There is something about walking into the brewery around 7:00 a.m., all the lights are off, nothing but the steady hum of the boiler, the darkness of the mornings promise, and the sweet smell of yesterdays brew hanging in the air. I'll get in, turn off the alarm, and before even turning on the lights I'll just stand there for a minute or two, just taking in the aromas of the brewery, then I go to work. This is how I start my day, and after all these years I still love it. I consider myself one of the lucky few who look forward going into work every day, a bad day in the brewery is still better than a good day anywhere else in my opinion. In this little morning meditation I also think of the responsibility people place in me to deliver something cool, something to enjoy when they go out and get away from the daily grind. That's a pretty big motivator. So I'm going to go to work tomorrow, I'm going to open the door and leave the lights off for a few minutes. I'm going to think about what I do and why I do it. I'm going to turn on the lights and make some beer.

Be cool,

Jacob

"Cooks are a dime a dozen", some people say and sometimes that is true. I have climbed the ranks to become a chef through various mediums but at the end of the day I am a simple cook at heart and always will be. I have been called everything from a kitchen rat, which I am, to a non-hacker, to an idiot for wanting to take on kitchen life for the duration of my career. I suppose there is some truth to all of that, but I freaking love it!!!!!

This is not about me though, this is about my incredible crew - the Vivant kitchen rats. Working here has many intangible bonuses but one my my favorites, besides the seemingly omnipresent Kludde hangover, is watching my guys in action. We have made somewhat of a reputation for food at the brewery and for that I am grateful and the credit for that should be spread accross our kitchen. Our success does not revolve around Chef Drew, as I am just a name and face. It belongs to the crew and their tireless dedication to something bigger than themselves; I am humbled to work side by side with all of them.

I have watched Brooks rise from a dishwasher to a line cook and become a pivotal part of the team. He went from scrubbing pots to putting out the food that we all care about so much and even handling inventory and portions of our food ordering. I watched Derek start as an overnight porter, who washed walls and cleaned bathrooms, rise to a dishwasher and then onto a prep cook. Tim, definitely our most made fun of guy in the kitchen, did not even make the cut when he first
applied but eventually he was persistent enough to get his foot in the door as a dishwasher. From there, he kept his head down and was elevated to a prep cook and eventually made his way to the line, where he really wanted to be. I have a sous chef, Curtis, who has answered the called and gotten our pricing and numbers in line while still managing to get his hands dirty and cook. I have a head line cook, Chris, who I absolutely admire and appreciate and would have no one
else in that role. By the way congrats on your new baby boy brother... There are so many others that I should mention but the intent is not to write a novel here. To them I say thank you for everything and you mean as much to me as the guys who's names I mentioned and then some.

I think it is amazing that most of our food is prepped out and produced by guys who have barely held a knife prior to Vivant. Our food is hard to produce as we are a from scratch kitchen but they have looked, listened, learned, and eventually executed it in a manner that I gladly attach my name to. I just wanted to take a minute and publicly thank the guys who do so much for me and Brewery Viavnt. You are appreciated and I hope you all stick around for a long time.

Cheers,

Drew

They say that smell is the one human sense that is closest linked to memory, and I believe it to be true. One waft of something familiar, and our bodies are transported back to a time and place long since past. We close our eyes over a lingering perfume, favorite dish, or winter wind and are flooded with thoughts and images.

When I was a young boy my great aunt died of cancer. I wouldn’t say she was particularly closer than any of my other relatives, but before she passed she was able to leave a curious imprint on my life. My father speaks fondly of her, and I always picture her as a wild gypsy-Italian woman in her younger years, part hippy and part disciplinarian. Walking into her home my head would spin with a heady mix of exotic spices and dusty wood, handmade baskets hanging from the ceiling and unknown delicacies bubbling on the stove. Her perpetual dark olive skin and thick black hair, perfume clinging to my face after being enveloped in an embrace.

