Chris Gibbons has been an attorney for more than two decades. When he has been contemplating about his retirement, he gets interested in the idea to do something that is completely different from his law profession.
Being passionate about brewing and beer for years, he decides that building his own brewing company is the way to go. And thus, Brass Ring Brewing in Alger Heights, Grand Rapids is born.
Grand Rapids is already the city of beer, so why set up another brewery there? Well, Brass Ring Brewing is not your typical brewery. It focuses on small-batch fresh beer and the community.
Chris Gibbons and his co-owners, who are also lawyers, have decided to settle with the Alger Heights community. They have argued that the people of Alger Heights have been through a lot and are resilient. These people, they have said, are worthy of having a community-oriented brewery in their midst.
The people did get the brewery they deserved when Brass Ring Brewing opened its doors on January 11, 2018.
Brass Ring Brewing celebrates the making of true craft beer. Their products are made of four main ingredients: water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. They don’t use chemicals and preservatives, so their products can also be called all-natural.
Chris Gibbons and the rest of the crew take this very seriously. In fact, they even have four paintings in the walls of Brass Ring Brewing to represent the four main ingredients of their true craft beer. They call these paintings the muses.
Brass Ring Brewing’s beers are also made in-house, ensuring the authenticity of the products. The brewery’s product line has started out with seven beers, and now they have a continuously growing menu of ales, porters, and stouts.
Brass Ring Brewing also has a thriving menu of appetizers, snacks, and even main dishes. Customers can enjoy buffalo wings, burgers, pretzels, and steaks. They can also enjoy soups and salads. Surely, customers have a lot of options for beers and foods in this Grand Rapids brewery.
But Brass Ring Brewing has not become one of the hottest Grand Rapids brewery just because of their menu. As mentioned earlier, Chris Gibbons and his co-owners really want to establish a community-oriented brewery. They want workers to get into their brewery after a long day, enjoy themselves, and go home with lifted spirits.
And they have not failed. Brass Ring Brewing has a growing reputation of being a community-oriented brewery. Some of the biggest contributors of this success are the events held in the brewery.
There are Stein Nights, where customers can go to the brewery with a stein and get it filled for just 5 dollars. There are also DND Nights, where customers can play Dungeons and Dragons, with all needed materials provided for them. And Open Mic Nights should not be overlooked. All customers need in open mic nights are a mic, a guitar, and a close friend to have the night of their lives.
All these events are scheduled in advance, so there is no confusion. Brass Ring Brewing also has a website and a social media page, so customers can be updated on the latest events and schedules. The brewery also has a seating capacity of a hundred, with some provisions to cater to an additional of forty people. Surely, they will not have space problems for such events.
But it’s not always sunshine for Chris Gibbons and his co-owners. Like any other business, there are challenges in running Brass Ring Brewing. This is especially evident recently because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Gibbons and the others are forced to comply with government orders and create their own social distancing protocols. Brass Ring Brewing is only operating at half capacity because the tables are spread further from each other and therefore cater to fewer customers. Menus, tables, and common surfaces are also sanitized between use. Touchless menus are also being offered to customers for their own safety and convenience.
The employees of Brass Ring Brewing are also subject to certain protocols. For instance, they are required to sanitize themselves and get regular temperature checks.
Perhaps the biggest protocol in place is the fact that potential customers are required to call for a booking. They don’t allow walk-ins.
But never underestimate people’s desire to belong in a community. Brass Ring Brewing being a community-oriented brewery has really had the time to shine during the COVID-19 pandemic. The customers have insisted to keep the tradition of open mic nights.
This April, the brewery hosted their first virtual open mic night. And it’s uphill from there. Brass Ring Brewing unveiled a new beer a few weeks later. They called it the Neighborly IPA.
The name was a way for the owners to show their gratitude to the people of Alger Heights, Grand Rapids. The government released an executive order indicating that businesses could no longer keep customers in a room. The people of Alger Heights stormed the brewery and ordered takeouts and deliveries. It was a way for the people to show Brass Ring Brewing that a community lockdown will not stop them from supporting their favorite brewery.
Gibbons and his co-owners promised that 20% of sales from the Neighborly IPA would be donated to Kids Food Basket. Indeed, Brass Ring Brewing proved itself to be a community-oriented brewery. It was true not just in sales, but also on how they gave back to their community.
Gibbons may not have imagined the business to grow and be appreciated this way. When he was talking with his friends and co-workers, he merely stated to retire doing something outside his profession. He wanted it to be his final prize, his “brass ring.”
The brass ring is a symbol of prize, success, and hardship. Brass Ring Brewing really deserves its name. It is the prize and success that has resulted from the hardships of not just Gibbons and his co-owners, but also of the people of Alger Heights, Grand Rapids.
Brass Ring Brewing is located at 2404 Eastern Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan.