Keweenaw Brewing Company
| Company name flanked by a drawing of hops above and the brewery's location below Keweenaw Brewing Company logo | |
| Industry | Brewery |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founders | Paul Boissevain and Richard Grey |
| Headquarters | |
| Website | www |
The Keweenaw Brewing Company (KBC) is a craft brewery operating a taproom in Houghton, Michigan along with a production site located in nearby South Range, Michigan. Taking its name from the Keweenaw Peninsula, it stands as the largest brewing operation in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as of 2021, distributing its beers throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and both peninsulas of Michigan. Its signature brew is the Widow Maker Black Ale.
History
Established in 2004 by former Denver oil industry colleagues Paul Boissevain and Richard Grey, KBC became the second contemporary microbrewery in the Upper Peninsula following Hereford & Hops Steakhouse and Brewpub. This launch marked a revival of local brewing after a more than 30-year hiatus since Houghton’s last brewery closed in 1973.
Situated on Shelden Street in downtown Houghton, the brewery expanded rapidly—from producing 400 barrels in its inaugural year to 2,000 barrels within three years—while simultaneously enlarging its facilities and enhancing customer experiences. In 2007, KBC purchased a warehouse in South Range to boost production capabilities and began packaging beer in cans, positioning itself among the early adopters of canned craft beer across the United States.
By 2013, all employees working in the taproom were students from nearby Michigan Technological University, underscoring KBC’s contribution to developing local talent. The brewery marked its milestone 1,000th canned batch in 2018 and secured a distribution agreement with Comerica Park, home stadium of the Detroit Tigers. During the COVID-19 crisis, KBC was awarded $15,000 through the Pure Michigan Small Business Relief Initiative.
In 2024, coinciding with its twentieth anniversary, co-founder Boissevain retired and transferred his ownership share to Grey, who incorporated his son and son-in-law into the company’s leadership team to maintain continuity and support strategic expansion.
Production
Keweenaw’s beer sales within Michigan reached 9,801 barrels in 2016, growing to 10,469 barrels in 2017 and 11,349 barrels by 2018. This trajectory placed it as the ninth-largest brewery statewide and the leading craft brewer in the Upper Peninsula. Production stabilized after 2018, with output around 11,800 barrels in 2021 and 11,353 barrels recorded in 2023. By that year, Blackrocks Brewery had overtaken Keweenaw as the Upper Peninsula’s largest craft brewery.
Location
As of 2019, Keweenaw’s brewpub in Houghton featured an interior space spanning approximately 3,400 square feet with two bars and a fireplace. The outdoor deck offers views of the Keweenaw Waterway that separates Houghton from Hancock and Copper Island. Following demolition of a neighboring parking garage, this deck underwent renovation in 2023.
Recognition and beer
In 2015, U.S. News & World Report named Keweenaw among the Midwest’s top breweries. Founders of regional craft breweries such as Blackrocks credit Keweenaw’s early achievements for paving the path for subsequent brewing ventures.
By 2019, Widow Maker Black Ale remained Keweenaw’s best-selling beer; its name references a historic single-person drill used during local copper mining operations. The brewery began canning this flagship ale in 2009. Other principal brews include Pick Axe Blonde and Red Jacket Amber, which have contributed significantly to their strong position in the market.