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  • Dustin Jones, left, and his sister, Kirsten Jones, stand outside the Union Street building where they will locate their new brewery Ferment, opening this summer. Record-Eagle/Bill O'Brien

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June 24, 2012

TC native returns to open micro-brewery

By Bill O'Brien bobrien@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Dustin Jones bolted northern Michigan for California after graduating from high school 10 years ago, and joined tens of thousands of Michigan young people who sought greener economic pastures.

He landed in Los Angeles, studied automotive technology and secured a good job. But he wanted to be his own boss and saw an opportunity in his hobby as a home brewer. He moved back to the Midwest, to Chicago, and almost a year ago began to scour his former hometown of Traverse City to set up his own micro-brewery.

This summer, Jones' dream of running his own business is becoming a reality. Jones and his sister, Kirsten, will join several partners to open Ferment, a new micro-brewery at 511 S. Union St. in Old Town. He hopes to cash in on northern Michigan's growing craft beer sector.

"So many people are finding it more accessible to get in to the (micro-brewery) business," Jones said. "I figured it was a good reason to come back home."

Traverse City is gaining a national reputation as a hot spot for craft beer. The trade magazine Draft recently named Traverse City among its top 3 "Emerging Beer Towns" in the U.S., along with St. Louis and Oklahoma City.

"It's part of the foodie movement in Traverse City," said Rob Bacigalupi, deputy director of the city's Downtown Development Authority.

Jones, 28, extensively searched for the right location in an affordable price range and found it a 2,000-square-foot former bookstore just south of Eighth Street. It will have room for about 30 seats in the building and along the sidewalk, and beer-making will go on in the basement. Doors are expected to open next month.

"It's going to be an old-style pub; a rustic gathering place," he said. "I think we're all happy that this is where we're going to be for the next five years."

Ferment will use an electric brewing system with eight different beer taps. It will feature five "flagship" brands and then rotate through other seasonal varieties that feature northern Michigan flavors like strawberries, apricots and cherries. It also will use locally grown hops in its beers.

"We're not looking to get too big," Jones said. "We want to keep it all in-house."

The brewery also will highlight locally prepared food and feature art work from local artists. Kirsten Jones, whose background is in fashion and jewelry design, hopes to sell her clothing and jewelry items.

"We want to keep it as fun as possible," she said.

Bacigalupi said the city benefits from businesses like Ferment that draw a younger generation of entrepreneurs and customers downtown.

"It's always good to see young people moving back here," Bacigalupi said. "And it's good to see new businesses going up that attract young people to Traverse City."

Jones is anxious to get his beer in front of customers to see how they gauge his brewing skills.

"I love feedback. I love criticism," Jones said. "At the end of the day, I'm sort of an artist and beer is my medium."

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