Retailers, restaurants get ready to open with capacity limits

By Judy Reed

Last week, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-110, rescinding her Safer at Home order and moving the entire state to phase four of the MI Safe Start Plan.

The governor’s order will allow retailers to reopen on June 4 and restaurants to reopen on June 8, both subject to capacity limits. 

For local restaurants, it’s been a long haul, and Monday can’t come soon enough, even if it’s half capacity. 

Classic Kelly’s, which has been completely closed, plans to open Monday at half capacity, according to their Facebook post.  “The governor’s order only allows us to open at 50 percent occupancy so please understand if you have a wait,” wrote owner Kevin Marcus. “We ask you for your safety and the safety of all that you follow the CDC guideline and stay home if you are not feeling well. We will also be offering take out if you wish to do the carry out thing. Due to limited availability of some products and cost of others the menu could look a little different until the market level out.”

Red Bird Bistro and Cedar Springs Brewing Company have been doing take out. “Yes, we are aiming to open on Monday,” commented Jody Arp, owner of Red Bird. “We have some work to do first but pretty confident that we will be ready.”

The Cedar Springs Brewing Company is also preparing to open Monday. “As always, our top priority is the safety of our staff and our guests,” said David Ringler, Director of Happiness at CS Brewing. “We’ve been greatly appreciative of the support and understanding we’ve seen from our community and we greatly look forward to welcoming everyone back as we slowly return to normal. Given the restrictions in the Governor’s order, we’re not fully open in terms of back to normal, so we will continue to offer takeout, curbside, and our local delivery service within 7 miles of the Brewery.” 

What will dining look like at the Brewery?

“Beginning on Monday, guests who wish are welcome to enjoy their meal on site along with a beverage while maintaining social distancing,” explained Ringler. “They will be able to order directly from the counter or bar as we will not be offering our normal table service in the beginning to maintain our social spacing and minimize the contact between patrons and staff. We welcome a slow, steady return to normalcy. “We also ask the patience of the public. This has been a very difficult experience for our entire team and we are working hard to do our best while complying with the state’s orders and safe practices for everyone’s safety.”

Other things of note in the governor’s order:

Day camps for children will likewise be permitted to open on June 8. Effective immediately, groups of 100 or less will be allowed gather outdoors with social distancing. Office work that is not capable of being performed remotely can resume. And in-home services, including housecleaning services, can resume operations.

Subject to local regulation, gyms and fitness centers may conduct outdoor classes, practices, training sessions, or games, provided that coaches, spectators, and participants maintain six feet of distance from one another during these activities. Outdoor pools can also reopen, with restricted capacity.

Michiganders must also continue to wear facial coverings when in enclosed public spaces and should continue to take all reasonable precautions to protect themselves, their loved ones, and the community. And they should continue to work from home to the maximum extent possible.

“The data has shown that we are ready to carefully move our state into the next phase of the MI Safe Start Plan, but we owe it to our brave frontline heroes to get this right,” said Governor Whitmer. “While Michiganders are no longer required to stay home, we must all continue to be smart and practice social distancing and encourage those who meet the criteria to get tested for COVID-19. If we all do our part, our goal is to announce a shift to phase five for the entire state prior to the fourth of July. Stay smart, stay safe, and let’s all do our part.”

David Ringler (Cedar Springs Brewing Company) elected VP

(KALAMAZOO, Mich) – The Michigan Brewers Guild recently elected its 2020 Board of Directors at its annual meeting, January 9, at the Kalamazoo Radisson Plaza Hotel. Each board position is a two-year term, elected in alternating years (4, 3).

This year, four people were elected to the Guild board:

David Ringler, Owner of Cedar Springs Brewing Company in Cedar Springs, was elected to his second term and will serve this year as Vice President;

 Peter Manthei, Owner of Beards Brewery in Petoskey, was elected to his first term;

 Edward Stencel, Owner of River Rouge Brewing Co., in Royal Oak, was elected to his first term on the board after being appointed in late 2019 to fill a vacancy;

 Kim Collins, Owner of Guardian Brewing Co., in Saugatuck, was elected to her first term on the board.

