I was 26 when I got my first job at a brewery.
When I got my first break, I thought I had a good handle on the industry, what was considered a great beer and what true beer geeks would enjoy. A decade later selling wholesale craft beer from independent breweries, I tasted the good, the bad, and the “mugly”. I saw hyped up brand whales get chased by overzealous influencers, and fantastic programs in local scenes get overlooked. I drank with owners, brewers, guild organizers, marketers, cicerones, certified judges, and customers. What did I learn? Great beer doesn’t come easy.
A blend of science, sanitation practices, mechanical know-how, finance, legal knowledge and artistry goes into every pint. It isn’t always the glamorous and fun job you might think it is. It takes years and sometimes even decades of practice to hone the craft.
According to the Brewers Association, Michigan ranks 6th in the nation for most breweries, with an impressive 408 in its ranks. These breweries are spread across the state, and Berrien County, Michigan’s most southwesterly county is no exception. I reached out to brewers of Berrien county that showcase passion in every pint they pour.
- Simon Rusk, Owner of The Livery: This Benton Harbor brewpub focuses on ales, lagers, stouts, and meads. They also experiment with a barrel program that produces sour/wild ales and bourbon barrel aged offerings.
- Chalet Sturgeon, Owner of Local Pour Michigan: Located in beautiful Harbor Country, Local Pour offers a variety of the best Michigan-made wine, beer, and spirits in fun tasting room atmosphere.
- Leah Peat, CMO and Co-Founder of Peat’s Social Cider: Stop in for the Michigan-made hard cider, stay and socialize over the family-friendly bowling and arcade games in Stevensville.
- Joe Hinman, Brewer of Ghost Isle Brewery: A craft brewery, bar, and restaurant located in New Buffalo, Michigan. They have a large indoor seating area accompanied by a patio and deck overlooking the Galien River Wetlands.
Q: What inspired you to start a career in beer?
Rusk – The Livery: I was inspired to start brewing by my neighbor. He homebrewed excellent beers using the recipes from “The Complete Joy of Homebrewing” and eventually sold his equipment to my brother and me. I’ve always been inspired by Heady Topper brewed by The Alchemist.
Sturgeon – Local Pour: We originally wanted to promote Michigan wine and the beer quickly followed! There are a lot of great wines and beers made in Michigan and we were inspired to promote them all.
Peat – Peat’s Cider: We visited Virtue Cider back in 2012, when they had just opened in Fennville and it opened up our eyes to the world of dry cider. It was their bourbon barrel-aged cider called “The Mitten” that wowed us. When we realized that cider could be SO different from the sugary sweet, mass-produced cider that we had been drinking in our college days, the wheels started turning. The Peat family also has a farm in Paw Paw, MI for nearly 40 years and we’ve been talking about what to plant on it next after 25 years of cherry trees. The space to grow apples and the inspiration to make unique cider really just clicked!
Hinman – Ghost Isle: My first favorite beer was Scotty Karate by Dark Horse Brewery. I just happened to fall into the industry. Homebrewing in college at Grand Valley while studying broadcasting for public media. Ended up back home, and started learning on the job at Greenbush Brewing.
Q: If you could go back to your first day working in the industry, what do you wish you would have known before you started?
Hinman – Ghost Isle: A lot! Safety first would have been helpful when I was younger. At the end of the day..it’s just beer. Everything will be fine, the beer and the work will be there tomorrow. Also, kegs are really heavy. Heavier than you think!
Rusk – The Livery: How much work it is. More accurately how many hats you end up wearing, being successful in this industry is so much more than making great beer.
Sturgeon – Local Pour: Do more market research to see what consumers expect in a tasting room. Education and customer service is the key.
Peat – Peat’s Cider: We’ve spent fifteen years building our careers in the corporate world, I worked in advertising and my husband, Dan, in nonprofit management and sales. All of that experience did not equip us for how to run a combination taproom and bowling alley…during a pandemic. What we’ve learned is that you need to surround yourself with people who know more than you in order to run a successful business. And that’s what we’ve been trying to do since day one.
Q: What has been the biggest challenge running your business?
