E-Malt.com News article: USA, MI: Farmington Brewing Company opened in downtown Farmington

Jason and Gary Schlaff and Jason Henricks are the beer-loving guys behind Farmington's newest commercial venture, the Farmington Brewing Company, which is taking its place among Michigan's 186 breweries, hometownlife.com reported on November, 13.

The team purchased equipment from Psycho Brew, a Michigan company, for half the price of others they researched. And better yet, the equipment is made with Michigan steel. Staying with Michigan, the men have also purchased some of the brewing ingredients from Michigan farmers, Hendricks said.

"You want to plan for success. You need to find the right location. That is key," Gary said.

Now some 18 months later, the team had a grand opening on Nov. 15 at their storefront brewery in downtown Farmington.

"We were unbelievably fortunate this building was available," Gary said, referring to the former Meantobe Cafe. The site was already complete with the water, drains and the electrical that was needed for the brewery.

Support and networking have helped the team as they proceeded from planning to reality. They have relied on suggestions and recommendations from other brewers, as well as meeting nearby businesses in Farmington. The brewing company will not offer food, but will allow patrons to bring in food or have it delivered. Plus, other restaurants in Farmington want to carry the team's beer.

"We want to be part of increasing the foot traffic in Farmington," Gary said.

Farmington Brewing Company will offer eight beers at a time for starters while four will be in fermentation tanks. It takes 10-14 days to complete brewing.

Not only is the team conscious of supporting Michigan-made products, but also of making the best use of ingredients and that includes recycling. After brewing, the grain used in the process can be taken to farms to be used as feed. "We are trying to be environmentally conscious," Hendricks said.


19 November, 2014