E-Malt.com News article: USA, MI: New brewery to open in Kalamazoo as early as this fall

The Boatyard Brewing Co. announced on June, 4 it had found its home at 432 E. Paterson St. in Kalamazoo.

The 2,700-square-foot space, owned by Trident Realty, of Kalamazoo, is eight blocks north of Bell's Eccentric Cafe.

The new brewery, co-owned by longtime friends and homebrewers Dan Gilligan and Brian Steele, both of Kalamazoo, could open as early as the fall.

"I hope, by the first of October, we'll have the large-scale equipment in place," Steele said.

Steele said the company will move into the space on June 16. Steele and Gilligan, who have homebrewed for more than 25 years and recently moved within 150 feet of each other, plan to move their homebrewing equipment into the new space so they can brew as soon as the final licensing approval arrives. Steele said they're working with the law firm Miller Canfield to get licensing approval.

They plan to purchase the equipment for a seven-barrel brewhouse in July, Steele said. Steele and Gilligan, both 52, have "no intention of being a small brewery," Steele said. He said there is ample room to expand within the building.

“I’d like to order a new fermenter every two months. We’ll see how it goes. We’ll see how well Kalamazoo likes it," Steele said.

The Boatyard Brewing Co. will be located near a proposed brewhouse just east of downtown Kalamazoo. Steele said he thinks if both projects are successful, they'll play a role, along with Bell's Brewery Inc., in making Kalamazoo more of a destination for craft beer lovers.

“I’m hopeful this will cement Kalamazoo as the craft-brewing capitol. Bell’s is the flagship for the state of Michigan ... We hope to be a part of a mecca in Kalamazoo,” he said.

Steele, who teaches at Kalamazoo Country Day School, and Gilligan, who is an electrician for Kerwin Electric Inc., said if the business succeeds, they'd like to purchase the building.

As the company's name suggests, there will be a slight boating theme, Steele said. Steele said they considered opening a brewery in South Haven, but decided to stay closer to home.

He said the theme works well since there are so many lakes around the area.

Steele said they have a group of investors — "98 percent of them in Kalamazoo" — who will help them surpass their goal of raising $250,000 to start the business.


06 June, 2012