Additional board members include:

Isaac Hartman, “Ambassador of Great Beer” from New Holland Brewing Company, continues his sixth term on the board and was named President of the association;

Rick Schmitt, Co-Owner of Stormcloud Brewing in Frankfort, continues his first term and will serve this year as Treasurer;

Aubrey Martinson, Co-Owner of Chelsea Alehouse in Chelsea, continues her first term and will serve as the organization’s secretary.

 The conference was a record-breaker in many ways for the organization, with more than 750 attendees including nearly 130 vendors in the Allied Member Trade Show. The Guild also reported 267-member breweries at the close of 2019, up from 256 at the end of 2018.

The Michigan Brewers Guild is the network of innovative and passionate brewers that serves as the recognized advocate for the Michigan craft beer industry. The mission of the Guild is to promote and protect the Michigan craft beer industry with an overarching goal to help craft beer acquire 20% of the market by 2025.

Michigan’s thriving brewing industry contributes more than 14,000 full-time jobs, $662 million in labor income / wages with a total economic impact of over $2 billion. In terms of overall number of breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks #4 in the nation – thus supporting its claim as “The Great Beer State.”

Brewery announces draft distribution of their Küsterer Bier brand beers

Cedar Springs Brewing Company is proud to announce a new partnership with West Side Beer Distributing. The brewery’s historical and traditional Küsterer Bier brand lagers and ales are now available on tap at bars and restaurants in Kent County.

“We are very excited to partner with Cedar Springs Brewing Company and help grow the Küsterer brands’ distribution throughout the Kent County market,” said West Side Beer Distributing Key Account Manager Kyle Klopcic.

West Side Beer Distributing is a beer wholesaler based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The company provides Anheuser Busch products as well as over 40 craft and import beer brands to customers in the Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo and Romulus areas. 

In June, the distributor began providing Cedar Springs brews on draft at its retailers within Kent County. 

“We are fortunate to have some outstanding wholesalers available within our home market, but we felt West Side was the best fit for us and will allow us to service our retail customers more efficiently,” said David Ringler, director of happiness at Cedar Springs Brewing Company. 

Cedar Springs Brewing Company’s Küsterer Bier line is named for Christoph Kusterer, a German immigrant who arrived in West Michigan around 1844. One of the earliest brewers in Grand Rapids, Kusterer helped establish a brewing legacy that lasted over a century.

Cedar Springs Brewing Company pays homage to that legacy with their eponymous brand. The beers in the Küsterer Bier brand are brewed following German and Bavarian traditions and include a variety of Weissbiers (Hefeweizens), Pilsner, Märzen, Bocks, Dunkels and other lagers. Find them on draft throughout Kent County now. 

The Post traveled to Bavaria this spring with the Cedar Springs Brewing Company Tour of Bavaria to sample some German beer, eat some great food, and see some amazing sights. According to Director of Happiness David Ringler, they had 26 guests join them on a guided tour of history, beer culture, and dining. The photo was taken in Bamberg, Germany, in the state of Bavaria.

Thanks David for taking the Post with you on your Bavarian adventure. 

Are you going on vacation? Take the Post with you and snap some photos. Then send them to us with some info to news@cedarspringspost.com or mail them to Post travels, PO Box 370, Cedar Springs, MI 49319. We will be looking for yours!

According to an article published this week at MiBiz.com, Ada-based Sietsema Cider LLC,  will be opening a second tasting room at 70 N. Main Street, in the old Car Quest building, across the street from Cedar Springs Brewing Company.

They have reportedly leased 1,350 square feet of space in the building, and will apply for a microbrewery and distillery license so they can offer an array of alcoholic beverages. The tasting room will offer 12 taps to start, and seating for 25-35 people. They will also have a small kitchen for appetizers.

They hope to open before the start of summer after securing all permits. 

The article reported that David Ringler, owner of Cedar Springs Brewing Company, has encouraged owner Andy Sietsema to open the new business here.

