January 27, by Justin Guerra 1 Comment. I looked out at the U shaped bar, resting below a vibrant stained glass window. The irony made me smile. With any other business, reclaiming a funeral home could be considered a taboo. Our conversation shifted to Wallonia, a region in southern French speaking Belgium where the countryside birthed beers from farmhouses and abbeys. As Ward spoke passionately about the influence of Belgian beer I gazed around the taproom. With its low hanging chandeliers, rows of pew-like tables, stained glass windows and criss-crossed wooden beams it was easy to imagine myself in an old Belgian abbey rather than a Michigan funeral home turned brewery.
Brewery Vivant takes the traditional influences of southern Beligian beer and pours into it pure passion and ingenuity. Kicking it off with the Farm Hand , this farmhouse style ale has the perfect blend of body and sweetness, cloudy in appearance its subtle tartness pays excellent homage to its French and Belgian origins.
A Belgian-American style red ale combines Citra hops with caramel malt to create a deep red beer with exceptionally bold flavor. On the darker end of the spectrum lies Tower of Sour. A heavy stout with just the right amount of fruity sweetness and barrel aged tartness to make your lips pucker.
Well balanced and light bodied it was slightly sour but held the perfect bite of bourbon as I finished. Placing a pub menu down in front of me, Ward went off to tend to his warden duties while I checked out the food options. Duck confit nachos, roasted bone marrow, a plethora of artisanal cheeses, goat pot pie, and poutine all graced the menu. It was obvious that Brewery Vivant took as much pride in their cuisine as they do in their beer. Ward soon explained that he even brought his girlfriend, Katy Waltz into the fold.
A five star pastry chef Katy brings her expertise to Brewery Vivant, cooking up sweet and savory deserts that add the perfect finish to an already well rounded menu. Want to reserve some drinks? Browse through thousands of new Local, well-known and not-so-well-known products. Select your favorites, and we will keep them for you. Your email address will not be published. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page.
