That quirky little microbrewery along The Makers Trail known simply as Cultivate Brewing which had been working to cultivate a regular clientele has suspended operations and the question for fans everywhere will be, is this just temporary or is it over?
The craft brew house posted a brief message on its Facebook page shortly after noon today saying they are closed to the public for the time being. Here’s that message, verbatim:
We apologize in advance for any inconvenience, but starting 5/10/17, Cultivate will not be open to the public while some internal transitions occur. We appreciate your patience, and will post updates for scheduling and further information as it becomes available. Thank you!
That same message is the only thing you see when you go to the brewery’s website as well.
Attempts to reach owner & operator Nick Kuhn have failed thus far, and the brewery’s phone number has been disconnected as well.
The small craft brewer, which billed itself as a “farm to pint” operation actually growing hops and winter barley on the land adjacent to their taproom, had been open since July of 2015 and had gained a stable of fans who enjoyed the brews being offered there.
They loved being out in the heart of the Makers Trail and I remember Kuhn telling me when he was first opening up shop that when you’re at a wine tasting room, you can look out into the vineyard and see the grapes that make the wine, so he thought, “Let’s do that with craft beer,” growing key ingredients right outside the brew house.
Another notable difference for Cultivate was the fact that their brew-master was a brew-mistress…Hannah Lee was a rarity with most brewers being men.
The fate of Cultivate hangs in the air, but at least the messaging leaves open the potential for a resolution to whatever issues they face and hopes for a return. The taproom and brewery are located at 961 E. Shawnee Road in Berrien Springs.
Reaction was swift to the word this afternoon on Facebook. Here’s a sampling of comments:
- Hope all is well with you guys. Will def visit when you open back up!!!
- Prayers all is well with you and look forward to your reopening!
- I really hope you guys reopen…I just got a mug club membership for last Xmas!
- Grrr! I hope all goes well in your transition period. Honestly, it’s the nicest Brewery atmosphere around.
- Hope all is well. Honestly we were concerned during our last visit that the wine buses were overwhelming the place and sort of screwing up the atmosphere.
- Our family loves Cultivate Brewing Company!!! I really hope that this closure is a very short one.
- Loved spending summer evenings on the front porch there.
