Story by: Jordan Agosta
Video by: Jordan Agosta and Nate Pappas
Brewing Beginnings
Beer may seem like somewhat of a necessity for a college town to function, but not a lot of people know what exactly goes into brewing it. For Nate Thering, he made a passion into a full-time job at Hunter’s Ale House.
Thering got his start in brewing after completing Central Michigan University’s fermentation science program and interning at Hunter’s Ale House. After bouncing around to a few different breweries, Thering came back to Hunter’s and became the head brewer in the summer of 2021.
“I just kind of fell in love with it, the more I learned about it. I never loved science but doing all this stuff, something you can apply it to, it was pretty cool,” Thering said.
CMU’s fermentation science program gives students a chance to learn about the brewing process and ends with them doing an internship at either Hunter’s Ale House or Mountain Town Brewing. The program is currently not operating because the professor in charge recently got a job at Atwater Brewing in Detroit.
Beer may seem like somewhat of a necessity for a college town to function, but not a lot of people know what exactly goes into brewing it. For Nate Thering, he made a passion into a full-time job at Hunter’s Ale House.
Thering got his start in brewing after completing Central Michigan University’s fermentation science program and interning at Hunter’s Ale House. After bouncing around to a few different breweries, Thering came back to Hunter’s and became the head brewer in the summer of 2021.
“I just kind of fell in love with it, the more I learned about it. I never loved science but doing all this stuff, something you can apply it to, it was pretty cool,” Thering said.
CMU’s fermentation science program gives students a chance to learn about the brewing process and ends with them doing an internship at either Hunter’s Ale House or Mountain Town Brewing. The program is currently not operating because the professor in charge recently got a job at Atwater Brewing in Detroit.
Thering does not do this alone, though. With him is Rannon Newman, who also got his start brewing through the fermentation science program. The two former CMU students make up the entirety of Hunter’s brewing staff, a tall order for only two people.
Right as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning, Rannon Newman made the tough decision to fly back home from Poland where he was living with his then girlfriend. When he got back and the borders closed, he no longer wished to pursue a career in sociology and decided to get involved in the fermentation science program at CMU. “I didn’t want to commit myself for a few years in case the borders opened back up,” Newman said. “Working here until I move out around March and then getting some money along the way, and I’ll be all set to move back over there.” As for what awaits him back overseas, Newman is in contact with a brewery that he is going to work at once he moves back to Poland to live with his now fiancé. |
A friendly competition
The duo comes in Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and spend their time brewing whatever beer is needed at that time, not everything always goes as planned though. Sometimes they do not have all the supplies that are needed, or a machine could malfunction. The brewers over at Mountain Town Brewing will sometimes lend a helping hand.
“If I’m 20 pounds of grain short of something I can go borrow it from them or if they need to borrow a piece of equipment from me, they’re more than welcome to,” Thering said, “It’s kind of a nice friendly community that we have.”
The duo comes in Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and spend their time brewing whatever beer is needed at that time, not everything always goes as planned though. Sometimes they do not have all the supplies that are needed, or a machine could malfunction. The brewers over at Mountain Town Brewing will sometimes lend a helping hand.
“If I’m 20 pounds of grain short of something I can go borrow it from them or if they need to borrow a piece of equipment from me, they’re more than welcome to,” Thering said, “It’s kind of a nice friendly community that we have.”
A community impact Hunter’s Ale House and Mountain Town Brewing are the only two breweries located in Mount Pleasant. Thering mentioned how the beer and the breweries in a town can really embody what that area is all about. He mentioned places like Grand Rapids where breweries are so common that it becomes a part of the culture. The grain and malt used in brewing at Hunter’s Ale House are from suppliers in Isabella County and the left-over grain is given to a local farmer to feed his livestock. The two breweries do have an impact in the community. They provide programs that are specific for the Mount Pleasant community and create products that can only be found here. Beer is more than just a drink, it’s something that people can bond over and create something that is uniquely them. |