Looking for a reason to drink good beer? Hate prohibition? Like the 30s? Then check out Lucky Bucket’s Speak Easy Party April 17th at the brewery. Here is the press release.
Lucky Bucket Brewing Company & Sòlas Distillery are hosting a “Speak Easy” Costume Party on April 17th from 8pm until 1am at their brewery located [...]
History of Bell Brewing Company
Posted By Ryan Cairns on January 13th, 2009
The Bell Brewing company history dates back to 1976 when Larry Bell moved from a suburb of Chicago to Kalamazoo MI, to attend college. After two years of college he ran short of funds and had to take a job in a local bakery. A fellow employee introduced him to his first taste of homebrewed beer.
After moving into a house with three beer-guzzling buddies, Bell remembered the idea of homebrewing and realized that he could make all the beer they wanted for much less money. He took great interest in this new hobby reading brewing publications and
learning the tricks of the trade.
With a cash gift from a family member the Kalamazoo Brewing Supply Company was founded in 1983 as a home brewing supply shop. His reputation as a homebrewer caught the attention of a local spice extraction company executive that wanted to try some brewing experiments with hops.
This new relationship developed into a financial backer to incorporate the Kalamazoo Brewing Company in April of 1985. The initial investment started out with $39,000 which was used to purchase re-conditioned restaurant equipment for brewing purposes.
In late 1985 they began to sell beer producing 135 barrels in it’s first year. These first batches were brewed in a 15 gallon soup kettle and fermented in open fermenter covered with saran wrap.
The brewery encompasses about 1.4 acres of underdeveloped buildings in an industrial/commercial area on the east side of town. Most of the buildings date back to the WWII era including a munitions plant, a car repair garage, plumbing supply house, and a 1950’s era beer and wine store. He has grand future plans for the location including an outdoor beer garden, festival area, and additional paved parking. But first he wants to spend and additional$10,000 on a new microbiological lab for yeast culturing and quality control.
They currently have 23 employees operating three brew houses. With the addition of a production brewery in nearby Comstock, Michigan in 2003 it boosted their total brewing capacity to 140,000 bbls.
A couple of neat facts !
The opening of The Eccentric Cafe in 1993 marked the first Michigan brewery to serve beer by the glass to the public in the state of Michigan, and also the first brew pub in
the state.
Bells brewery is the oldest craft brewer east of Colorado
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