USA, MI: Big Pines Brewing opens in Hillsdale

A new craft brewery began its soft opening last week and will expand its selection next week, Hillsdale Collegian reported on September 12.

Big Pines Brewing, located next to Ethan’s Donut Factory at 89 McCollum St. in downtown Hillsdale, opened with a limited selection of drinks on Sept. 6. The brewery will serve three craft beers and a seltzer until the options expand to six taps next week, said owner Kevin Robinson.

“We’re starting with bare bones right now,” Robinson said.

Big Pines is open from 3-8 p.m Thursday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, according to its Facebook page. It is closed Monday through Wednesday. Robinson said he expects to expand hours, add outdoor seating, and install a walk-in cooler with eight to 10 taps by the spring.

“We’re going to wait to build up our Mug Club membership,” Robinson said.

The Mug Club membership would encourage repeat patrons, Robinson said, and give them a say in some changes to the brewery. This would include which taps are kept in the core lineup and even where seating goes.

“Our biggest thing here was to focus around our Mug Club members and to make a very comfortable atmosphere to sit and vibe,” Robinson said.

At other breweries, Robinson said he would watch regular customers move tables to their preferred spot. But staff would move them back when the customers left.

“Why do you move those tables back?” Robinson said.

Before starting Big Pines, Robinson said he spent six years as head brewer at 127 Brewing in Jackson, Michigan. That brewery, and others he visited, inspired parts of his design for Big Pines. The bar has a footboard and the furniture is cushioned.

“Tiny little details, but sometimes I’d say, ‘If we ever did our own, we’d have to change that,’” Robinson said. “A footboard for a bar is really important, and when you’re sitting on a hard chair, it just makes you want to leave.”

A window by the bar allows customers to see Robinson’s brewing setup in the back, which he described as “commercial-grade equipment scaled down to a micro-brewing level.” After going through a boil kettle, mash tun, and a hot liquor tank, the mix ferments in one of four fermentation tanks.

Two early patrons of Big Pines, Jenn and Chris Crist, have judged the craft beer entries at the Hillsdale County Fair for the past five years. Jenn said she is excited for the new brewery.

“It’s new and it’s in town,” Jenn Crist said. “It’s a nice, refreshing addition to our community.”

Chris Crist said his favorite out of the current selection is the Utah Wheat.

“I like that you can get the wheat in the flavor of the beer,” he said. “I like the mouthfeel and the way it finishes. It hits the spot, but they’re all good.”

Jenn Crist had a different favorite.

“Cabin Beer Light is the best,” Jenn Crist said. “It has a good body and a clean finish.”

A local of the area, Robinson said his family roots go back at least three generations in Hillsdale County.

“I imagine even further than that,” Robinson said.

The name of the brewery comes from his childhood home, which was “littered with pine trees.” Robinson named the brewery “Big Pines” in memory of his mother, who died in 2020.

Brewing began as a garage hobby for Robinson. His past hobbies included gardening, snowboarding, airsoft, and a saltwater fish tank. But unlike those, homebrewing stuck.

Big Pines is located in the building that used to house Trevathan’s Sweep and Sew Shoppe, and Robinson has put up a quilt with the new brewery’s logo in honor of the decades-old business.

While Robinson said college students are welcome, he does not expect them to be the most common customers at Big Pines.

“Our goal is to be a craft brewery, not a bar,” he said. “More of a laid-back, relaxing atmosphere.”

Unlike Hillsdale Brewing Company, Big Pines will not serve food, Robinson said.

His message to new customers: Be patient as Big Pines continues its soft opening.

“We’re just a small, one-man band brewery,” Robinson said.

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