The company started five years ago as a production-only alcoholic cider producer with the tasting room during the harvest season. No changes are planned for the current tasting room in Ada.

To read the entire article, go to https://mibiz.com/item/25819-sietsema-cider-to-open-satellite-tasting-room-in-cedar-springs.

The awards are the latest in a string of international competitions to recognize the brewery

A local brewery in Cedar Springs is being recognized internationally for its German-style beer.

The World Beer Awards announced August 10 that Cedar Springs Brewing Company took three “Best in the U.S.” titles in the international competition.

The awards were for their Küsterer Original Weissbier, named “Best Bavarian Hefeweiss” in the U.S.; Küsterer Salzburger Märzen, named «Best Seasonal German Pale» in the U.S.; and Küsterer Weizenbock, named “Best Strong Wheat Beer” in the U.S.

The contest is the third international competition the two-year-old brewery has entered and placed in.

“It is our goal to create a world-class destination here in Cedar Springs, Michigan,” said the brewery’s Director of Happiness David Ringler, “and we are thrilled to once again have been recognized for the quality of our Bavarian and German style beers by an international judging organization.”

The World Beer Awards are a global competition selecting the “very best in all internationally recognized styles.” Judges from around the world tasted 1,900 entries from 36 countries.

“Very few Americans have had the chance to truly experience some of these styles if they haven’t traveled to Europe,” Ringler said. “That’s why it’s our goal to create true-to-style Bavarian brews here in the U.S.”

The recent awards are heartening for Cedar Springs, as evidence of their success.

“We want to do justice to these styles,” Ringler said, “and we’ve been fortunate to beat some of the breweries that are viewed as the gold standards.”

“It’s amazing to be included in that conversation,” he said.

The brewery is located at the corner of N. Main and W. Maple Street in Cedar Springs.

Two beers from Cedar Springs Brewing Company won gold medals at the 2017 Los Angeles International Beer Competition, held the last week in April, in Los Angeles, California.

Küsterer Heller Weissbier was the recipient of the Gold medal in the “South German Style Hefeweizen” category, and Küsterer Weizenbock was the recipient of the Gold medal in the “South German Style Wheat Ale” category.

The beer competition drew entries from as far Croatia, Vietnam, Quebec and British Columbia. Entries were received from 29 US states, including Michigan, California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Wisconsin, New York, Arkansas, Oregon, Idaho, Washington DC and Hawaii.

Entries were up 30 percent from last year, not surprisingly, according to competition organizers, with the craft beer industry booming. Beers submitted into 95 divisions. Many styles and price ranges were represented. Beers were tasted over four days by a 100-member panel comprised of BJCP certified judges, brew masters and beer industry officials.

This year, judges handed out 88 Gold medals, 89 Silver and 81 Bronze, as well as 35 honorable mentions.

But these aren’t the first beers from CS Brewing to win awards. Last year, their Küsterer Original Weissbier was awarded the Bronze Medal at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival in the German-Style Wheat Ale category.

“We are humbled and overjoyed to have won with several of our Bavarian-style wheat beers against outstanding international competition, including the world-famous Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen,” stated owner David Ringler. “We are passionate about this style, along with Bavarian brewing traditions, and we continue to create a brewing destination in Cedar Springs as a small part of Beer City, USA.”

Cedar Springs brewing staff includes: Benevolent Overlord of Brewing, Matt Peterson; Fräulein Brewster, Manda Geiger; Director of Happiness, David Ringler; and Kellertyp, Sam Waite.

A complete list of winners can be found at www.labeercomp.com.

The Ricker family, L to R: Preston, Brian, Brison, and Kim Ricker.

By Judy Reed

Cedar Springs Brewing Company was the place to be Monday evening, as the community came out to show its support for brothers Brison and Preston Ricker, who are both battling cancer, and their parents, Brian and Kim.

CS Brewing donated 10 percent of sales proceeds and had a donation box set up for extra donations for the family. With sales and donations combined, they raised $3,300 for the Ricker family’s medical fund.

