Is it really possible to be a master of two things without compromising the quality of the other one? You know what they say about a jack of all trades, most of the time they are really master of none. New Holland Brewery and Microdistillery proves this line wrong. The process of brewing and distilling can look similar. In some ways, they might be similar, but are totally different from each other. New Holland Brewery and Microdistillery has a strong reputation when it comes to both of the craft, making them a jack of both trades, but master of it all.
A brewery and microdistillery has a few things in common, they are both booze, that’s one. Both industries are booming and are showing significant growth over the years as people discover why craft beer and craft alcohol are better compared to those variants which are mass-produced by big companies. It is time consuming to learn how to brew beer, the same goes for distilling alcohol. The amount of time to study and research about each craft, we then add the experimentation stage to test your theories, see what works for you, and all those whatnots. The final stage is the most difficult part, you cannot claim to be an expert if you have just started. Your expertise will be defined by your experience in the field. You have to repeat the process all over again to be a master of the craft.
We have seen breweries and distilleries around Michigan, but we do rarely see a brewery and a distillery. New Holland Brewery and Microdistillery produces quality beer and quality spirits. Owners Jason Spaulding and Brett VanderKamp founder New Holland Brewing Company in 1996. The first batch that was produced was in June of 1997. The two have known each other since they were little. Brett VanderKamp and Jason Spaulding both grew up in Midland, Michigan, went to the same school in high school and both attended Hope College. Jason graduated from Grand Valley State University in 1995 with a degree in Health Sciences, major in Microbiology. Brett on the other hand graduated from Hope College with a degree in Geology in 1994. During their college years, the two were brewing beers at the comfort of their homes.
The passion for handcrafted beer fueled their business, New Holland Brewing Company. To the owners, the art of making beer seemed to be lost. This made them dream of doing something that was not done since before prohibition, which is to brew handcrafted beer that would be unique to West Michigan. They wanted to reintroduce people to beer, the way it should be done- from the selection of ingredients down to the packaging of the bottle, and in every step of the way, it should be personally looked after, more importantly, made from scratch.
The two had their hearts set and dropped everything they were doing to focus on building their dream, Brett quit his job in Colorado while Jason stopped pursuing graduate school.
The planning and organizing took 2 years of work, where both Jason and Brett worked fulltime. The focus one the first few years was beer: providing great quality beers that are now being sold across the country. In 2005, they began exploring craft distilling of spirits. They distill at two locations in Holland, one is in their production facility which can be found on the north side and New Holla Brewing Company’s own Pub and Restaurant which is in downtown Holland.
When it comes to beer, they have a few classifications like Year Round, Seasonal, Brewer’s Best, and The Journey Series. One of New Holland’s Flagship brew is Dragon’s Milk, a bourbon barrel aged stout, a drink known to many around the country. It has a roasty malt character combined with deep vanilla tones, dancing in an oak bath. Another variation of the flagship brew is Dragon’s Milk White, only this time it’s a white stout and lower ABV of 6.0%, also available year-round. A few more are Dragon’s Milk Stroopwafel, with caramel, cinnamon, coffee beans and vanilla which would be about to be released in June 2020. Dragon’s Milk Reserve 2020- 2 has marshmallow and dark chocolate flavors, which will also be released at the same time as the Dragon’s Milk Reserve. Dragon Milk became a hit across the country, it now has a website dedicated to New Holland’s flagship beer. Added to the list is Dragon Milk 2020-1 is a rum barrel aged stout with chocolate, hazelnut and toasted coconut and has a 12.5% ABV. Lastly, Dragon’s Milk: Triple Mash, double dragon is triple mashed Dragon’s milk, aged in New Holland Artisan Spirit oak barrels.
Did we ever mention that New Holland’s labels on the beer are just truly beautiful? The illustration and design to the choices of color is just so well-thought-out, so on point. From how the name of the beer is displayed to all the tiny little details, so good.
In the fall of 2016, New Holland Brewery and Microdistillery opened a new 40,000 square foot facility that will be home to their brewpub, distillery and restaurant in Michigan’s West Side, Grand Rapids. It sits in the corner of Bridge Street and Broadway Avenue. Its Knickerbocker location has a casual local pub feel. New Holland’s Beers and Spirits are great, but so is their food. They offer incredible mouthwatering comfort food, you can ask their staff which beer would go with your order.
And in 2019, New Holland expanded and has reached Saugatuck. Located in the heart of Saugatuck, at 201 Culver Street. This addition though is quite different as the tasting room focuses on spirits.
New Holland Brewery and Microdistilery is continuously growing as they announced that they will be expanding their distribution by adding California as the 23rd state that they have reached. They partnered with California’s Wine Warehouse as their representative for the distribution of their whiskey products. New Holland Brewery has also reached Oklahoma, the 24th state that the brewery has reached for the distribution of their products