I’m overwhelmed… not just writing timely posts on this blog. I’m overwhelmed with beer, i.e. there are too many Michigan microbreweries. It’s like someone opened up a microbrewery and poured it all over West Michigan. But why? Does Michigan really have favorable beer laws?
Who else remembers the days when we only had to worry about the big three in West Michigan Microbrews – Bell’s from Kalamazoo, Founders from Grand Rapids, and New Holland from Holland. That was it. Now it feels like when I am drinking one of those I am drinking…GASP… a Macrobrew, e.g. Budweiser, Miller.
So lets focus on all the West Michigan Microbreweries (we will stick to West Michigan so I don’t go crazy, and I will draw an arbitrary line down the middle of Michigan), there have been attempts to do this in the past and they just haven’t quite gotten all of them or just did not have the space for it all.
Here are some of the most recent examples:
So let’s start the list, of currently open breweries in the area:
Grand Rapids
- Founders Brewing Company – By the way whats up with all the other “Founders” businesses – Founders Bank & Trust, Founders Wine Cellar. Some facts, Founders was founded in 1997, and they expanding big time.
- Schmohz Brewing – Where scantily clad ladies adorn almost all the
bottles. Where they used to have a horrible looking website with the white checkered background and choppy navigation. Glad they got a new one.
- The B.O.B. – Has its own brewing facilities at the restaurant and entertainment complex, where they serve their various microbrews.
- Hideout Brewing – This brewery was modeled after the pre-prohibition breweries, and the interior decor has been modeled after prohibition area photos to give the brewery that feel.
- Brewery Vivant – Despite having a rooster on the logo, Vivant doesn’t
mean Rooster in French. This brewery was founded by Jason Spaulding, one of the co-founders of New Holland Brewery, after he sold his interest in 2008.
- Jaden James Brewery – One of the breweries that grew out of an existing winery. Jaden James is located at Cascade Winery in Grand Rapids.
- HopCat – One of the purported best beer bars in the world, with a massive beer selection, they have start to expand their offerings by brewing their own beer. I can see why they have a pretty massive beer list.
- Harmony Brewing Company – One of the newest additions to the GR
beer scene, they just opened Feb. 1st by 3 siblings. They also own Bear Manor Properties, that own a number of rental buildings in the the Uptown area of Grand Rapids.
Kalamazoo Area
- Paw Paw Brewing Company – In Paw Paw, and they do in fact have a paw print in their logo. Well more like a hop with some claws attached. This brewery was founded by two brothers-in-law, it also mentions how they were able to ask questions and learn from some of the other microbreweries in the state.
- Bell’s Brewery – The grandfather of Michigan microbrews opened up in 1985, look at what its spawned, at least according to some people in the industry – according to hopcatgr in the BeerAdvocate.com cache version of their forum, he offered this insight ” One, Larry Bell is a visionary but I think he’s also a tough guy to work for (sorry Larry) so a number of people learned there and then went off to start their own thing. That got the ball rolling”. More on this near the end of the post.
- Olde Pennisula BrewPub – This restaurant and brewpub is located in downtown Kalamazoo.
- Arcadia Brewing Company – In Battle Creek, prides itself on crafting British-Style ales, and was founded in 1996.
- Dark Horse Brewing Company – In Marshall, Dark Horse has an interesting backstory, the founder Aaron Morse opened up a brewpub, which failed, but he tried again by opening up a brewery which has become pretty successful
, undergoing a $700,000 expansion in 2011. It also states that they are looking at adding on distillery, bakery, creamery, and candy shop, which might be taking diversification a little too far.
- Bravo Restaurant & Cafe – in Kalamazoo, on the website it states that they are the only restaurant in Kalamazoo that brews its own beer, but what about Bilbo’s and Olde Pennisula? Or maybe a restaurant classification is different than a pizza place, and brew-pub.
- Bigg Dogg Brewing Company – in Kalamazoo, seems like he is more of a brewmater consultant who will sell recipes and guest brew.
- Bilbo’s Pizza – Not only does Middle Earth serve pizza, but it also brews its own beer… no word on the pipeweed. The microbrews are only available at their Stadium Drive location in Kalamazoo.
Lakeshore
- Odd Side Ales – in Grand Haven. They have a nice story, a former accountant laid off, starts a brewery with wife. It is also known as one of the smallest breweries in the country, so you will often find a rotating unique beers available in limited quantities.
- Old Boys’ Brewhouse – in Spring Lake, is a brewpub place, which was
inspired by a dog named Brutus, though affectionately called Old Boy. They are also looking to expand per this recent article in mlive.
- New Holland Brewing – In Holland, this is another old timer who got started in 1997. It was co-founded by two individuals, one of whom is running Brewery Vivant, read more about that in this old Ledger post.
- Saugatuck Brewing Company – in Saugatuck… or actually it’s in Douglas… the name is pure lies, just like the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
- The Round Barn Brewery - in Baroda. One of the few cross-over winery/breweries like Jaden James in Grand Rapids.
- The Livery - in Benton Harbor, surprisingly the only microbrewery
in the Benton Harbor/St. Joe area. Named after the over 100 year old building in which the brewery now resides which was once called the “Palace Livery”. More from mlive.
- Jamesport Brewing Company – is a brewpub located in Ludington. Mlive’s take.
- Greenbush Brewing Company- in Sawyer, They have a unique tie to Chicago, mainly through their distributor, but they have gotten lots of press out of Chicago as witnessed on their press page. One of the co-owners is from Chicago, so that could explain that connection, but still pretty impressive for brewery opened for less than a year to already have that distribution in place.
Other
- Michigan Beer Cellar – in Sparta, maybe they should have called it Michigan Beer Seller !!!!!! (this post is wearing on me)
- Waldorf Brewpub - in Hastings
- Middle Villa Inn & Microbrewery – in Middleville. They are very found of their water, per the website its the best ingredient in their beer, and Middleville has the best water in Michigan. Next post I will rate the water on tap throughout the state.
- Patchwork Brewery – in Decatur. Not only does Patchwork describe the curtains, the renovation process of the building, or the bar (which is really cool), but also the website (I kid, it’s fine). If you want to learn more about the renovation process and curtains read this. This brewery is a woman owned and brewed, which just prompted me to create another column in my spreadsheet – woman owned.
- Dewey Cannon Winery & Brewery - in Three Oaks, here are some of their beers.
- White Flame Brewing Company – i
n Hudsonville, this has to be a Kenny Powers fan right? Nah its just based on the owner/brewer’s last name of White, and his wife’s nickname… boring… why wouldn’t someone name a brewery after their favorite TV show. I mean Bilbo’s Pizza did it with a book. Note if I ever open a brewery it will be named after some reference in “A Song of Ice and Fire“ maybe something with Crows.
Up North
- Shorts Brewing Company – in Bellaire, and yes each bottle cap features a waist with cut off shorts and legs dangling. They actually bottle in Elk Rapids, and their brewpub is in Bellaire. The brewery is named after its founder Joe Short. Full history here.
- North Peak Brewing Company -
in Traverse City, I really enjoy their branding..bottles, and their look. Simple, and clean, and consistent. Interesting side note is that all their beers are brewed with Michigan grown ingredients.
- Jolly Pumpkin – Traverse City, whats with all the Spanish named beers? That I can’t answer but I can answer what’s with the name.
- Right Brain Brewery – in Traverse City. I find their website
enchanting. Something about these breweries up north. They seem to really have their act together with their marketing and brand. Shorts, North Peak, and Right Brain are all doing it right. The owner is right brained you know.
- Leelanau Brewing Company -
Traverse City. The logo is different, not your typical microbrewery type logo… looks more like an biker gang logo. They currently brew at Jolly Pumpkin but sell under their own label. Per their website they are working on their own brewery.
- Big O Brewery – in Northport. Well they are an organic winery, I am not sure about the beer, but they have guest brewers come in to make beer.
- Mackinaw Brewing Company – Traverse City, should be located by the bridge don’t you think?
- Kilkenny’s Irish Public House – Traverse City
Breweries in the Pipeline
So since we have come up with 38 breweries that are currently open and serving beers, we now we are going to look at the rest of the breweries “brewing” in the area. There will be 12 more.
Grand Rapids
- Elk Brewing Company –
Logo looks like the bottle is throwing up gang signs no?
- The Mitten Brewing Company – The baseball themed brewery, and as a baseball fan I am extremely intrigued by this one, though I am surprised that their logo doesn’t feature any baseball theme in it… maybe make the mitten look more like a mitt. Just a thought. Also they have the unusual distinction of having some
brand confusion, with the likes of Big Mitten Brewing Company in Plymouth (though they may not be around anymore, website is down), and Mitten Brew a beer blog,
- Grand Rapids Brewing Company – This was an original brewery in Grand Rapids, started in 1893 that ended during the prohibition. The brand and the beer names were bought and brought back in 1993, where they operated a brewery and restaurant on 28th Street. The business was sold a couple of times, and was finally shuttered in June 2011. In September 2011, Mark Sellers owner of Hopcat, and plenty of other bars in Grand Rapids (all under the BarFly properties name), purchased the assets of the brewery and all the brand names, and plans to reopen the brewery somewhere in downtown Grand Rapids, but he is not ready to say where yet.
- High Five Beer Co-op Brewery – Great website www.beer.coop and become one of the few beer co-operative in the country. I am a little fuzzy on how exactly this co-operative thing works, but they are doing it. They also won the 5×5 Night competition in Grand Rapids.
Comstock Park
- Perrin Brewing Company – T
hey can join Mitten Brewing as one of the logo only websites. More details here. Another update here, and one more here. Its funny how they are getting bigger and bigger 
without even being open. Also looks like they are having some branding identity issues.
