East Channel Brewing Company is #5 on this map.
East Channel Brewing Company – Munising
Address: 209 Maple St., Munising, MI 49862
Phone: 906-387-3007
www.facebook.com/EastChannelBrew
The East Channel Brewing Company Building in Munising.
East Channel Brewing Company – Munising
Text by Jon C. Stott.
Along the first twelve miles of the winding County Road 58 from Grand Marais to Munising are two or three scenic pull-offs offering striking views of Lake Superior. One of the most interesting is at Hurricane River Campground, where a mile-and-a-half, pedestrian-only dirt road bordering the shore line leads to the historic Au Sable Light Station. Along the way are signs pointing toward the sandy beach indicating the locations of the remains of boats wrecked over a century ago. Close to Munising, a road leads off to Miners Castle, a scenic overlook of the Pictured Rocks. Coming into the town of just over 2,000 people, County road 58 passes one of the mills that has provided the major source of income for a large number of the residents. While the mill still operates, tourism has also become an extremely important “industry” for the area. Two new craft breweries play not insignificant roles in that industry.
East Channel Brewing, which is named after the stretch of water between the eastern shore of Grand Island and the mainland, began serving its beer in 2016. It is situated just over three blocks from the departure point for the Pictured Rocks boat cruises in a small building that has housed a horse stable, a sign shop, a glass factory, and, most recently, district social services offices. On the lower floor of the taproom on a shelf overlooking the bar is a life-size carving of Itchee, the seagull mascot who is pictured on all of the can labels. Refinished floors and wall paneling give the place the dark and comfortable look of a “snug,” an English pub where locals could enjoy a pint at the end of the day. Behind the taproom stands the 3.5 barrel brewhouse. The upper story is much brighter, as full windows look out onto the street and let in cheery sunshine. Pew-like benches along the walls and a table piled with board games enhance the English pub feel. The cozy atmosphere is what co-owners Joe DesJardins and Ted Majewski intended. “We wanted something for locals who were looking for a quiet place to unwind, relax and have a quiet conversation,” Joe told me when I first visited East Channel in the late spring of 2017. “This is about craft beer and it’s for the people who enjoy it. We welcome tourists, but we are here for the locals.”
DesJardins and Majewski had met when Ted began dating Joe’s sister. Joe, a home brewer, convinced Ted that the hobby could be very interesting. The two had different tastes in beer. Although both were fans of Bell’s Brewery of Kalamazoo, Joe’s favorite was Two Hearted Ale, a big, hoppy beer; Ted’s, the rich, malty Best Brown. When they opened East Channel in 2016, their beer list reflected this diversity. “We wanted to give people a range of colors, a range from light to full-bodied, and a range from lower to higher alcohol,” Joe, who handles most of the brewing, explained.
When they opened, they installed a small canning machine behind the bar. It was capable filling two cans a minute and was intended as a service for in-house patrons who wanted to take some of the beers they enjoyed back to their homes, motels, or campsites. After a year or two, they installed a new one capable of filling eight cans a minute, so that they could supply six packs to local grocery and party stores. Now, Joe told me, they had purchased one that could fill thirty to fifty cans a minute. It would be part of a planned twenty-barrel facility that would produce enough beer for them to distribute across the Upper Peninsula.
Tourists are still very welcome at the East Channel tap room. “But we’re still very much here for the locals. They have become very knowledgeable about the various craft brew styles and are often making suggestions to us.” Joe said that the brewery is part of two communities: the community in which they live and the community of craft brewers. “Four years after we opened, ByGeorge started up just a couple of blocks away. We work together as brewers and we often sponsor community events together.”
Joe described the house style as beers that are approachable. “We have the familiar range of craft beers and we try to avoid making any of them too bitter.” One that was at the high end of bitterness and strength, at 7.6 percent ABV and 90 IBUs is Old Tru IPA, named after DesJardin’s great-great-grandfather, a Munising pioneer who grew hops. The label declares that it’s “an IPA like the man … simple and honest.” Based on one of Joe’s homebrew recipes, it is hop-forward, with the mix of Amarillo, Mosaic, Falconer’s Flight, Citra, Warrior, and Simcoe hops supplying fruity, piney, citrusy, and herbal flavors, along with a bracing bitterness. At the other end of the spectrum is Paradise Waitin’ Blueberry Lager (ABV 4 percent), East Channel’s take on the Upper Peninsula’s most popular style. “It’s like a pilsner,” DesJardins said. “There are pils malts, honey malts, and flaked rice to give it a gentle malt backbone, Saaz hops provide a crisp, clean spiciness, and a hint of blueberry.
Hobo Nectar Lager (ABV 4.6 percent) is the brewery’s crossover beer. Light-bodied, it has a spicy hoppiness, a gentle malt background, and crisp finish. Island’s Grand as Always Blood Orange Hefeweizen (ABV 5 percent) is about summer in two ways: the name of the beer comes from Joe’s father’s saying about warm afternoons finishing around nearby Grand Island, and the light-bodied hefeweizen infused with blood orange puree is a fine summer afternoon thirst-quencher. The pilsner malts give it a light body and the red wheat malt the distinctive taste of a favorite German style. Lake Street Stout (ABV 5.7 percent) is East Channel’s way of saying, “Don’t be afraid of the Dark.” An oatmeal stout, it doesn’t have the overly roasty flavors of many stouts, and finishes clean and crisp. “It’s very light-bodied for a stout,” DesJardins explained.