ANN ARBOR, MI - A love of beer brought Andrew Collins and Jay Howe together after Ann Arbor Brewer Guild meetings to discuss their dream of one day starting their own brewery.

The dream is becoming a reality, as Collins and Howe look to open Pileated Brewing at 2290 Industrial Highway in early June with flagship beers such as the Rainbow Warrior IPA and the Wrangling Dharma American pale ale.

"There's such a huge gap from commercial to homebrewer," Collins said. "We're so small we can adapt pretty quickly. The good thing about being small is the flexibility."

The two met through the brewer's guild and found they shared quite a few things in common: they are both teachers, with Collins teaching chemistry at Huron High School and Howe an art instructor at Pioneer High School; both love beer and sport red hair.

The red hair sparked the idea for the brewery's name and logo bearing a pileated woodpecker with a bright-red crest atop its head. Birds are a common theme found in the beer labels and names for the brewery.

While both men have a hand in making beer at home, Collins had previously brewed for about 10 years on a larger-scale for McMenamins Pubs and Breweries in Oregon before returning to Michigan.

A few months ago, a shiny five-barrel system was delivered to their production facility on Ann Arbor's south side, about two miles from Michigan Stadium. Collins described it as the right size and layout, with room for a small taproom area and some flexibility in adapting the space in the future.

"There were a lot of things about this location that worked," Howe said.

There were multiple factors that went into the decision to start small: the overall cost of equipment, the size of their building and the importance of being in control of a product they both could be proud of.

Another key factor is that some of the best beers they had tasted were from small breweries, Collins said, where brewers heavily involved from watching the product and ensuring the proper steps were taken throughout the process.

Their system does not allow for lagers, but Collins and Howe hope to expand and try their hand at that process in the future. Until then, their focus is on making the best beers with what is available to them.

"We're doing it all," said Howe.

The two are learning how to handle a brewery versus a home-brew operation, including how to bottle their beers, and often post photos on the Pileated Brewing Facebook page of their journey to opening.

What a great day for our first brew! It shouldn't be very long before we all can enjoy our Wrangling Dharma Pale Ale. Posted by Pileated Brewing Company on Saturday, April 8, 2017

Pileated Brewing falls under the self-distribution law, which limits production to under 1,000 barrels. That equals about 2,000 kegs, which Howe and Collins will dispense in the small taproom at the front of the brewery space or pour into 22-ounce bottles for distribution.

There are no specific agreements on where Pileated Brewing beers may end up, but Collins said there are spots in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti that are interested.

They are aiming to have about 10 flagship styles, including some Belgian ales, porters and stouts. At least five will be on draft in the taproom, which includes tables and chairs for patrons to try the brews along with beers that can be purchased to-go.

"Once we get some beers sold, we want to buy some barrels," Collins said.

The barrels would first be used for bourbon-aged styles and then sour styles.

Both men are currently juggling school schedules with their beer production, which Collins said will ramp up once summer break starts.

Work at the brewing facility over the last year has prompted some curiosity among its neighbors. Collins recalled one man who walked in and started asking them about Pileated Brewing, and discovered his background in chemistry.

"He said, 'So you're 'Breaking Good,'" Collins said with a laugh, referencing the hit AMC television show Breaking Bad that focuses on a chemistry teacher's descent into the drug world.

The facility needs to go through one more state inspection, Howe said, and some more production before the taproom is open. Both are hopeful they will have about four beer styles for the public to taste in early June.

As for Collins and Howe, their end goal is for Pileated Brewing to gain recognition amidst the booming craft industry in Michigan and perhaps pay for college tuition for their children.

Ultimately, they want their place to be a reminder of what craft beer is and should be.

"We are concerned about the beer being made here," Howe said.

"Craft is really starting to push the limit of what craft is," Collins added, comparing it to home-cooked meals versus going to a restaurant. "We don't want to be a big, multimillion dollar beer company. Quality is our primary concern."