Legend has it that during the mid-19th century, hard cider (henceforth referred to simply as cider) was a mainstream staple of the old-timey U.S. consumers. In fact, scholars maintain that the alcoholic beverage was so mainstream, a significant part of workers' salaries were paid in cider until some kind of bogus amendment in 1887 made it illegal.

The story of Cellar Brewing Company begins a little more oddly than most. Chuck Brown was an operations director for Grand Valley State University and was thinking about taking his life in another direction. Being a homebrewer, he began to draw up a business plan to open his own brewery in Allendale. One day, the catering director burst into his office and said there was a brewery for sale on Craigslist.

Big Lake Brewing began where most breweries do: homebrewing. Co-owners Nic Winhimius and Travis Prueter had been brewing together since they met in 2007, and, like most homebrewers, aspired to open their own brewery and began laying the tracks.

Saugatuck Brewing was actually born across the street from its current location on the Blue Star Highway in 2005. The brewery was brought to fruition by founder and brewmaster Barry Johnson, who utilized a 3.5bbl brewhouse to bring his beer to the public in the old taproom, and from the start, the brewery had ambitious plans.