by Logan Gruber
operations@thenewsleaders.com
Millstream Shops and Lofts are picking up a “bad habit” come October.
Karen and Aaron Rieland of Avon have been thinking of opening a brewery since 2012 and after finding a space in St. Joseph and receiving a liquor license from the city, they’ve nearly achieved their dream. They are still waiting on their brewer’s notice from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB.
“We submitted the paperwork to the TTB in April, and we found out they are only just now looking at it,” Aaron said.
Despite this, they still plan to open Bad Habit Brewing around October.
When the brewery finally does open, quite a few local touches will be visible. Sunset Manufacturing here in town is supplying some steel for the taproom, particularly as decoration around the edges of both high-top and regular tables. The Barrel Mill in Avon will supply the brewery with something very essential – the barrels in which to age the beers. Some of those barrels will be stored on shelves made from local barn wood in a corner near the front door. In addition, beer glasses will be stored above the taps on shelving made from Douglas-fir wood recovered from an old car dealership in Buffalo.
The taproom itself is the first room patrons will walk into, but they will be able to see directly into the brewery. On the far wall is an overhead door, which will lead onto a patio that has not yet been built.
“I’ve had people ask me, ‘Are you going to offer tours?’ Yeah, it’ll just be, ‘There are the tanks, here are the chairs,'” Aaron said with a laugh.
He was sure to mention people could stop by any time.
“We’re here a lot right now, trying to get ready,” Aaron said. “People will stop and pop their heads in to take a peek and we love it.”
The Rielands want customers to see the entire process as it will be a small-batch brewery, rotating beers often and at customer request.
“We want a community brewery where our customers feel involved in the process and are willing to let us know what they like and dislike,” Aaron said in a previous interview.
They expect to start with four to five rotating varieties of beer along with home-brewed sodas. There will be eight taps total, running straight from the freezer. Two of the taps will be connected to tanks to start with, while the rest will be connected to kegs.
The Rielands encourage customers to bring in outside food from other area restaurants or even order it while drinking if the restaurant will deliver.
Follow the brewery’s progress on its Facebook page by searching for “Bad Habit Brewing Co.” or head to their website at badhabitbeer.com.
Karen Rieland paints the upper wall above where the taps will eventually be, while her husband, Aaron, steps out of the yet-to-be-completed freezer which will store the beer for the taps.
Kyle Evenson of Albany paints the brewery’s signature color, red, on the wall the taps will eventually be on.
Aaron Rieland opens the new overhead door, which will eventually lead out onto the brewery’s deck. Installation of the overhead door also allows larger pieces to be brought in and out of the brewery. Pictured (from left to right) are Rieland and Joe Arlt of Maple Grove.
Karen Rieland shows her husband, Aaron, what she plans to work on the morning of Aug. 15. Pictured (from left to right) are Kyle Evenson of Albany, Aaron and Karen.
This is an artist’s rendition of the taproom, which is planned to hold up to 50 people. The Rielands encourage people to bring outside, local food into the taproom to enjoy with their beer.
This is an artist’s rendition of the eventual brewery, which will be open to the taproom so patrons can see their beer being made.
