Wolverine State Brewing Co. plans Halloween week opening of Ann Arbor tap room
E.T. Crowe stands in the middle of what soon will be the Wolverine State Brewing Co. on Stadium Blvd. in Ann Arbor in late July. At that time, Crowe and her partners had hoped the brewery could open in September.
Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com
The Michigan Liquor Control Commission awarded a microbrewer’s license to Wolverine State Brewing Company on Wednesday, clearing the last and biggest hurdle for Wolverine to open its brewery and tap room on Stadium Boulevard.
"There are no more maybes,” said partner E.T. Crowe. “We will open. There is no more 'if this, if that.'”
Now the team behind the brewery is preparing to open next weekend. Crowe said that she loves the idea of a Halloween opening, though she wouldn't nail down a specific day yet.
Crowe said it has been a long and somewhat challenging process since the partners signed the lease in January on the space toward the rear of the building at 2019 W. Stadium.
The most challenging, Crowe said, was the unforeseen and unbudgeted line items.
“When you turn an empty warehouse over the course of 10 months, three or four months longer than we’d hoped, into a brewery and a great bar, it boggles the mind,” Crowe said.
When the tap room opens, Wolverine Lager will not be the only brew on tap. Head brewer Oliver Roberts said besides the flagship beer, he has create,six others: Wench’s Westside Wheat - a wheat ale; Big House Brown- a brown lager; Hopportunity Knocks - an IPA; Emoatable - a dark oat lager; Gulo-Gulo Northwest Lager, a hoppy American lager using all American hops; and Pride of Biscuitville, an American Bock.
Crowe said that Wolverine will still continue to work with Michigan Brewing to bottle Wolverine Lager in Webberville.
“We do not have a bottling line at this time in our brewery,” Crowe said. “We hope to have that in place by this time next year."
Wendy Ochoa is freelance writer in the news and business sections. She is also a journalism student at Washtenaw Community College where she writes for the Washtenaw Voice.
Comments
Larry Works
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 5:03 p.m.
It's happening very soon now...tick...tick...tick... http://www.a2beerwench.com/
ET Crowe
Thu, Oct 28, 2010 : 3:56 p.m.
OK gang here is the scoop: got the liquor license under our belts (I'm headed to Lansing to pick it up tomorrow). City of Ann Arbor is waiting until next Tuesday to do their inspections however, due to a problem with a smoke detector early this morning (heavy sigh). So....next weekend---save room for a refreshing Big House Brown Lager or Wench's Westside Wheat or High Five IPA or Biscuitville! We will be ready for you! more info, lamentation, and humor at: www.a2beerwench.com
Dan
Thu, Oct 28, 2010 : 10:35 a.m.
So if all goes well today with the final inspections, is there even a chance of opening this weekend?! I wish there were more answers... but I'll continue to wait patiently.
ET Crowe
Mon, Oct 25, 2010 : 1:34 p.m.
We are very excited to welcome you all soon and thank you for your sincere support through our difficult, expensive and arduous process--all arrogance aside, at least for now! We look forward to serving delicious beer made in Ann Arbor, by Ann Arborites, for everyone to enjoy! cheers!
A2Westsider
Mon, Oct 25, 2010 : 10:11 a.m.
Looking forward to it. A2.com, please keep us posted on the date!
Michael
Sun, Oct 24, 2010 : 5:01 a.m.
I don't know. I'm really torn between wanting to support a local brewery and being completely put off by the ludicrous, arrogant claims on both the Wolverine Lager and Wolverine State Brewery sites. In any case, I wish the owners luck.
kathryn
Sat, Oct 23, 2010 : 7:44 p.m.
I'm glad they WILL have an assortment of lagers. (IPA never did impress me.) Looking forward to having a brewery within walking distance.
lefty48197
Sat, Oct 23, 2010 : 2:59 p.m.
I'll be looking forward to trying their products. Too many of the micro brewers try to overdo everything. Pumpkin raspberry ale or some such nonsense. I'm looking forward to finding a source for sensible craft brews.
Erika
Sat, Oct 23, 2010 : 9:22 a.m.
Awesome. Can't wait to try the ales!
Ignatz
Sat, Oct 23, 2010 : 6:25 a.m.
I guess I have something to do next weekend;-) I'm glad they'll have more than lagers.