The St. Joseph River flows along the southern border of Flatwater Farms, a 180-acre certified organic hop farm and home to River Saint Joe, Southwest Michigan’s only farmstead brewery. Located in Buchanan near the Indiana border, River Saint Joe “opened” in March, right as Michigan issued its stay-at-home order.
“The timing was horrid,” says Brian Dougherty, River Saint Joe’s chief executive officer.
A setback indeed, but Dougherty and his team were undeterred. They started by offering takeout food and growler fills of beer to go. At the same time, they prepared for the next stage of opening by expanding outdoor seating and adding picnic tables designed so four people can sit six feet apart. The stone patio features outdoor heaters and firepits for cozy cold-weather dining and offers a view of trellised hop plants and an expanse of wild prairie.
The ultimate in grain-to-glass, River Saint Joe is committed to caring for the environment. The sleek building of glass, stone, wood and Corten metal was built with sustainability and energy savings in mind. Solar panels generate 30% of its power. Gleaming stainless-steel fermenters in the dining room bring customers close to the brewing process. A glossy wood kayak dangles from the soaring ceiling, a nod to the river that nourishes the land and to Flatwater Farms owner Fran Tuite, an international championship rower.
“We’re a farmhouse brewery in the old-fashioned way,” says Brandon McClaren, the beer crafter at River Saint Joe. They grow their own hops and use locally grown grains whenever possible.
The biggest seller, the Farmhouse Pale Ale (FPA), is made with Cascade and Chinook hops grown in the hopyard seen from the patio. McClaren sources wheat and rye from Granor Farm, an organic operation in nearby Three Oaks. The wheat is featured in the FPA and the rye is featured in a roasty Chocolate Rye Porter that has notes of coffee and rich, thick molasses.
River Saint Joe chef Carly Bielecki also uses local whenever possible and limits waste in the kitchen. Nearby Verdant Hollow supplies produce, grass-fed lamb and pasture-raised pork. Small-batch coffee comes from Buchanan’s Red Dog Coffee Roasters. Bread is baked at Bit of Swiss in Stevensville. And the rare freshwater salmon caviar is made by Rachel Collins of Flagship Specialty Foods & Fish Market in Lakeside.
Bielecki likes to play with flavors and ingredients, adding layers of texture and taste. The food is sophisticated, yet wholesome and simple. The 14-ounce tomahawk pork chops are seasoned with the farm’s sumac. Her signature appetizer is a mixture of creamy goat cheese, finely minced hops and flowers drizzled with a deep amber-colored honey gathered from hives maintained by Ann Tuite, Fran’s sister.
The menu changes as the year progresses, but some favorites are simply updated with seasonal ingredients.
“Our Orchard Salad is staying on the menu this winter,” says Bielecki, “but we’ll swap cherries for apples and fennel for spinach.”
The beer menu shifts with the season and the times, too. In October, the brewery participated in the international Black is Beautiful beer initiative by releasing a double black FPA. Profits go to Eliminating Racism/Creating Equality, a Southwest Michigan group working to eradicate institutional and systemic racism.
This and other outreach projects bear out the River Saint Joe philosophy: “Through connections to the land and its bounty, we aim to cultivate well-being for our community.”
15475 Walton Rd.
Buchanan, MI
269.409.8015
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