USA, MI: ThumbCoast Brewing Company plans to start distributing its beers to local restaurants and bars next year

ThumbCoast Brewing Company of Port Huron, MI will be distributing beer to restaurants and bars by the first quarter of 2016, The Times Herald reported on December 3.

Their taproom location at 330 Quay St., Port Huron, will remain unchanged — at least for now.

Currently the brewery is able to produce about 400 barrels of beer a year using a 7-barrel system. Consumers may drink the locally brewed beer only at the taproom or by taking a growler home.

The current taproom is 8,500 square feet with about a third of that space reserved for brewing.

Dennis Doyle, ThumbCoast owner, said it has hit its maximum production ability and will need a larger space in order to fill the demand of distribution.

Doyle is currently searching for a 10,000-square-foot facility in the Port Huron area with at least a 20-foot ceiling to accommodate a 20-barrel system that would be able to produce 10,000 barrels of beer a year. He expects to close on a building by the end of the year.

Doyle, 49, purchased the current building in December 2013 and had a grand re-opening of the former Quay Street Brewing Co. in spring 2014 under the ThumbCoast name.

Prior to moving to Port Huron in 2013, Doyle and his family lived in Northville. He worked in the automotive industry and then in the marketing sector for 25 years before deciding to hang up the corporate lifestyle.

He’s happy he made the change and is ready to take the next leap in the craft brewing business.

Preliminary production will focus on distributing kegs to restaurants and bars. As demand increases production will include distributing canned beer to retailers as well.

The focus of ThumbCoast will transition to a heavy emphasis on beer production for mass distribution while the focus on the taproom and food menu will lessen, but not disappear.

The larger production building will also have a second taproom of its own. The size of the taproom has not yet been determined.

“Regardless of what we do with the manufacturing facility, we will still maintain a downtown taproom,” Doyle said. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean we will stay at the current location. That could mean we move to a smaller taproom in downtown Port Huron.”

But for the next six months, at least, the current ThumbCoast taproom on Quay Street won’t see many physical changes. However, eventually customers will be able to purchase only ThumbCoast-brewed beer at the taproom.

Doyle said the license to allow him to manufacture and distribute beer does not allow him to also hold a liquor license, meaning he will not be able to sell liquor, wine or outside beer at ThumbCoast.

On average, about 25 employees work at ThumbCoast. That number reaches about 45 in the peak summer months. For now, jobs will not be impacted.

By the first quarter of 2016 Doyle will begin minimal distribution. By the end of 2016 the distributing facility will be completely up and running. Doyle said it will take five years to get up to the maximum production capacity of 10,000 barrels per year. New jobs will be created over the five years, ranging from brewers to marketers.

Doyle plans to distribute to companies reaching from Mackinaw City to Detroit.

“We have already had several bars and restaurants and party stores from Flint to Detroit to elsewhere ask us to supply our beer to them,” Doyle said. “But we just can’t with the limited space we have here. It takes everything we have just to keep what we have on tap.”

And while the production facility will focus on three to five beers for distribution, the taprooms will have up to 20 ThumbCoast-brewed beers on tap that customers can get only by visiting the taproom.

Currently ThumbCoast has 14 of its own brews on tap.

“Our focus has always been to put the region on the craft beer map,” Doyle said. “The craft beer market was underrepresented in the region and it’s a big industry. People travel for craft beer. I’ve had customers come from across the state, Canada, Indiana, Illinois, New York and Oregon.”

Doyle said by putting his beer on tap in other locations it will market the product and draw people up to Port Huron to experience the taproom itself.

Scott Scandalito, president of the Downtown Port Huron Restaurant and Bar Collective and owner of Lynch’s Irish Tavern, said ThumbCoast has been an asset to the downtown area and larger brewing capabilities would be great.

“I would pour their beer once they are able to distribute,” Scandalito said. “I already pour beer from Harsen’s Island Brewery and War Water Brewery. I like to support local breweries and Dennis is passionate about brewing.”

Scandalito said creating a culture of microbreweries in the county will draw people to the area.

“Some of the micro-brew culture is checking off those breweries from your list,” Scandalito said. “Especially since we have a few now – people make the trip when they can hit a few at once.”

04 December, 2015