Biercamp Artisan Sausage & Jerky is hoping to offer suds with its sausage soon after the Ann Arbor City Council signed off on a micro brewer license for the establishment Monday night.
The council voted 8-0 with three members absent to grant Biercamp's request for a license allowing the small shop at 1643 S. State St. to produce up to 30,000 barrels of beer per year.
"If their beer ends up being as good as their sausage and jerky, I can't wait to try it," remarked Council Member Chuck Warpehoski, D-5th Ward.
Hannah Cheadle and Walt Hansen are co-owners of Biercamp Artisan Sausage & Jerky. They plan to start selling growlers of beer brewed onsite soon.
Janet Miller | For AnnArbor.com
"It sounds like something that everyone will want to check out," added Council Member Jane Lumm, an Independent who represents the 2nd Ward.
With the city's blessing, Biercamp's request for a micro brewer license now goes to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission for final approval.
If approved, Biercamp will join a growing list of microbreweries in Ann Arbor, including Wolverine State Brewing Co., Arbor Brewing Co., Blue Tractor, Grizzly Peak and Jolly Pumpkin.
Biercamp, which opened last year, plans to continue operating as a retail shop selling sausage, jerky, pickled items and more. Co-owners Walt Hansen and Hannah Cheadle plan to brew small batches of beer to pair with their artisan meats and sell in growlers for off-site consumption.
Council Member Sally Hart Petersen, D-2nd Ward, asked what a growler was Monday night. Hieftje was quick to explain that's the common name for a jug used to hold draft beer.
Cheadle said she's not sure the timeline for final approval of the license, but she hopes they'll be able to start brewing beer onsite and sell it for off-site consumption not long after the holidays.
"We want to start with an IPA, I can tell you that," she said, adding customers will be able to bring their growlers back for refills when they're empty.
"We're going to start off super small and see where it goes," she said. "We've been wanting to have this since we opened, so we've been waiting for it, and we're excited about it."
Cheadle added: "Beer makes everyone happy."
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.