Boatyard Brewing crosses last hurdle toward microbrewery license

Boatyard Brewing Co. reports it now has microbrewery license in hand. Dan Gilligan and Brian Steele say the focus of the next 12 weeks will be finalizing buildout and installation of its 10-barrel brewing system. They expect full production and distribution of their beer by mid-June.

 

The two best friends who have been home brewers for many years decided to get into the brewery business in 2011 and since then have been perfecting their recipes for traditional ales as well as their own unique brews. They say they have shared hundreds of samples and listened to the response of those tasting their craft beers to come up with the beers they need to build the business.

 

Boatyard Brewery, named to evoke the sense of Southwest Michigan's abundant waterways, is going in at 423 E. Paterson Street. Gilligan and Steele recently hauled 3,000 pounds of debris out of the site as they ready the space for the brewery.

 

The brewery will have a 10 barrel brewing system initially and as the business grows there is room to expand in the basement, says Steele. Boatyard Brewing Co. will have a 2,700-square foot brewing operation and a 1,700-square-foot tap house.

 

Boatyard Brewing Co. specializes in British style ales in addition to its own recipes. The brewers expect to open with 24 beers on tap and three for wider distribution. Steele says distribution will start in Kalamazoo, move out the South Haven and up and down the lakeshore. They expect to distribute Boatyard Brewing Co. beers to the east and in Grand Rapids, too.

 

"With a name like Boatyard we have to be in South Haven," Steele says.