Rusk – The Livery: Overcoming the poor reputation The Livery had regarding the quality of the beer (fairly and/or unfairly), before I took over brewing and ownership.
Sturgeon – Local Pour: Getting product and having great beer and wine in short supply is always a challenge. Running out of a big seller and not knowing when you can get it back is hard.
Peat – Peat’s Cider: I’ll be surprised if anyone doesn’t answer this with, “The Pandemic.” The Peat’s Cider Social had been open for a total of 2 weeks before we closed our doors to the public. All of that momentum we saw in those first couple of weeks was just…gone. We’re happy to say that we’re starting to see that momentum again, but it was a very slow and very scary start.
Hinman – Ghost Isle: A lot of good challenges, but the biggest is keeping up with demand with brewing capacity. A big taproom in a tourist town, the tanks can empty quickly. Keeping a balanced tap list that keeps customers happy.
Q: What has been the most rewarding about your business?
Rusk – The Livery: Continuing to serve as a central gathering place in the Benton Harbor Arts District. Supporting and giving back to our community, and working with and supporting so many talented and hardworking people.
Sturgeon – Local Pour: Meeting great customers and coming up with great new drinks is super fun and rewarding.
Peat – Peat’s Cider: Learning new things while meeting amazing people. The cider community in Michigan is robust, but very small. You always see the same smiling faces and everyone is willing to lend a hand when you need it. We’ve learned a lot from this community as we’ve banded together the last few years, and some great friendships and great cider has come out of it!
Hinman – Ghost Isle: I started, the first summer we were open in 2019. Stoner’s Paradise – New England IPA was the number one beer. I didn’t get the chance to make as many lagers at the start of my career. I worked on the pilsner recipe here and now it’s one of the top sellers. Consistently 40% of what we brew. New Buffalo Pilsner, I’m really proud of it.
Q: What are you drinking right now?
Rusk – The Livery: Nuke the Fridge IPA at The Livery.
Sturgeon – Local Pour: Shanty from Old Nation is a good refreshing summer beer as well as DNA Test from Three Blonds Brewery.
Peat – Peat’s Cider: It’s 7:30 in the morning, before starting my workday so I’m drinking a cold brew coffee. But I’m currently obsessing over Pét-Nat, a wilder version of sparkling champagne. On our own taplist, I’m a huge fan of The Pit Stop, our newest cider crafted with apricot, cardamom and chamomile. It’s so perfect for summer days outside on the patio.
Hinman – Ghost Isle: If I wasn’t starting work in the next five minutes, the New Buffalo Pilsner. A crispy lager is always good. In a few weeks, I’ll be brewing the Märzen. A Schwartzbier is always in the mix as well.
Q: Last question: What do you wish beer lovers knew about the industry?
Rusk – The Livery: That small family owned breweries need your support. Drink Local, Share Locally made beer.
Sturgeon – Local Pour: I have some customers who only will try beer on tap. There are a lot of good beers that come in cans as well. With the small batch breweries we work with, sometimes we can get beer in cans, sometimes on tap and sometimes we can get both.
Peat – Peat’s Cider: We actually wish that people who aren’t self-professed cider lovers knew that cider really does offer something to please everyone’s palate. We make cocktail-inspired ciders. One we released last year, called “The Hi-Hat,” tastes like a Manhattan, but it’s crafted from apples. We also make hopped ciders that appeal to beer drinkers. Our most recent hopped cider “The Knave: Zappa” just won Best In Class at the largest international cider competition in the world (GLINTCAP)!
Hinman – Ghost Isle: It’s a great industry, but it isn’t a big party. It’s a traditional skilled trade that is still fairly young in America. It can be seen as a passion driven industry, but it is also a legit manufacturing production. Passion is incredibly important, but it will only get you so far. You need to hone your craft, and learn how to handle all aspects of the business.
I had the pleasure of interviewing even more brewers of Berrien county. Check out part 2 with 5 more breweries here!
Neil Davey is a resident of Marshall, MI and is the Southwest Michigan Local Food Coordinator for Taste the Local Difference. This Hoosier turned Michigander can often be found writing his next book, fooling around in the garden, experimenting with his weekly CSA produce, or planning his next hiking trip somewhere in the pleasant peninsula.