E-Malt.com News article: USA, MI: Beards Brewery pursuing additional site to house brewing operations

Facing production constraints at its downtown Petoskey location, Beards Brewery is pursuing an additional site in Charlevoix to house brewing operations, petoskeynews.com reported on August 20.

Beards announced the expansion plans on August 16, the day of its second-anniversary celebration.

"Essentially, we have just not been able to keep up with demand," said Beards co-owner Ben Slocum.

Beards, which Slocum and Peter Manthei launched in 2012, has a one-barrel brewing system at its Howard Street site in Petoskey. With this limited capacity, Slocum said the brewery has had to carefully plan production to ensure an adequate supply for customers during its taproom's busy summer months. Beer styles that age well, for example, have been brewed and stockpiled many months in advance. The capacity constraints also have forced Beards to turn down some requests from other drinking establishments interested in offering its products on tap.

Beards has secured a 4,000-square-foot space off Ferry Road in Charlevoix, where Slocum said a production system with 15 times the capacity of the Petoskey site will be put in place. Beards hasn't set a firm date to have that location up and running, but Slocum said the operators hope to reach that point by next summer.

Beards currently has seven employees, and Slocum said the total could grow to the 10-12 range once the new site is running.

The Charlevoix site's output will help supply the taproom in Petoskey, but Slocum said the brewing system there will remain as well — letting Beards offer distinctive, small-batch beers to customers. When new production ramps up, Slocum said Beards could expand its taproom hours as well.

As for expanding off-site distribution, Slocum said Beards will focus first on serving tap outlets around Emmet and Charlevoix counties, and then perhaps reach out gradually to key establishments elsewhere in Michigan. Once the expanded keg distribution is working smoothly, Slocum said Beards then might begin canning and bottling beer.

"The goal is to make the best beer possible, not the most," he noted.


22 August, 2014