’s Pizza Pub that the owners of Rockford Brewing Company project to open in downtown Rockford by spring of 2023. The new pizzeria will take the place of Vitale’s Pizza of Rockford and will also house a distillery and brewery in a historic building following an extensive restoration undertaken by Rockford Brewery Company co-owners Seth Rivard and Jeff Sheehan.

Jon Becker MiBrew Trail

“It’s going to be sort of an old school pizza parlor,” said Chris Knape, who handles public relations for the growing company. “It’s affordable and geared toward families.”

There is a trifecta of food and beverage offerings brewing inside a historic building in downtown Rockford that positions an already exploding company to further extend its footprint on Michigan’s food and beverage industry.

Sheehan and Rivard are hands-on type of guys, Knape said, noting that the business partners opened the doors to Rockford Brewing Co. in 2012 after beginning erecting the building with their own hands in 2011.

Rockford Brewing Company has announced plans to open a new pizzeria, Malph’s Pizza Pub, as well as a distillery and brewery in a famed building, portions of which date back to 1866, once its completes extensive renovations. The company’s co-owners, Seth Rivard and Jeff Sheehan, purchased the Vitale Building, longstanding home of Vitale’s Pizza of Rockford, and will rename it Malph’s Pizza Pub. “We are excited to honor the labor of love of all things pizza that Terry Prowoznik has delivered over the years at Vitale’s,” said Seth Rivard, co-owner of Rockford Brewing Company.

The pizza pub is expected to open by spring of 2023. Malph’s Pizza Pub takes its name from Rockford Brewing Company’s easy-drinking Malph’s Premium Beer, a throwback to the lager styles popular in the post-war era.( Malph also happens to be the childhood nickname of Rivard).

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The two are not cutting corners on their ambitious renovation plans.

“That’s why it is going to take so long,” said Knape. “We’re tearing a lot of it down to the studs while maintaining as much of the historical integrity of the building as possible.

New plumbing and new electrical are part of the plans.”

The remodeled 5,764 square foot space means Rockford’s operation will include two different venues: its existing brewery and taproom next door and a Gastropub, a term said to be coined by two London pub owners in 1991 to describe a hybrid pub, bar and restaurant. It will have substantial seating, including two separate bars, and gorgeous views of the historic Rogue River Dam and downtown Rockford.

“This is a great small community,” Knape said of downtown Rockford. “It’s an undiscovered gem with a bustling bar and restaurant scene we are happy to be a part of.”

Expansion plans also include extensive outdoor seating complete with a large beer garden patio and an elevated deck. Malph’s menu will continue to feature some of Vitale’s favorite recipes that have stood the test of time for the past 43 years. A variety of new items being developed by the brewery’s culinary team will also be added to the menu.

“We’re proud of our food at Rockford,” Knape said.

“When we first opened RBC, we didn’t have our own kitchen,” Rivard explained.

“We established a strong relationship with neighboring Vitale’s, offering their pizza to RBC guests before our own kitchen opened.

We learned over time that there was still a strong demand and separate demographic for the pizza and beer combo, and it was just a natural move for us.”

Rivard said its rewarding to see their business take off in a community near and dear to them.

“Malph’s fits our vision of naturally growing in our beloved hometown of Rockford with new products, offerings and experiences while avoiding the risks, clichés and complications of attempting to duplicate what we are doing in other cities.”

Rivard and his RBC cohorts launched a Kickstarter campaign to invite the community to pledge its support of renovating the historic building that will house Malph’s.

“We’ve raised about $17,000 with about seven days to go,” Knape said. “We have over 100 backers, the bulk of which are locals but we’ve generated supported form across the state as well.”

Rewards for supporting the fundraising campaign range from a bottle of Malph’s soon-to-be famous Umami Mommy Hot Sauce and make-at-home pizza kits, to free pizza for a year and a pizza party for 20 when the much-anticipated opening of the pizzeria occurs.

Not only will Malph’s churn out delightful pizza, it will brew a variety of beers on-site and will begin distilling its own gin and vodka.

