Their commitment to a fresh, quality product comes through clearly in the beer. It's delicious, and the town couldn't agree more, judging by the sterling reputation they've achieved in a just few short years in the community.

When I asked about his inspiration for the beer, his answer was as easy to swallow the as their flagship IPA, Train Hopper. "We're going for the bolder side of balanced", he mused. "I'm certainly a craft beer nerd when it comes down to it, but I wanted to make sure all our beers were approachable." Fun Fact here: Their brown ale is named of their springer spaniel, Edward.

Not to say they don't get funky on some seriously unique liquid, evidenced by The Bear Witch Project, a mouth-puckering, smoky Lichtenhainer (a collaboration brew with local brewery Grizzly Peak) and Doedish; an aromatic, punchy double IPA on draft.

The conversation turned to the evolution of the craft beer consumer. As locally brewed beer becomes the new standard, the new consumer comes to the brewery already aware of what makes a beer "craft", along with a palate for tasty brew that has never been seen before in the country.

"What we’re seeing is the younger, just 21 crowd coming in already having beer knowledge" he said, "I think that shows how long this is going to continue to grow. It's a clear indication of a whole new market opening up. It’s going to pave the way for the next 10-15 years, driving a new localism movement. We don’t have to sit there and do the "welcome to craft beer" pitch anymore, and the best part is that each month there’s more and more coming."

This has, in essence, created the perfect environment for start-up breweries all over Michigan. High demand, a young and educated consumer base, and an intrinsic urge to support local.

And local they will stay. When I asked about growth in the coming years, he was optimistic, yet grounded, in his reponse. "80% of our business is out of our taproom. We are about 1500 barrel a year brewery right now. We definitely have long term plans of distributing more, but our taproom will always be our major focus. It’s tough to be creative when you don’t have a taproom. I can put 22 beers on now to see what works."

Michigan is, definitively, a fun place to be. The pioneering spirit of great beer, from the national brands we already love to the local watering holes finding their place in the community, is strong and growing. It only makes sense that people like Ryan and Erin are finding success in such a place.