Battle-tested by the pandemic, Handmap Brewing eager to celebrate four-year anniversary

BATTLE CREEK — Opening a brewery in the midst of a global pandemic is not something Chris McCleary and Jennifer Brown had on their bingo cards.

The co-owners of Handmap Brewing were all set to welcome patrons to their downtown Battle Creek taproom at 15 Carlyle St. on St. Patrick's Day of 2020, with a grand opening scheduled for later that March.

The coronavirus pandemic completely upended those plans.

McCleary and Brown quickly pivoted, installing a canning operation and selling beer through online ordering and curbside pick-up.

"We did that for several weeks just on Saturdays, just one day a week, we’d sell beer and deliver it out the back door here," Brown recalled inside the brewery on Tuesday. "People would line up in their cars and we would bring the beer out."

The brewery officially opened to the public in June 2020, operating at half-capacity under pandemic restrictions. It wasn't until July 2021, with pandemic restrictions in the rearview, that a formal grand opening was held.

"We celebrated our grand opening and first anniversary on the same day, really," Brown laughed. "Looking back on it, those were crazy times for everybody."

Another milestone is on tap for the brewery Saturday as McCleary and Brown invite the community to celebrate Handmap's fourth anniversary in the Cereal City. The "party on the street" will run from 1 to 11 p.m. Saturday, rain or shine, and will feature live music, beer specials, Handmap pizza and Locos Food Truck.

Carlyle Street will be closed to accommodate the festivities, with bands performing across the street from the brewery. People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to enjoy the show. Resurrection Blues Band will take the stage at 2:15 p.m. Saturday, followed by VooDoo Tonic at 5:30 p.m. and JR Clark at 8:30 p.m.

McCleary admits it's tough to take a step back and look at all the brewery has accomplished in four years, but he's very grateful for the community support he and Brown have received.

"It’s great that (the brewery is) where it’s at today, but I think there's really no way that we could have ever known where we were going to get to based off the fact that we never knew where things were going and things still haven’t really returned (to normal since the pandemic)," McCleary said. "Everything’s a gamble and fortunately for us, the things that we’ve done have been well received and people enjoy it."

That includes offering a wide variety of beers, serving up signature and build-your-own pizzas, hosting live music and comedy acts and, beginning last season, becoming a go-to destination for Detroit Lions games.

"It’s hard to see the growth when you’re in it day-to-day," Brown said. "Doing things like the Horrocks tap takeover, having five of our beers on tap there when we used to sit at Horrocks and have beers dreaming of opening a brewery someday (is special). So, it is cool when you can take a minute and take a look back (on what we've done)."

McCleary had actually been brewing for a decade prior to launching Handmap, including a three-year stint as a brewer for Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago. Brown, meanwhile, brought decades of business and financial experience from multiple Chicago companies to the brewery.

"I got to work with a lot of really great people who knew a lot about making beer and were friendly enough to share that with me. That’s really why I took that leap to go there," McCleary said of his time at Goose Island.

Having the opportunity to be part of the "family tree" of former Goose Island brewers that have launched their own breweries is equally special.

"I believe in what I make," McCleary said. "I appreciate the support that we have. I love hearing that (people love our beer at Handmap), but again I also love what I do. It just shows through in the beer."

As they prepare to celebrate four years, Brown and McCleary remain focused on crafting great beers, a welcoming atmosphere, strong entertainment and great pizza at Handmap.

"I think it’s great (to reach this point)," Brown said. "There have been moments where we weren’t sure if we were going to be here at four years, but we’re here, we’ve got a great team with us now at Handmap and things are starting to pick up, things are looking more promising."

Contact reporter Greyson Steele at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Handmap Brewing celebrates four years in downtown Battle Creek