Michiganâs first gluten-free brewery to open in Grand Rapids
Courtesy Brewery Nyx
Grand Rapids has no shortage of beer for enthusiasts, but for those with a gluten allergy, it can feel like wandering through a desert with nothing to drink. Michiganâs first dedicated gluten-free brewery and facility intends to change that.
With a portfolio spanning from IPAs to lagers to barrel-aged stouts, Brewery Nyx will bring those who love beer but canât enjoy it back into the fold.
Founder Jessica Stricklen learned to love beer in Grand Rapids. She spent years honing her palate on local favorites, but after a period of feeling ill, she quickly realized she and gluten did not agree. A life without craft beer was tough for her at first, but she has figured out ways to adapt after going more than a decade gluten-free.
“I’ve seen it go for twice of what the auction price went for,” said Liquor Max co-owner Hal Rogers. “Most of the price is driven by scarcity. It’s supply and demand. It’s an old, reputable distiller, and we get it in maybe once a year. On the shelf it would go for $600 or $700.”
Maybe part of that high-dollar figure is the price of bragging rights, Rogers said. “A lot of people collect these things. And if they give it as a gift, it might create a bigger bond, and they’d get a bigger thank you.”
The Tourvilles planned to drink it, however. “It’s aged well, with a better aroma and a deeper taste. It’s a sipping bourbon,” said Randy Tourville, adding that they’d try not to think about the price of each sip.
Grand Rapids Business Journal
Courtesy Brewery Vivant
To celebrate Brewery Vivant’s 10th anniversary on Sunday, the brewery released a pub-only beer on draft and in cans on Thursday called J’aison.
The beer has never been made commercially but was the first recipe co-owner Jason Spaulding worked on while defining the styles of beer the brewery would become known for.
“Our vision for Vivant has always been to make beers that take inspiration from traditional European styles but with the addition of American ingenuity,” Spaulding said. “This petite saison is brewed with orange peel and Tellicherry black peppercorns it’s quite drinkable at 5.4% ABV and has the sweet aroma of oranges with a bit of a kick from the peppercorns.”