 In her house on a cabinet filled with dusty nicknacks, sat a needlepoint sachet with a scene of a Native American in a sun-filtered forest. Filled with crushed pine needles, the smell of ancient generations of ancestors seemed to be distilled into this mundane object. Perhaps it’s more apparent this time of year, but now, whenever I catch the scent of evergreens, a kaleidoscope of images spin across my brain. Color, and shape, and sound, all pressed together in the burning sparkler of childhood reminiscence. The strange heirloom now resides somewhere in my father’s home, a piece of americana that still captures my imagination. It’s no wonder, then, why scent is such an incredibly primal instinct. It alerts us of danger, enhances our enjoyment of food and drink, and at the very best gives us a brief glimpse into the fabric of memory.

Cheers,

Rick

Hard to remember that this was all just a dream about a year ago.  I remember walking into the old funeral home Chapel (now pub) for the first time. I saw the whole vision the instant I walked in.  I knew it was going to be the perfect home for Brewery Vivant and pretty much threw all my chips in from that moment forward.  This scene from Ghostbusters pretty much sums it up.    

This coming Tuesday December 20 we are going to celebrate our 1 year anniversary.  To keep with our commitment to our community we are conducting a raffle to benefit the Kids Food Basket.  Bring a jar of peanut butter and you will receive one raffle ticket.  No limit here folks. Load up the wheel barrel at the local store and come on down.  You can win some cool prizes: four packs, hats, shirts, growlers, or get your tab for the night 100% comped.  We are announcing winners and having a celebratory toast at 8:00. You don’t have to be present to win most things but it would be much cooler if you were there. 

The boys in the Brewery brewed up a fantastic Belgian style quadrupel for the anniversary that we have named Hubris.  It clocks in at about 13% abv so be careful with this one.  We will tap it at 3:00 when we open and at 5:00 we tap a barrel aged Triomphe cask for the occasion.  This is our IPA aged in Jack Daniels barrels then primed and carbonated in a cask. 

We want to thank all the people that have supported us, the neighborhood for embracing us, and all the people that have been buying our beer both at the pub and across the State.  This was a pretty big vision with a lot of unknowns.  There were a lot of doubters that did not think a focus on French/ Belgian beer would work.  Or that craft beer in a can would be accepted.  I think we are proving them wrong.  Come on down Tuesday and help us usher in an exciting year two.

Eat. Drink. Be Belgian for the day.

Cheers,

Jason

 Why I do what I do:

-  Food:  I love food.  I love the comforting smell of bacon being rendered that drifts through the brew pub and up to my office as I count the cash drawers in the morning.  The fact that the kitchen crew is constantly trying new ingredients, new recipes,  new dishes here at Vivant excites me and my palate.  I am not a cook.  I rarely even try to pretend to be able to dice vegetables or even brown meat on a stove.  I’m intimidated by cook books, but I love to read them.  The only exception is that I’m a natural with a grill or an open fire.  I guess things just make more sense to me when I’m outside the confines of a kitchen and I don’t have to set down my beer to cook

- Beer:  I love beer.  My dad has always had a kegarator in the garage.   I learned to pour a perfect pint for him and his guests when I was six years old.  I was also taught to respect beer.  I know how and when to enjoy an aromatic oatmeal stout (which we released last week) and I also know when a pitcher of PBR is the only appropriate decision.  I also love wine and spent last year working with a winemaker in Southern Michigan.  I wedged my way into the wine business by spending endless hours on a greasy tractor mowing up and down the endless rows of grape vines.  As the sweaty summer months went on I graduated to leaf pulling, positioning the shoots, and hedging the vines.  It helps to appreciate what you are consuming when you see it from the ground up – literally!

- People:  Ah, the people.  No offense, but you all can get exhausting!  Hahaha.  No really, I love people.  I can embrace the challenges of an occasional angry customer because of the joy I feel when you, our guests, truly appreciate what we are doing.  We wouldn’t be here without our customers, and seeing you enjoy your food and beer makes our work worthwhile.

All in all, my job is not the most glamorous position but it’s real and I love it and it is what I do.  I get to work with a staff who is dedicated to Vivant despite their class schedules, their upcoming weddings, their newborn children and their volunteer projects.   I get to educate people about the style of beer and food that we are so passionate about.  Eating is one of the necessities of life, and I love that my job is to create a memorable experience out of a mundane action.

 “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”  -- Virginia Woolf

Cheers,

Lauron