Brews Traveler: Brews Traveling Down Memory Lane with Brian Donovan

During my days in the craft brewing industry, there were a few friends with whom I’ve shared a some years of career overlap. One of those friends is Brian Donovan.

Brian and I spent our early days together at the Harpoon Brewery and then in the 90s worked at a turnkey brewery systems supplier company called JVNW, Inc. At JVNW, we designed and built many craft breweries and brewpubs throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, and Asia.

Brian and I recently got together to talk at the Harpoon Brewery and started to compare notes on the various breweries we worked on together back in the 90’s. Our list totaled over 20, but there is one brewery that really stands out: The Big Buck Brewery and Steakhouse in Gaylord, MI.

The first Big Buck Brewery and Steakhouse in Gaylord, MI is about a 5-hour drive north of Detroit, just off I-75. It’s a natural stopping point for folks on their way Up North – as they say in Michigan. For folks who have not been to that part of the world, go! It’s worth the trip, especially mid-summer when the days are warm and the sun doesn’t set until after 10:00 PM. In addition to great steaks and beers, The Big Buck Brewery and Steakhouse also makes hand-crafted wines and distilled spirits. All good!

At Big Buck, they still brew some of the original beers. Among my favorites is Doc's Extra Special Bitter, which was named in honor of a local doctor and one of the original company investors who passed away not long after Big Buck started operations.

Big Buck JVNW Brewery
Gaylord, MI

During their expansion period in the mid-90’s, The “Big Buckers” ownership went on to build and operate 2 additional breweries in MI: Auburn Hills and Grand Rapids. The Auburn Hills brewery was a favorite of mine: my wife Mary is from the Detroit area and the outdoor silo in the shape of a giant bottle of Big Buck Beer is a local landmark. I often heard the beer bottle referred to on the I-75 traffic reports whenever I was driving in the area.

Auburn Hills, MI

One of my favorite stories from The Big Buck Brewery is that it is the Auburn Hills location is where Brian met his wife Lori. It’s also where brewer Eric Briggeman got his start. Eric is currently President of the MI Brewers Guild and Head Brewer at the Rochester Mills Beer Company in Rochester Hills, MI. Eric is a really creative brewer, and Rochester Mills is worth a visit…I am way overdue myself.

Grapevine, TX

The Big Buck ownership and management team was ambitious and planned to affiliate their business with Bass Pro Shops across the country. Construction of a brewery began in Grapevine, TX before they had to scale back. The Grapevine, TX brewery is still in operation, but under ownership called Uncle Buck's Brewery and Steakhouse I haven’t been there, but I intend visit next time I am in the Dallas area.

Brian Donovan, Russ Heissner
Harpoon Brewery
November 2013

Hope you've enjoyed our trip.

Cheers!

For anyone interested, here is a partial list of breweries that Brian and I have connections to. I for one am looking forward to re-connecting with, and writing about, all of them soon.

Frederick (Flying Dog), Frederick, MD http://flyingdogales.com/

Lancaster Malt Brewing, Lancaster, PA http://www.lancasterbrewing.com/

Boston Beer Works, Boston, MA (Canal St. near the Garden) http://www.beerworks.net/

DuClaw Brewing, Bel Air, MD http://www.duclaw.com/

Coast Brewing (Beau Rivage, Biloxi, MS)

Independence Brewing Company, Philadelphia, PA

Owen O’Leary’s Southboro, MA http://www.owenolearys.com/

Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, Monterrey, MX

Erie Brewing - Erie, PA http://www.eriebrewingco.com/

Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. OH http://thirstydog.com/

Magic Hat in Burlington, VT http://www.magichat.net/

Hereford and Hops – Escanaba MI http://www.herefordandhops.com/