USA, MI: Lexington Brewing Company to reopen under new ownership and new name

Lexington Brewing Company and Wine House in downtown Lexington is going to see some changes with new owners, including a name change, the Port Huron Times Herald reported.

Kristi Nichols-Shopbell and her husband, Nate, owners of 3 North Vines winery in Croswell, and Rochester area resident Ryan Mulrenin plan to reopen the brewery as 3 North Lexington at 5475 Main St.

Kristi Nichols-Shopbell said she’s excited to take over from the previous owners and “pick up the torch of what they built.”

“We’re getting it ready and that’s exciting,” she said.

On May 20, Lexington Brewing Company and Wine House announced on social media it had sold the building to new owners. Its wines can still be found at the Windjammer Bar & Grill and Michigan By The Bottle in Auburn Hills.

Nichols-Shopbell said they bought the building and equipment May 3. The couple still plan to operate 3 North Vines, their “baby” they opened in 2015 and Mulrenin will be the site manager for the downtown Lexington location.

The winery has done well the past few years and it has outgrown the Croswell space, with the need for more room for production and customers.

The downtown Lexington location meets that need with about 2,000 square feet of production space and another 2,000 square feet for customers, she said.

And with the two locations, they will be able to showcase completely different experiences.

“I think it gives us a lot of flexibility,” she said.

In Croswell, customers will be submerged with the vineyard and “out in nature.” It’s a little more relaxed and chill with charcuterie boards, snacks and bread baskets, Nichols-Shopbell said.

The downtown location will be a little different, with a medium-sized menu, gourmet grilled cheese, salads with greens locally sourced and a more sit-down experience. They will also serve beer at the Lexington location, but not at the Croswell location. Both will serve wine and hard ciders.

It’s a really cool building, old brick walls, hardwood floors, and they wanted to build on that, give it an “urban, industrial feel on the inside,” she said.

The vibe will be a little different from what people have experienced there in the past. The new owners repainted everything, put in a couple windows and plan to reverse the entrance from the front to the back of the building to allow for more space, Nichols-Shopbell said.

The owners originally expected to open in July. They are waiting to get final license approval from the state before moving products and starting production. The hope is to see movement in the next couple weeks.

Mulrenin, who is also involved with Fieldstone Winery & Hard Cider Co. in Rochester, said it’s exciting to be in a new town with a lot of potential. They’ve put a lot of work into the place and now he’s just ready to get back to the "making" part of the business.

“It feels like there’s an end coming,” he said. “It’ll be nice one we’re done and once we’re brewing again.”

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