USA, MI: Handmap Brewing celebrates grand opening in Battle Creek

Neighbors and friends gathered on Battle Creek’s Carlyle Street to celebrate Handmap Brewing's grand opening on July 9 with beer, live music and food trucks, the Battle Creek Enquirer reported.

“I’m excited,” said Sara Wallace, who has been ordering Handmap beer online for the past year. “It’s great to be out supporting a local business and seeing people.”

The party comes almost a year and a half after Handmap started operations, and for co-owners Chris McCleary and Jennifer Brown, it feels surreal.

“I’m glad that we can be here sharing this experience with our friends, family and supporters,” McCleary said. “If we hadn’t been through a pandemic, I don’t know if it would be like this.”

Originally, Handmap was slated to open on St. Patrick's Day of 2020 with a grand opening scheduled for later in March.

The coronavirus pandemic completely upended those plans.

McCleary and Brown found new ways to move their business forward, installing a canning operation and selling beer through online ordering and curbside pick-up.

Last June, the brewery officially opened to the public, operating at half-capacity under pandemic restrictions.

The business has navigated pandemic-related closures and restrictions while providing a spot for people to enjoy live music and a good brew through the last year.

The brewery's taproom has about 14 beers on offer and hosts weekly live music. Handmap also offers regular vinyl nights, allowing people to bring their own music to share.

Now, with declining coronavirus infections, the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine and lifted pandemic restrictions, Handmap Brewing can properly celebrate its arrival in the community.

“This is something everybody has worked hard for,” Brown said.

The Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce's ribbon-cutting officially kicked off the brewery's two-day celebration at 15 Carlyle St.

The celebration coincides with an expansion of the business. Handmap Brewing just announced a partnership with Battle Creek-based beer distributor Atlas Sales Inc.

Starting this week, Handmap's Rye of Sunshine, a rye IPA, and Spreadsheet Blood Orange, a wheat beer brewed with blood oranges, will be available at select bars and restaurants throughout Calhoun County.

12 July, 2021