USA, MI: Copper Hop Brewing Co. ready to try its hand in St. Clair Shores

Another new microbrewery is ready to try its hand in St. Clair Shores, where several brewers have opened in the last few years, the Crain’s Detroit Business reported on November 25.

Copper Hop Brewing Co. is expected to open on Greater Mack Avenue just south of Nine Mile Road sometime before Christmas, said co-owner Ryan Balicki.

He and business partners Jeremy Lewis and Shaun Koltuniak began brewing beer for the location this past weekend and are overseeing the final touches on a $250,000 build-out of the 4,800-square-foot space. They launched a Kickstarter campaign in September and raised $43,500 from thirsty supporters.

Once open, the microbrewery will operate a five-barrel system capable of spitting out 75,000 beers yearly. The 80-seat inside will be outfitted with reclaimed Canadian barnwood and copper. Garage doors will open to an outdoor patio when weather permits.

There will be no kitchen. Food can be brought in from elsewhere or purchased at on-site food trucks, but Copper Hop's sole focus is the beer. The business has obtained its microbrewers license and other permits. Its exact opening date depends on when the beer is ready, and Balicki said he's taking a lot of care to get it right.

"We're beer drinkers," Balicki said. "You can't serve bad beer. At the end of the day, if you finish a batch of beer and try it and say, 'This doesn't taste right,' you can't put it on tap and serve it to people."

Copper Hop will likely open with eight beers and two hard ciders on tap and aims to expand to 14 total taps. Pints will start at $6. Styles to be sold include pale ale, IPA, German-style Hefeweizen and cream ale.

Balicki said the back of the house is packed with about $100,000 worth of brewing equipment, most of which was purchased from Baffin Brewing Co., which opened a mile away in 2015 and recently updated its brew operation.

The new brewery joins Baffin and Jamex Brewing Co., which opened nearby in 2017. Also landing in the area is a second location for longtime microbrewer Dragonmead. The medieval-themed brewery will take up residence on the Nautical Mile in a building most recently occupied by Shipwreck Brewing Co., which failed to set sail after business partners opened it in 2017. Dragonmead had been targeting November to open and is now eying sometime next month, according to the company.

Copper Hop is opening in a vacant building once home to a vitamin shop in the same strip mall as the Shores Theatre. The theater, which dates back nearly a century and has been closed since 2006, is poised for new life after being purchased by the owner of neighborhood staple Butter Run Saloon. A restaurant and music venue are now being planned there, The Detroit News reported.

Balicki said the local microbrewers have been "so supportive" as the new business owners navigated startup obstacles. The business partners have been friends for many years, and in 2016 decided to get serious about their ambition.

"We finally stopped just talking about it," Balicki said.

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