In a state that takes craft beer as seriously as Michigan does, rising to the top of the heap requires more than good beer — it requires great beer, a brand identity that feels authentic, and the kind of flagship products that push into national consciousness. Founders Brewing Co. out of Grand Rapids has done all three, and then some.The story starts in 1997 when Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers were brewing beers they actually wanted to drink — bold, uncompromising, unapologetically full-flavored. That philosophy produced All Day IPA, a session IPA that became one of the best-selling craft beers in the country not because it compromised but because it proved that sessionable and flavorful weren’t mutually exclusive. At 4.7% ABV, it has no business being this good.Then there’s Kentucky Breakfast Stout. KBS. Brewed with coffee and chocolate, aged for a year in bourbon barrels, released in small quantities every spring, and immediately sold out everywhere it goes. It’s one of the most decorated imperial stouts in American craft beer history — rich, complex, warming, and patient in a way that rewards careful sipping. If you see it on a shelf, you already know what to do.The Grand Rapids taproom occupies a sprawling former trucking depot and carries a rotating selection of taproom exclusives alongside the full core lineup. It’s loud, it’s energetic, and it feels like the kind of place where serious beer and a good time aren’t at odds.📍 Grand Rapids, Michigan🍺 Don’t miss: KBS, All Day IPA, Breakfast Stout⭐ Known for: barrel-aged stouts, nationally distributed session beers🌐 foundersbrewing.comFounders didn’t get famous by making beer for the mainstream. They got famous by making beer they believed in until the mainstream caught up.
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