Coming To Holland, Big Lake Brewing

 The Lakeshore is getting another craft brewery project next year after a trio of West Michigan engineers finish a planned nanobrewery and winery operation in Ottawa County.
Big Lake Brewing LLC in Holland Township is in the very early planning stages, but has secured a lease at 977 Butternut Drive, Suite No. 4, in a commercial plaza near the intersection of Butternut, North 144th Avenue and Riley Street. There, partners Nic Winsemius, Gregory MacKeller and Travis Prueter plan to open a brewery and winery in the next six to nine months. The trio of Ottawa County engineers are starting the business with money saved between them.
 “It was a process of seeing how much we could save, what kind of equipment we could get our hands on and what kind deal we could work out with a landlord,” said Winsemius, an engineer for the Grand Haven Board of Light and Power. “It kind of just all came together for us.”  Winsemius, 28, has been brewing beer at home for about eight years and started brewing on a bi-weekly basis with Prueter several years ago. Prueter, 28, and MacKellar, 31, are both engineers at Gentex Corp., and MacKellar is an amateur vintner.
 Big Lake Brewing will be a microbrewery exclusively selling product made on site. They will start with a 3-barrel brewing system and are still determining the scope of the winemaking component. The location is about 3,000 square feet total.
 Their microbrewer and winemaker license requests won approval from the township in late July and are pending approval by the state. The brewery will not include liquor or food sales and Winsemius said patrons will be encouraged to bring food or have it delivered. The brewery will have a pub feel with some televisions, but much of the interior design and aesthetics are still being determined, said Winsemius.
 Beer styles are still being determined, but the partners will mostly likely begin brewing the type of ales popular in Michigan right now, given the extra investment necessary to brew lagers, although Winsemius said they would like to explore different styles in the future.
 The three engineers plan to keep their day jobs after opening the new venture, which would become the third brewery in the Holland area behind New Holland and Our Brewing Co., which is opening this fall downtown.
“I really like the Holland area and I think its going to be a good market for us,” said Winsemius.
  BEST OF LUCK GENTLEMEN!