Downey Brewing Aims for October Arrival in Dearborn

Fall is beer season and a new company is ready to get brewing in Dearborn. Brothers John and Dan Downey tell Eater their family venture, Downey Brewing Company is on track for an October opening. The pair, along with their father Dean Downey, are longtime homebrewers who decided last fall to bring their passion to the relatively untapped Dearborn market (The city's first microbrewery debuted last month). The company, funded partly through a $25,000 Kickstarter campaign, is currently in the process of building out a three-barrel system in an underutilized portion of their grandfather's die cutting warehouse.

Unlike many current ventures in Metro Detroit, Downey plans to focus initially on wholesale craft beer, but aims to eventually raise enough capital to open a taproom in downtown Detroit. John, who will be responsible for the bulk of the brewing, says beer drinkers can expect a set of six to seven year-round brews alongside limited releases. "I'm really big into hops, [but] my dad and my brother are more into traditional beers," he says of their style. Downey is expected to get city approval this week and is still awaiting state licensing approval. Stay tuned for more updates.