Cedar Springs Brewing Company was packed Monday evening as people flooded in to support the Ricker family in a fundraiser. Photo from CS Brewing Facebook page.

“The place was packed and everyone was very patient as our crew worked their tails off to serve as many people as possible,” said owner David Ringler, in a Facebook post. “Thank you to our wonderful community for your generous support!”

Kim was also thankful. “We feel incredibly blessed to live in such an amazing community with so many caring and kind people,” she said. “We are grateful to Cedar Springs Brewing Company for holding the event, all the employees who worked so hard, and everyone who showed up to support our family and make it such a successful night!”

Brison was diagnosed a year ago with an inoperable brain tumor – DIPG. Conventional treatment did not work, and doctors here had nothing left they could do. The Rickers then sought alternative treatment at the Burzynski Clinic in Texas. His treatments cost $17,000 per week, but the tumor has shrunk, and the medication is working. “Brison is continuing to push hard with physical therapy and getting stronger and more mobile everyday,” remarked Kim.

Then, as the Post reported back at the end of December, Brison’s brother, Preston, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He recently had surgery to remove his thyroid and several lymph nodes on each side of his neck. “Preston is doing well and will do radioactive iodine in three weeks or so,” said Kim.

It’s been a big blow to a family that has already had to endure more than their share of trials. But their faith in God and support of the community is what carries them through. (Also see the WM Pursuit story on page 10 to see how the wrestling community has recently raised funds for the Ricker family.)

If you would like to help this family, you can donate through their gofundme page at https://www.gofundme.com/rickerstrong and follow the Team Rickerstrong page on Facebook for fundraising updates.

Cedar Springs brewing staff includes (from L to R): Director of Happiness, David Ringler; Benevolent Overlord of Brewing, Matt Peterson; and Fräulein Brewster, Manda Geiger.

It’s been a banner year for the Cedar Springs Brewing Company, the restaurant and brewery that opened in November 2015 and continues to win accolades from loyal customers and critics alike. In May, customers voted it the best brewery in West Michigan. In June/July, customers nominated them for their fried chicken and MLive visited and named them as one of the best (#11 out of 52) in their search for Michigan’s best fried chicken, calling it absolutely delicious.

In May, they came in at number five out of MLive’s top 10 new breweries in Michigan. Customers nominated their favorite new breweries all across the state (from 2012 til now), and then MLive reporters Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez visited 30 finalists before making their decision on the top 10. When writing about Cedar Springs Brewing Company, they talked about how owner David Ringler learned to brew in Germany, and how his love for their country, traditions and traditional beers is infectious. They called his German beers excellent examples of classic styles, and called the Cedar Springs beer, CSIPA, a subtle, clean, quality beer. “The beers have nothing to hide behind, and don’t need to,” they wrote. “Their taste speaks volumes.”

In October, the brewery’s Küsterer Original Weissbier was the recipient of the bronze medal in the “South German Wheat Ale” category at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival, held in Denver, Colorado.

“We are immensely proud to have brought home this award to Cedar Springs and Beer City, USA in our first competition,” stated owner David Ringler. “We are passionate about this style, along with Bavarian brewing traditions, and we continue to strive to get better every day. We thank everyone who has supported us along the way as this wouldn’t be possible without them.”

post photo by J. Reed

New businesses, non-profits bring revitalization and growth to Cedar Springs

BY JUDY REED

The Cedar Springs area received a shot in the arm this year with several new businesses moving in, and even more growth is on the horizon, thanks to the partnership efforts of the Community Building Development Team with the Cedar Springs Library and Cedar Springs City Council.

The big success story of the year is the Cedar Springs Brewing Company, which finally opened its doors at 95 N. Main, in mid-November. It was the culmination of a 25-year-dream for David Ringler, a.k.a “Director of Happiness” at the brewery, and it’s the first time in recent history that a new building has been built on Main Street in the heart of downtown Cedar Springs.

