Co-founders Dave Engbers and Mike Stevens first opened the doors to their 9800 square foot brewery in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1997, where their first batches were brewed. Despite hard times and missed rents, the pair persisted and following a change in direction in the early 2000s and a new ‘Brewed for Us’ philosophy, the company began to find its feet, honing complex, powerful ales with no expense spared. Since then, the future has been prosperous and as of 2018, the company was listed by Forbes as the 15th largest brewery in the United States. Despite the success and international acclaim, many of their earlier brews still dominate sales today including the adroitly named ‘Dirty Bastard’.