“We’re starting with gin and vodka because that doesn’t require as long of an aging process as other spirits, but we hope to expand over time to include whiskey and other treats,” Knape said.

Since being named the Best Small Brewpub and Brewer in the nation at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival, RBC has seen the distribution of its brands grow tremendously.

For instance, in 2109 alone distribution sales grew more than 140 percent, led by the company’s flagship IPA, Hoplust. In early 2020, RBC became the first Rockford business to achieve Gold Level status as a Green Leader through the city’s sustainability committee.

“The growth trajectory has been tremendous and we’re far from finished,” Knape said.

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

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Brewery Review from 10 cider. There’s also beer for the little ones. Root style.

Every brewery starts down a different path. Many filled with potholes and forks in the road.

Jeremey’s path to opening Coopersville Brewing started with a fork, literally. Born and raised in Coopersville, he left for a life in Chicago after graduating college in 2006. Before craft beer, Jeremy’s first discovery and passion in the big city was food. He told me a story about his first week in the Chicago. Walking down the street and seeing a small Thai restaurant. Something he hadn’t been exposed to growing up in Coopersville.

The owner, maître d', and head chef (all the same person) gave him the grand tour. Starting with the herb garden, where he grew all his own ingredients for the restaurant and ending with a plate of Pad Thai in front of him. Jeremy could only describe it as the best Pad Thai he’s ever to this day. Looking for something just as good, he said

“he’s been chasing the dragon ever since.”

The fuse was lit and his eyes were now fully open. From Pad Thai his love for food turned to barbeque. Immersing himself into all things meat. How do you do everything he asked himself? Where do the meats come from? How is it prepared?

Learning the ropes of what it is to do an 8-hour slow cook. Jeremy loves that barbeque is uniquely American.

That passion for world class barbeque will be an addition to Coopersville Brewing. Opening in June, One Eyed Pete’s BBQ Restaurant will be located under the same roof. Served through a window inside the brewery. Chef Dan West is taking his own and Jeremy’s recipes, combined

34 | www.MiBrewTrail.com

with his background and years of knowledge to put out one “dope” menu. As Jeremy put it.

They shared a rough draft of the menu with me. I got to admit, instant mouth water. Lots of sharables like the Guac and

Chips made with Smoked White Fish, Bacon, Charred Poblano, Dried Cherries, and Lime! Or an Open Face Country Fried Collard Green Sandwich. They’ll also have BBQ Dinner Plates served with your choice of 1 to 3 differ-

ent meats. And like the beers, all very reasonably priced!

While still in Chicago, Jeremy and his now wife discovered a new passion, craft beer. It’s hard not to with breweries like Revolution and Goose Island. After 10 years living in Chicago, they moved back to Michigan. Sights set on opening a brewery and bringing both his new passions back home.

Jeremy decided to repurpose a building that his family has owned since the 80’s. It sits directly next to the family business, Fun-nSun RV. From a laundry mat to multiple pizza joints, the building has been home to many different businesses over the years. Now with support from an excited community, an owner well versed in beer & BBQ,

and an entire craft beer loving state, Coopersville Brewing Co. is here to stay.

Coopersville Brewing Co. has built a great team to operate the brewery and restaurant.

Along with head brewer Jim Goodburn and chef Dan West, Sean Sorensen is the General Manager of both C.B.C. & One Eyed Pete’s. He takes care of all the house duties. Besides the cows, Sean’s face will be one that’s a constant at the brewery.

So, the next time you find yourself traveling along I-96 between Grand Rapids and Muskegon turn off at exit 16.

Pass on by the fast-food, hit that roundabout, and you’ll find yourself at Coopersville Brewing Co. Beer, food, music, and sports all under one roof.

Sounds like a good time to me!

Like Christopher Wallace said “it was all a dream.” Jeremy, his family, and the team at Coopersville Brewing Company turned that dream into reality.

MI Brew Trail | Summer 2021

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