War Water Brewery in St. Clair serves more than just brews; the popular restaurant recently opened a 10,000-square-foot event space on its second floor.
Opened in fall 2024, the space is open for events between 35 and 500 people. It offers a large ballroom, games, bathrooms, a stage, and a bar. The space is open for wedding receptions, award ceremonies, corporate trainings, fundraisers, dinners, concerts, milestone celebrations, and other large events. Full-service catering and a bar menu are also available.
Event participants have access to War Water’s downstairs restaurant and tap room. War Water Co-Owner Kris Paul says guests can also check out the outdoor patio and the St. Clair Plaza courtyard at the entrance, where bands and other performers often play on summer nights.
“If the event finishes upstairs, people can go and enjoy the energy that’s downstairs in the tap room, or go out front in the courtyard with the scenic views of the [St. Clair River],” Paul says.
He says the space has already hosted a variety of events, including an awards ceremony for a local softball team, sports banquets, weddings, a casino night, a comedy show, and multiple fundraisers.
One of those fundraisers was a benefit concert for the lead singer of a local band who was diagnosed with cancer.
“The space is amazing,” says event organizer Jeff Bohm. “Being able to find a venue that size is difficult. The sound, acoustics, and atmosphere is top shelf.”
To book an event at War Water’s event space, call (810) 289 - 3921 or
book online.
How the New Event Space Could Benefit St. Clair
St. Clair Chamber of Commerce president Bryan Ulatowski says the people visiting War Water might also shop at other local businesses.
“[Event guests] might be coming to War Water first, but they’ll see every other business too,” Ultatowski says. “And, I think that will give the town an opportunity to grow more than it already has.”
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Paul says the space also offers one of the largest event venues in the Blue Water Area, providing more options for nonprofits and organizations that benefit from holding large events.
The Pollinator Project, a St. Clair County nonprofit that supports pollinator habitats, held its annual fundraiser at War Water. Pollinator Project president and Founder Kenneth Meyer saw the largest turnout the nonprofit had ever had for an event, mostly because the organization had not yet had access to a space with that large of a capacity.
“War Water is going to be a real benefit for us,” Meyer says. “It lets us throw bigger events that lets us raise more money.”
War Water’s Growth Through the Years
A St. Clair native, Paul moved back to the area and opened War Water with his brother, Kevin Paul, more than a decade ago. At first, the brewery just offered beer, but quickly added food. War Water began offering distilled spirits in 2022.
Instead of adding greater guest capacity, Paul wants to enhance the guest experience with the addition of a second-floor balcony, a third-floor lookout deck, and second-floor windows with views of the river.
“One of the keys for us has been focusing on flexibility so we can utilize a common space in multiple different ways to drive foot traffic and revenue,” Paul says.
Paul plans to increase the volume of alcohol they produce, which would require the purchase of more production tanks. War Water’s products are available in retail stores across eastern Michigan.
With future building improvements and a focus on expanding distribution volume, Paul says total investment in the facility might total $8 million when all is said and done.
“We’re probably about 25% of the way of where we want to go with this business,” he says. “So, we have a long way to go in continuing to develop the brand, the products, and the premise.”
Paul says he is proud to grow his business in the community that raised him.
“It’s very humbling and it’s been an amazing adventure and dream to be able to be a part of something like this in the community that we grew up in, and to contribute to the community in a positive way,” he says. “It’s been really neat watching a lot of people come back to the community, whether they’re just visiting or relocating back, because they’re starting to enjoy the energy that we’re feeling here in St Clair, and what we’ve been able to do, and what others have been able to do alongside of us.”