The brewery/restaurant features a variety of craft beers, focusing on German styles, along with a full food menu (which includes German dishes), wine and their homemade Cedar Creek Sodas, which are non-alcoholic beverages.

Since their opening, the brewery is jam-packed every night and it’s amazing to see so many vehicles in downtown Cedar Springs.

“We’ve had a wonderful reception from the community and been very pleased to welcome many people from outside our community who’ve come to visit, often multiple times,” remarked Ringler. “Some of this is to be expected, given that we’re new and over the holiday season, but we’re hopeful that we’ve made a positive impression and people will continue to visit.”

In the beginning it was difficult to keep up with the demand for beer, but people came anyway.

“We’ve remained very busy, which is a blessing,” said Ringler. “As we’ve progressed over the past six weeks, we’ve been able to adjust our inventories to keep up on beer production, which means we’ll be able to fill growlers soon.”

Ringler talked about some things customers can expect in the coming year. “Our beers will rotate and expand regularly, and our food menu will see the addition of daily specials and be updated at least 3-4 times over the course of the year. We will begin hosting live music regularly and we also have a number of events planned throughout the year (with details coming soon).”

He said they will also begin hosting “Community Giveback Nights,” beginning January 11, where they will be giving back 10 percent of food sales to the Cedar Springs Band Boosters on that evening. Other organizations will follow.

He said they will also begin growler sales, and canning their product for sale in the marketplace, so we will be able to find their beers in stores, bars and other restaurants.

“Our spirits line will also be launched, beginning with Wodka and White Lightning products,” added Ringler. “We will also add additional season sodas and soft drinks to our lineup.”

One of the big things will be the outdoor Biergarten, which will open in the spring, and add 70 to 80 seats.

Ringler is grateful to the community for how they’ve embraced the brewery. “Thank you. We’ve been humbled by the warm reception, encouraged by the enthusiasm, and we’re working hard to earn your continued support,” he said.

The brewery is one of several businesses to come to Cedar Springs this year. The brewery bought the Liquor Hut building, which they then leased to Cold Break Brewing, a home supply brewing company; Family Farm and Home bought the old Family Fare building; and Advance Auto built a new building on the site of the old Family Fare gas station. Since Advance Auto had bought Car Quest previously, they took in all the employees from the Car Quest shop on Main Street.

Another company coming to Cedar Springs is Display Pack, who bought the Wolverine World Wide warehouse at 660 West Street. Wolverine’s lease is up in 2017, and Display Pack is slowly taking over the building as Wolverine vacates the premises. Display Pack, employs 225 people, and up to 275 people seasonally. Since many of their employees live in Grand Rapids and those who walk won’t make the commute, they may hire as many as 60-80 people from this area.

Another group who is revitalizing Cedar Springs is the Community Building Development Team, through their partnership with the Cedar Springs Library and the City of Cedar Springs. Over two dozen organizations and businesses in Cedar Springs, along with dozens of individuals, have been working together for the past three years to develop eight acres of land, within the City limits, into “The Heart of Cedar Springs.” This place can be called our own “Town Square,” where the local citizens and visitors can enjoy a new library building, a community building, a recreation center, and an amphitheater, all placed among beautiful rain gardens and sculptures along a board walk on the banks of Cedar Creek.

Donations of land and cash, as well as pledges, as of November 2015, total over $2,555,000. The overall project is expected to cost approximately $10,000,000.  The plan is to raise funds for each individual project and to break ground for each facility when funds are adequate. Donations may be designated.

The Cedar Springs Library building is scheduled to be built first, breaking ground early next spring. A Capital Campaign Committee was appointed by the CBDT and they are in the process of writing grant proposals to large corporations and foundations to raise the funds needed to complete these projects.

Checks can be written to the Cedar Springs Public Library and either sent to Box 280 or dropped off at the Library. They can also be written to the Community Building Development Team and sent to the treasurer of the CBDT, Betty Truesdale, 141 S Main Street, Cedar Springs, MI 49319.

Ribbon cutting and first pour for the public will be Friday, November 13 at 1 p.m.

