Barry Johnson had an international sales career, he traveled to different countries. After some years, he felt the need to quit his job because it was burning him out. Despite leaving the corporate world, he leaned at the brighter side and later realized that his travels had given him firsthand knowledge.
He was particularly interested in beer and his experience turned him into a connoisseur.
He then decided to build his business for him and his family while also giving back to his community. Johnson went back to school and gave himself an education – a prestigious brewing program, first at the Siebel Institute and then at Doerman Academy in Bavaria, Germany. According to Johnson, a brewery can produce great beers and still fall because of bad management.
Sandy Harville, an acquaintance in the brewing community, owned a brew-on-premise facility in Eastpointe. Harville later decided to focus on winemaking. Johnson saw the opportunity and bought the brew-on-premise machine after some training. Across the road from the current location, Barry and Kathy Johnson opened their doors to the public on Enterprise Drive in 2005. They had leased an industrial unit and placed the small 3.5-barrel Brew-on-Premise system. In the beginning, they had a small bar that could fit up to six people, they did not serve food and they opened at irregular intervals.
Two years later, Saugatuck Brewing Company moved to a larger space as they quickly outgrew their small unit. The entire operation was moved and installed into the 25,000 square-foot facility, which was later renovated and is now home to the Lucky Stone Pub, SBC’s beer bar inspired by the traditional pubs in Ireland. It has a small kitchen and they served a line of simple cold sandwiches. The vision for the pub was to create a community gathering place. That’s why the Johnsons decided not to place any televisions, so people can connect. Then, moving a few feet away from the bar, guests can brew their own beer on-premise. They have staff who are professionally trained to assist in choosing the roasted barley, hops, and other ingredients that will make their brew more personal.
SBC did not stop there. Barry Johnson enjoyed his moments when he came to visit a German beerhouse and became inspired. The Johnsons created a traditional German Bier Hall in honor of Barry’s travel.
By 2009, Johnson spent a whopping $1 million in constructing the last part of his dream for Saugatuck Brewing Company. They have opened a new 10, 000 square foot Bier Hall, which is a banquet and entertainment facility that can hold up to 360 people.
Saugatuck is a popular destination for weddings in the summer. Johnson addressed a common problem in the area. There were only a few places available for big receptions, so Johnson took the chance and built his own events place where a large crowd can gather. They planned to have the Bier Hall available for weddings and concerts. SBC has also introduced and launched a line of wines in partnership with Fenn Valley Vineyards and Winery, of Ganges Township. Johnson said that it was logical to provide and sell wine to people who do not drink beer.
Back in 2008, Saugatuck Brewery Co began their production brewing in the back of the building when they purchased and installed a 10-barrel beer production. SBC began to distribute to 11 states along the way, namely Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, Missouri, and Nebraska;
Along with entering distribution in seven foreign countries: United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Trinidad & Tobago, Ukraine, China, and South Korea. After a series of expansions, SBC now uses a state-of-the-art, 45-barrel brew system, which allowed them to greatly increase the production.
In 2019, Saugatuck Brewery Co. merged with Gonzo’s BiggDogg Brewing, a Kalamazoo local brewpub. Earlier they were looking for expansion and thought they were ready to move to a different area. The company was interested in the Kalamazoo area because of the rise of the craft beer industry, they knew it was a smart move. Saugatuck Brewing had waited for a long time to open a new location so when the opportunity arose, they were ready and excited. It was their vision to continue the heritage of making great craft beer and serving it in the Kalamazoo area.
Although the deal is called a merge, Saugatuck Brewing Co took over the management of Gonzo’s BiggDogg Brewing and has adopted Saugatuck branding. Favorites at Gonzo’s such as the popular Vanilla Porter remained as mainstays and continued production, while also adding new Saugatuck-specific brews. Employees were also welcomed to keep their jobs and continue working under Saugatuck Brewing Company. The Pint club membership at Gonzo’s carried over and was still honored even though they were under new management.
Saugatuck Brewing Company is still booming. It is the only licensed microbrewery in Michigan that offers a Brew on Premise program, so anyone curious not only to quench their thirst but also learn about craft beer and its process, this is where to go. Saugatuck Brewing provides all the natural ingredients that will be needed. The recipes are also provided, as well as professional brewing equipment. More importantly, they have trained staff who are experts in the process of brewing craft beer. They will assist and guide all throughout. It would usually take four hours to brew the batch, then you can go back to bottle then sample the beer in 2-3 weeks.
If ever anyone is interested in brewing their own beer, they have to schedule an appointment, and if planning to brew on a weekend, they encourage to book several months in advance because weekends typically book up the fastest.
Saugatuck Brewing Company is constantly whipping up new beer styles and keeping up with the trend, but still making sure that they maintain a consistent year-round profile.