One of the most important lessons I believe I have learned over the past several years of attending beer festivals is this: While checking out the bigger breweries is fun (Founders, New Holland, ect.), don’t overlook the others. Case in point: The Livery. At the 2008 Michigan Summer Beer Festival, the group I was with had one consensus: The beers served by The Livery were amazing and their Tripple Weizenbock was our unanimous favorite!

The Livery’s co-owner and brewer, Steve Berthel is one of the most creative and incredible brewers you will ever meet! His beers are always stellar and never “me too.”

Today, I had the privilege of being a recipient to the hospitality of Steve and was able to spend some time watching him brew. The brewery is modest in its appearance. No ‘high tech’ gadgetry, just the necessities to brew wonderful beers. Most of the equipment has been cobbled together from equipment purchased somewhere else and modified by Steve to suit his needs.

During my visit, Steve was working on a batch of his McGilligan’s IPA. He can brew 10 barrels at a time, yet the brewery will serve 20 barrels a month of this IPA, so Steve has to brew this recipe at least twice a month to keep up with the demand. This beer is brewed with German and Belgian malts and dry-hopped with Cascades. I also had the privilege of sampling their other IPA, named 555 with a nice dose of Mt. Hood hops. This beer has an amazing balance.

Inside his cold room you’ll find a wall of 11-barrel fermentation tanks, but it’s around the corner from these tanks where an amazing surprise is kept. Steve has several barrels aging some of his special creations. Many breweries make their standard beers and will age them in a bourbon barrel. While these are usually great beers, Steve has elected to walk a less-traveled path. He’ll brew a beer specifically with the thought of which barrel it will spend the next several months (or in some cases, years) in. These barrels once housed different bourbons and Merlots, but some once were home to Founder’s Kentucky Breakfast Stout. I also saw some stainless steel fermenters that are currently housing a couple different Hard Ciders and one fermenter is hosting a Perry.