David Ringler, owner of Cedar Springs Brewing Company, is seeing his dream come to life.

By Judy Reed

A lot of people have anxiously awaited the opening of the Cedar Springs Brewing Company, at 95 North Main. But probably no one has been more anxious than owner David Ringler, who is fulfilling a life-long dream.

“The biggest part for me was making the leap in the first place, from a good job, to doing what I really want to do,” explained Ringler.

Ringler lived in Germany for four years where he apprenticed with local brewmasters. After leaving Germany, Ringler continued his brewing education at the renowned Seibel Institute of Brewing Science in Chicago. In 2013, Ringler began the formal process in Cedar Springs and received all permits and approvals to proceed. “This project is the result of a near 25-year dream,” said Ringler.

He has brought his love for all things German into the Cedar Springs Brewing Company.  Flags from Germany line the interior, and a large collection of beer glasses line the walls. Ringler noted that he probably has one of the largest collections around, about 250. Approximately 50-55 are displayed, with some being his, and others from friends.

Beautiful hand-painted wooden panels of German scenes line the walls of another dining room, and Ringler said they came from the Schnitzelbank restaurant in Grand Rapids, an old German restaurant founded in 1934, that has since been torn down. “We procured them and restored them,” he said of the panels.

The dining room seats about 150, at both German-style public tables and American-style booths. “In Germany it’s traditional for people to sit together with people they may not know. We want to encourage conversation, for people to meet friends old and new,” explained Ringler.

The Stammtisch table, for members, highlights a large collection of coasters from some of Ringler’s and his friends’ favorite German breweries around the country and the world.

The brewery/restaurant will feature a variety of craft beers, focusing on German styles along with a full food menu (which includes German dishes), in-house made spirits, wine and non-alcoholic beverages.

To begin, they will feature several beers, including two Cedar Springs brand beers, which will only be one-time offerings: a Blood, Sweat and Tears pale ale, and Yinzer Roundabout IPA, which is a collaboration with a brewery out of Pittsburgh.

The brewery’s beer brand will be Küsterer, which pays tribute to the first German brewer in West Michigan in 1844. Those beers will include a Bohemian Pilsner, which is the German style of beer that eventually morphed into American beer. They will also feature a Heller Weiss Bier, a Bavarian-style wheat beer. It was the royal beer of Bavaria, for 300 years, said Ringler. Their current brand will be a more modern, lighter version. They will also have a Michigan pale ale, with all Michigan ingredients.

Other beverages include a Cedar Cider—Apfelwein—which is gluten free; and two wines, a red blend and a white blend. Non-alcoholic drinks include nine flavors of their homemade Old Cedar Creek Sodas.

The brewery is a 15-barrel brewhouse, and because it’s the first run, they won’t have as much as beer in the beginning as they will on future runs. Ringler said that depending on how it goes, they may have to close a couple of days a week to keep up. “I just hope the public understands that we are making it as fast as we can,” he said.

They have had a soft opening this week with private openings for friends and family, and Stammtisch Club members. The ribbon cutting and first pour for the public will be Friday, November 13 at 1 p.m., and they will be open for business immediately after.

The outdoor biergarten, which will add another 70-80 seats, will be completed in the spring.

The brewery will also have live music beginning November 21, with Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys, a rockabilly band.

Cedar Springs Brewing Company held an open house on Red Flannel Day, to give residents a sneak peek inside. They served their homemade sodas and brats. They are still waiting, however, to finally get the go ahead to finally open.

“It was wonderful to see so many people turn out for our sneak peek open house,” said owner David Ringler. “We hope you enjoyed everything you saw, and please know there is more to come. We are still several weeks from opening as we await our permanent occupancy permit, Michigan Department of Agriculture approval and our final MLCC inspection.”

If you want to be informed, you can sign up for their emails on their website at www.csbrew.com. They are also taking orders for their Stammtisch Club at www.csbrew.com/stammtisch. Ringler said that members would be the first people invited in when the time comes.