Brewery Vivant Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary with Release of J’aison Ale

From Brewery Vivant:

December 20 marks Grand Rapids’ iconic Brewery Vivant’s 10 year anniversary. To celebrate, the brewery will release a pub-only beer on draft and in cans on the 17th called J’aison. The beer has never been made commercially but was the first recipe owner Jason Spaulding worked on while defining the styles of beer the brewery would become known for. “Our vision for Vivant has always been to make beers that take inspiration from traditional European styles but with the addition of American ingenuity,” said Jason Spaulding. “This petite saison is brewed with orange peel and Tellicherry black peppercorns, it’s quite drinkable at 5.4% abv and has the sweet aroma of oranges with a bit of a kick from the peppercorns.” Fans of Vivant’s Zaison will taste the resemblance to the strong saison that has been available throughout the years and developed a cult following. Also back in limited release is another favorite from the past, Pothole Stout, which is made in partnership with Sparrows Coffee. Pothole Stout will be available on draft and in cans at the pub on the 22nd as well as in distribution throughout Michigan.

Vivant has earned a reputation for being a top destination brewery in Michigan as well as a community-focused business and certified B Corporation. The pub is located in a LEED certified historic former funeral chapel in the East Hills neighborhood and has received numerous dining awards for their casual fine dining menu, most notably their Duck Nachos which are named among “The best nachos across America” from Thrillist. Throughout the years the company has expanded multiple times by adding a covered heated beer garden to the Vivant pub in 2014 and a warehouse and second pub, Broad Leaf Local Beer, in Kentwood in 2019. They also installed a 192-panel solar array in 2016 as a very visible way to display their commitment to sustainability.

In keeping with Vivant’s commitment to being an active member of their local community, a portion of all beer sales of J’aison will go towards supporting the community garden at their neighborhood public elementary school, Congress Elementary. Vivant has invited their biggest local suppliers and distribution partners to join them in this fundraising effort with the goal to amplify their contribution. “We have always advocated for businesses to be actively involved in supporting their community, whether that is through donations or volunteering their time. Congress Elementary is one of our earliest partners so celebrating our first decade by supporting their community garden, which we helped fund originally, was the perfect choice,” states owner Kris Spaulding. Since opening, the company has donated over $325,000 in cash and in kind to their local nonprofit partners and staff members have volunteered over 2000 hours of their time with these partners.

Although indoor dining is not allowable at this time, Vivant’s outdoor heated beer garden and patio are open for service in addition to takeout and delivery for both beer and food via their online ordering system. The Spaulding’s will host a 10-Year Toast via Facebook Live on December 20 at 7pm and invite their community of supporters to join them online or at the pub. 

About Brewery Vivant

Brewery Vivant is the world’s first LEED® certified commercial microbrewery and a Certified B Corporation. We brew beer in the European tradition with the addition of American ingenuity. At our pub we strive to elevate the enjoyment of beer & food and the sense of community in everything we do. Brewery Vivant prides itself on being a destination brewery in the “Beer City” of Grand Rapids. We are in the list of top 30 largest brewpubs in the U.S. according to Brewer’s Association definitions and have distribution throughout the State of Michigan. For more information visit www.breweryvivant.com.