But the big payoff for Dunham is about to begin — Eloi and Sébastien and the team have prepared themselves for an expansion and a launch into the US market via Shelton Brothers. This little brewpub on the brink of never mattering at all has developed a lust-worthy series of beers that the US market is primed to seek out. Saison, farmhouse, Brett, barrel-aged, and soon, more spontaneous fermentation — these are the words that the most progressive segments of the US beer market are made of. Their ability to brew at the highest levels, and build relationships in the fledgling subculture of North American farmhouse ales proved valuable as they wandered the halls of The Fest this past fall in San Pedro, California. The Fest is a Shelton Brothers collaboration with Brouwerij West featuring friends and family of the Shelton Brothers global import portfolio. “We’re going to brew a collaboration with Jester King!” Eloi excitedly told me after we recorded a session for the podcast. “I truly can’t believe it!” Their moment was arriving.

Collaborations are also in the works with 4 Hands Brewing in St. Louis, which will result in a hoppy brett Saison called ''Hugo Saison," and the crew from Mystic Brewing in Massachussets is heading north to brew with Dunham soon.

The expansion is well underway. A new 30bbl brewhouse from BCast in Ohio will enable Dunham to jump from 1,700 barely to 3,000 in the next year, and a cellar of 100 barrels, mostly wine from the Niagara Valley in Ontario, alongside a mix of California wine barrels, bourbon, tequila, rum, and brandy will enable Eloi and the team to explore further into the dark arts of aging. This week he got ahold of some cognac and Armagnac barrels, and promptly brewed a Russian Imperial Stout to store away in them for coffee blending later on. They just purchased 100 barrels of freshly emptied Chianti wines from Castello di Brolio, and plan to top 250 wood barrels by the end of the year.