Ep. 13 Brett VanderKamp - New Holland Brewing
Stop & Taste Conversations - New Holland Brewing
Release Date: 06/05/2016
Stop & Taste Conversations - New Holland Brewing
I met Carl a year ago at the China Craft Beer Conference. Carl’s passionate and direct approach to life, business and brewing stood out and fueled my curiosity. I was really grateful that we were invited to be part of the 2017 Beijing Invitational Craft Beer Festival. Besides the festival, Carl hooked us up with historical tours of Beijing and welcomed me to three unique Great Leap Breweries. This conversation happened with in view of the Great Wall of China, on a patio up in the hills, while the first kettle-soured brew of his Great Leap Fermentation project quietly came...
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In episode Thirty Five, my guest is Dave Kwiatkowski from the Sugar House in Detroit, Michigan. Dave and I sat own over glasses of whiskey in Corktown and talked about his adventure in classic cocktails, small business and community building. Dave’s a natural and encouraging champion for Detroit, Drinks and drinks IN Detroit. The Music: “Wealthy Street” on intro and outro, © and courtesy of Drew Nelson Guest Bio After graduating from the Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan with a BBA in 2000, Kwiatkowski moved to Chicago where he traded equity...
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In episode thirty four, my guests are New Holland teammates, Jon Boer and Ryan Cioffi. THey’re heading up the beer and spirits making at our new brewpub and distillery, The Knickerbocker in Grand Rapids. We’ll hear how they came into a life in beverage and what to look forward to drinking on Bridge street and beyond. The Details The Drinks: Blue Haven Fitzgerald and Debits and Credits Centennial Pale Ale The Music: “Wealthy Street” on intro and outro, © and courtesy of Drew Nelson Jon Boer - New Holland Brewing: Head Pub Brewer: Jon is a Holland native, married to...
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I’m pretty sure I met Fred in 1993 during my first Great Taste of the Midwest, which would be a formative experience. It was a few years into the beer business, but roughly two before I’d join the ranks of Midwest breweries. He has been a magnanimous brewery wrangler that cares deeply about connecting people to experience. He and his team have kept their festival special throughout decades of change. I think I speak for everyone in the Midwest brewing community when I say that we all look at “the Great Taste” as the grand daddy of the Midwest beer fest, and the...
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Some of you may know a little or a lot about the world of beer wholesalers, or maybe nothing at all. I’ve been calling on Rave Associates, a beer and wine wholesaler in Ann Arbor since 1995, when the current owner, Jim Warbritton. was a sales rep, and we’d cruise around to accounts together, selling all the beer we could get our hands on. Jimmy and his executive VP, Rick Lack - the self-proclaimed “King’s of Michigan Beer” joined me to trade some stories, just before we headed into their trade show in Novi, Michigan to meet and greet the retailers of Southeast...
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Ginger and I met years ago over beer and chocolate. She was in Michigan to present at the MBG and MBAA Winter Conference and took an extra day or so to hang on the farm. Ginger is a tireless advocate for equity in marketing, and has made a name for herself by establishing her own consulting businesses, Women Enjoying Beer. and The Fifty Percent. We talk shop including beer, gender, service and training. Here’s Ginger from the secret lair at Red Horse Ranch. The Drinks: New Holland's Mischievous II Sour Ale & Pilgrim's Dole Wheatwine 2014...
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Talking beer, music, collaboration and creativity with a talented panel of musicians and beer enthusiasts, featuring Kyle Hollingsworth of the String Cheese incident and Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Grammy winning Peter Madcat Ruth of Madcat Midnight Blues Journey and The Change, Mike Shimmin from Joshua Davis Trio and others, and Nicholas Barron from The Strapping Owls. We talk shop, taste beers and even play a little music. The Music: “Wealthy Street” on intro and outro, © and courtesy of Drew Nelson Live music performed and improvised by our esteemed panel. - String Cheese...
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Drinking pints at the market with Richard is a quintessential British experience. We got to talk about his history, the UK beer market and all sorts of other stuff. Next time, we’ll need to get his business partner Mike to join us, as the two of them together is even better. Here we are from The Rake at Borough Market in August of 2016. The Drinks: The Music: “Wealthy Street” on intro and outro, © and courtesy of Drew Nelson Guest Bio: Richard Dinwoodie has been in the beer industry for almost thirty years. He has been a champion for a diverse marketplace,...
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Chris and I go waaaay back to when I first started going to the Great American Beer Festival, aka the GABF. I believe my first GABF was 1995, when Chris was just getting the project now known as The Falling Rock going, so we’ve covered some ground, not only in Denver, but Madison, Chicago, Philly - Chris gets around and is a huge part of our craft beer family. He’s a warm soul with a kind heart and I respect him a great deal. We had a great time hanging out at Big Beers in Breckenridge The Details The Drinks: Barrel Knickerbocker Old Fashioned, Zeppelin Bend Reserve...
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I got to know Mark a little bit at the Brewers Association’s beer dinner at The Salon with Chef Nicholas Balfe and Adam Dulye. We got to chatting and decided in short order that more beers and conversation were in order. We met at what we thought would be a quiet beer garden in his neighborhood, but as the London Craft Beer Festival let out a few blocks away, a post-fest party gathered around us, sharing our picnic table, beers and lively conversation well after the Mics were off. The Details The Drinks: Cloudwater DIPA v6 & v7, Five Points Pale Ale The...
info_outlineEp. 13 - Brett VanderKamp, New Holland Brewing Company
Episode 13 - The Details
I met Brett sometime in 1997, while New Holland was just coming into existence. We were both active members of the Michigan Brewers Guild, and later spent time on the board of directors together. We’ve bonded over the idea that a company can be the ultimate art project, with limitless opportunities for creativity and ingenuity to shape team vision and values. Brett is passionate and driven, and the originator of Dragon’s Milk! We got a chance to sit down over a couple of drinks in Puerto Rico, where we were celebrating 10 year New Holland Anniversaries. I hope you enjoy this Hatter Day Edition, which is celebrating the breweries 19th Anniversary!
The Drinks: Mojito - DonQ Anejo, Beer Barrel Bourbon
The Music: “Underground Giver” © and courtesy of Seth Bernard, Why Would You Not Want to Go to There, courtesy of and © Hoots & Hellmouth
Guest Bio:
Brett VanderKamp; Holland, Michigan seemed like an unlikely place to create some of the most innovative beer and spirits in America. But Brett believed that his hometown and the brewing industry were due for shakeups.He was 24 years old when he started New Holland Brewing Company in 1997 in an abandoned factory with his best friend and $10,000. He has spearheaded the company’s growth and innovation since its inception.
Brett has become a leader not only in his industry but in the community as well, serving on various boards including the Holland Chamber of Commerce and its Public Policy Committee. He has been chairman of Jubilee Ministries, a faith- based nonprofit working to revitalize Holland’s most troubled neighborhoods. He is a founding member and past president of the Michigan Brewers Guild (MBG), a trade organization for over 200 small Michigan brewers. Brett also acted as chairman of the MBG Government Affairs Committee. In 2011, Brett was honored as one of Grand Rapids Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty” business leaders, heralding his dedication to innovation and community. In 2015, he was honored as Michigan West Coast Chamber’s Small Business Person of the Year.
Brett’s entrepreneurial spirit and artistic sensibilities are at the very heart of New Holland. As the original visionary, Brett imagined the path that New Holland pursued to become what they are today. He serves as President, overseeing the corporate and leadership teams, and continuing to forge their path into the future. Brett has two sons, Brayden and Quinn, with his wife Pam. They live in Holland, MI and enjoy family vacations, outdoor sports and Michigan summers.