Crowd funding for a new Keweenaw microbrewery? Looks like it might be perfectly doable, at least according to the results so far for Brickside Brewery's
Kickstarter campaign.
The brewery-to-be will be located in Copper Harbor, and is recruiting financial backers through Kickstarter.com, which provides a method for people to support worthy projects and businesses through online contributions.
You don't have to throw down a check for $1,000 to support
Brickside; the minimum donation is only $1. Owner Jason Robinson says you can pledge up to $10,000, but much of the support so far has come from smaller backers, who earn the right to get their name on a brick, some neat brewery gear, or even the chance to have a beer custom designed and named after you on the menu.
Robinson's plan is to be open this fall, on Gratiot Street in Copper Harbor, in an old gas station and deli across the street from the Gaslite General Store. Brickside Brewery's offerings will include beers on tap, growlers to go, and bottle sales, as well as merchandise.
"Brickside Brewery is the result of years of enthusiasm for homebrewed and craft beer. Years of making and enjoying beer at home have led to this," says Robinson. "We want to take that passion to the next step and open a microbrewery in Copper Harbor, Michigan."
And they're serious about it, leaning on local ingredients like thimbleberry and rhubarb, and growing their own hops for recipes including stouts, ambers, IPAs and even some hop bombs.
Robinson earned his chops in brewing with professional courses from the American Brewers Guild and an internship at Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, in northern lower Michigan.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Jason Robinson, Brickside Brewery
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