Edelbrau Brewing Announces Grand Opening

Owner and brewer Teo Ahlbrandt-Watson (center) and comrades are ready to sell you beer.

Edelbrau Brewing, on Ann Arbor's south side, is officially opening its doors to the public beginning Friday, February 15, according to owner and brewer Teo Ahlbrandt-Watson.

For now, it's a beer-to-go only retail operation, with cans of Amber Ale, American Pale Ale, Edelbrau IPA, Helles, Imperial IPA Citra, and Oat Malt Brown Ale (and t-shirts and other gear) available for purchase, while supplies last. At some point in the future, Edelbrau plans on adding distilled products to the lineup.

Ahlbrandt-Watson is a veteran of the Michigan brewing scene, with previous stints at Arbor Brewing and Dark Horse Brewing, as well as consulting gigs with Big Hart Brewing and Biercamp, among other breweries. He also has an advanced degree in microbiology from Eastern Michigan University. You can read more about Edelbrau, Teo, and his philosophy in this 2017 article from The Ann Arbor News.

Edelbrau's retail room is in an industrial park at 719 W. Ellsworth Rd., and has limited hours for now: Friday, 5:30 - 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.

Edelbrau to Revive Traditional Brewing Methods to Craft Full Flavored Beers

The Ann Arbor area will welcome another new brewery later this year, with Edelbrau Brewing Company targeting a summer opening in Pittsfield Township. Principals Spike Oliver and Teo Watson-Ahlbrandt plan to explore historical methods of brewing to craft their beers, with the goal of providing a uniquely flavorful experience for drinkers. Later on I'll post an interview with Spike elaborating on that theme, but for now here is the official press release:

PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – How are the traditions of beer defined? Can traditional beer-making methods enhance the modern approach to brewing?

Those are two vital questions that brewer Teo Watson-Ahlbrandt and business development veteran Spike Oliver will explore at their new brewery, Edelbrau Brewing Company. With the sustained emergence of craft brewing, the pair believe their approach, which weaves together history, artistic expression, and modern science, will give Ann Arbor and Southeast Michigan something unique to look forward to.

“The traditional aspects of craft beer are often forgotten as the market expands and focuses on quick turnaround,” says Watson-Ahlbrandt. “We want to pay homage to Old World methods of making beer as well as traditional beer styles, taking what has been forgotten and re-interpreting it for today’s palate.”

“We’re challenging ourselves to create a portfolio of beers that reflects something new from something old,” adds Oliver. “An artist has the flexibility to work in water color, oil, spray paint, clay, or other media to create a piece of art. The end result and the experience will be unique depending on which medium is chosen.”

With a production facility secured at 719 W. Ellsworth Rd., Watson-Ahlbrandt and Oliver are actively looking for additional space to open a pub with a retail store and taproom where they can also host events and conduct brewing classes. They are targeting an opening for August of this year.

“Right now we’re working on getting licensed and making flavorful and unique beers that we can distribute to the Ann Arbor area,” says Oliver. “But our full vision is to create a space where Ann Arborites can feel cozy, have a great pint of beer, learn about brewing, and be entertained.”