USA, MI: Heights Brewing anticipates fall opening in Farmington

The owners of Heights Brewing in Farmington plan to offer a little something for everyone, the Hometown Life reported on June 23.

When the restaurant opens in early September, it will feature 24 taps offering a rotating selection of beers, wine, hard cider, mead, hard seltzer, hop water and root beer. Ryan Kavanagh, who owns the brewery alongside his wife Shawn MacDonnell, said everything will be made on-site.

Heights Brewing will also offer Bar-B-Que food. Kavanagh said all food will be gluten free. Ciders, seltzers, wine, hop water, root beer, mead and some of the beers will also be gluten free.

Heights Brewing is moving into the old Page's Food and Spirits, which closed in 2021, at 23621 Farmington Road, near Grand River Avenue. Fans of Page's will be greeted by a brand-new look in September. Heights Brewing's design features higher ceilings, more natural light and an updated bar top.

Kavanagh said he and MacDonnell are excited to become part of Farmington's lively downtown scene and social district.

"When my wife and I moved to this area, we started coming to downtown Farmington to hang out," he said. "We think it has a great small town vibe in a metro area ... Being able to make beer, make Bar-B-Que and sell it to people is exciting. I enjoy that."

Kavanagh is a longtime homebrewer and has experience working with brewing companies like Draught Horse and Dragonmead. He said his honey saffron ale and un-shandy are popular.

"It’s like a summer shandy but it’s the opposite in terms of sweetness," Kavanagh said on the un-shandy. "I take all of the sugar and ferment it out until we have a nice, tart, lemon taste instead of a sweet lemon. That’s a really popular one I do."

Kavanagh said he and MacDonnell are excited to go into business for themselves, and they're looking forward to doing it in a community they enjoy spending time in.

"It’s exciting to think that all of the work I do will be for me," he said. "It’s not working for somebody else; it’s making it on my own. That’s the most exciting part."

23 June, 2023