Rockford
Allegan County
- Barking Cat Brewery – Eh not to thrilled with the name, but I do like cats. It’s also one of the only breweries that does not have a location/city confirmed, they are looking to open in 2013. More info here.
- Old Mill Brewpub – in Plainwell. Though they are serving beer, it is not their own yet. They are looking to do that in 2013 pending licensing approvals, and then he the owner wants to start bottling his own beer as well. Interesting and ironic history note, is that the location of this brewpub, the Sunshine Flour mill was once owned by a leading prohibitionist who helped pass that law in Michigan John Eesley
Others
So why is there such an abundance of microbreweries in Michigan ( we are only focusing on the West side of the state)? Typing this question into google did not yield many results, but I did come across someone asking this same question in an old forum post on BeerAdvocate.com. You are best skipping to the bottom of of the page and work your way up (stupid commentators contributing nothing early on, much like you guys 
). Some theories that were thrown out were the following:
- Water quality ( especially in Middleville)
- Cheap Real Estate
- Buy Local Movement/Pride in the State
- Farming conditions and climate for growing barley and wheat
But look at the last comment, its from hopcatgr, which I presume is Mark Sellers owner of Hopcat in Grand Rapids ( I could be wrong though). But he states the following:
“There are several factors. One, Larry Bell is a visionary but I think he’s also a tough guy to work for (sorry Larry) so a number of people learned there and then went off to start their own thing. That got the ball rolling.
Two, we’re allowed by law to distribute beer and still have a retail taproom (in Georgia and some other states, if you distribute you can’t have a taproom). Without a retail taproom it’s much harder to make a profit as a new brewery. So the law is on our side here.
Three, there’s no ABV (editor: Alcohol By Volume) cap like there is in Utah and some other states. We are free to make whatever beer we want.
Four, there’s a lot of space, real estate is cheap. For a brewery, you need a lot of low-cost space. That’s why there are very few breweries in NYC despite high population density and affluent customer base, while there are quite a few in Grand Rapids, MI.
And five…most important…the number of breweries/brewpubs PER CAPITA in Michigan is actually lower than several other states.”
So since those comments are coming from an actual brewer I would think that those are some good, honest reasons for the rise in microbreweries in Michigan. The most surprising one was the mentoring by Larry Bell of Bell’s Brewery, and how many people have left to start there own. Anyone have information on what breweries were started by Bell’s Brewery disciples? Also the retail taproom concept makes sense because almost all the breweries listed in this article either are running a brewpub, or selling their beers in other ways. So almost all of the microbreweries are taking advantage of having a retail taproom, and they are able to position themselves better in the market and become a destination for consumers. Which leads me to my next point about location. I was shocked at the number of breweries in Traverse City, which had 8 breweries currently and planned. That is 4 less than Grand Rapids, a city with 774,160 residents in the metropolitan area, compared to 143,372 in the area around Traverse City. I definitely see some opportunities with a brewery in St. Joseph (which has nothing), or even New Buffalo, which are both big tourist cities at least in the summer. These are both some nice lakeshore cities. Another thought would be opening up a brewery in the casino towns, you know give people another reason to visit instead of just gambling, like drinking.
If I was skilled at graphic design, I would create an infographic on all the breweries, but I can’t so instead I created a spreadsheet. For example there are 9 breweries that an animal reference either in name, or that display an animal in their logo. There are 6 breweries that are named after the location they are based in (though the Saugatuck Brewing Company is debatable since it it actually located in the Douglas). Then there are 5 breweries that have a name that references either Michigan or a landmark in Michigan. Then there are 3 breweries that make reference to pop culture. Finally, and most importantly out of the 38 currently operating breweries, I have had tried 14 of them. Want to know what other zany categories these breweries fall into? Then download my spreadsheet The Ledger Beer List, it’s pretty great.
I think it’s time for The Ledger West Michigan Microbrewery Crawl 2012! How many of these can we hit in a day, and who has a big bus we can use? Anyone? Remember I have only tried 14, over 20 more to go plus more when the new ones open up.
R.I.P. Micro Breweries
So did I miss anything, and more columns for my spreadsheet. Any more interesting facts about the breweries mentioned above?
As I am sure everyone knows Start Garden started today. Start Garden is the next big thing from Rick DeVos and Pomegranate Studios, where people can submit ideas for a chance receive $5,000 in an initial investment. Each week, 2 ideas will be chosen and given $5,000 and then the winners will be required to come back in 60-90 days and present where they are at with their winning idea for opportunity to get additional funding, in the amount of $20,000. Ideas that are progressing well and have potential to become viable businesses can in theory receive up to $500,000 dollars from Start Garden. The fund is backed up $15 million commitment from the DeVos family, so there is plenty of opportunities for many ideas to get a lot of investment dollars. Throughout the process, ideas receiving funding will be able to get some resources and mentoring from Start Garden to help their idea move ahead. The public gets to be involved in the process as well by choosing one of the weekly winners and public events will be held to present the progress of previous winners.
