Loggers Brewing Company a Nod to Saginaw's Roots as a Lumber Town

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A few years back Cynthia Andrews was enjoying a few cocktails while celebrating her older brother Blake’s birthday at a Mid-Michigan establishment. Another brother, Chris Andrews, noticed there was something glaringly absent—and it wasn’t birthday cake. “He told me there’s no beer here,” she said.“They have beer. Not real beer was his response, meaning they didn’t have craft beer.” Cynthia, at the time only a few years into retirement from her position as manager of customer service for the Saginaw Post Office, had an idea. “Let’s open a brewery in Saginaw,” she blurted out. “Why not? The city doesn't have one then and we thought we could fill a void.” Lo and behold, that’s exactly what Cynthia, Chris and their nephew Chad Andrews (Blake’s son) did. In March of 2017 they opened Loggers Brewing Company in Shields, becoming the first brewery in Saginaw since Prohibition. The family-run business came up with the name Loggers to pay homage to Saginaw’s rich history as a lumber town.

BY JON BECKER

MIBREW TRAIL MAGAZINE

Winter 2022

Check out Hearst’s newest brand showcasing Michigan Breweries at MiBrewTrail.com.

“Funny thing is when we made the decision to go into business together we told each other we would jot some name ideas on a notepad over a weekend and share them with each other on Monday, recounted Cynthia Andrews. “We met Monday and nobody had a notepad. No need. We all came up with the same name Loggers. I guess it was just a natural fit.” The building was once a church. The Andrews have transformed it into a fun, relaxing place where on a given night, you can play trivia, enjoy musical entertainment or play cards. When they launched Loggers offered 4 or 5 beers on tap. Today they have 20 taps, with 15-16 being full at any time. All of the photographs’ on the interior walls of the building (a former Methodist church) except one are historic shots of Saginaw’s Lumber Era. The taproom doors on the south side of the building, where patrons enter from the parking lot, are from Ezra Rust, a pioneer Lumber Baron, philanthropist and one of Saginaw’s most famous historical figures.

“We try to have something for everyone,” she said. “If someone doesn’t like beer we tell guys we have wine. We make our own. I call it Old Fashion. It’s fruit wine. Our regulars really like a specific drink, but we still try to introduce different things. We have a lot of different choices.” Red Ale, Pilsners, Stouts and Lagers abound at Loggers. “Our brewmaster is quite dedicated to his craft and Shelby is a great manager,” said Andrews. “She’s always coming up with new ideas and all kinds of events. We have a great staff and we have a lot going on here. People love coming in and kicking back and relaxing. We have an inviting atmosphere.” Tuesday is Pint and Pizza Night, Wednesday is Trivia Night (Get There Early) and Thursday is Euchre Night. There is no kitchen but Food Trucks are often available for as long they can withstand Michigan’s harsh winters.

Loggers Brewing Company www.loggersbrewingcompany.com

MIBREW TRAIL MAGAZINE

Winter 2022

“The saws you see on the walls are from Saginaw’s early years as a lumber town,” Cynthia said. “I don’t think people realize this but Saginaw supplied Chicago with the lumber they needed to rebuild after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. We paid attention to what we were doing.” That also meant catering to Saginaw’s beer tastes and slowly introducing customers to something different than what they had grown accustomed to.

Loggers Brewing Company is one of the only breweries in Saginaw. In fact, when it opened its doors in 2017 it became the first brewery in Saginaw since 1941.Located at 1215 S. River Road in Shields, the family-owned microbrewery's name recognizes Saginaw's history when it was the mecca of Michigan's booming lumber industry between 1840 and 1860. Owned and operated by Cynthia Andrews, her brother Chris Andrews and their nephew Chad Andrews, the family members converted a former church into a logging-themed microbrewery.

“It can get pretty cold in those trucks,” Andrews said. Loggers’ Facebook page is a great source for all things Loggers, a church-turned brewery that is loaded with Saginaw history and located less than a mile south of Gratiot (the main drag in Shields) on south River Road. It’s where history comes alive and lasting memories are made. Craft beer enthusiasts can bring home their favorite Logger brew. “We have beer to go, including cans, growlers and howlers,” she said. “In-house we offer flights which are 5 five ounce pours.” Loggers: It gets the Michigan Brew Trail seal of approval because in five short years it has grown to embody the best of what the craft beer industry is supposed to represent. But don’t take our word for it. Check it out for yourself. We promise you’ll become a repeat customer.

“Initially we were brewing a lot of IPA’s. When we opened people would come in and order a Bud Light,” she said. “When I would tell him we don’t have that they would just turn around and leave. They wouldn’t even try what we had. We knew we had to do something different.” Enter a talented brewmaster by the name of Tyler Michael. He’s been with Loggers since the beginning. The Andrews give him free reign to create new brews and he came up with what they call a Pin Whacker American Pilsner. From there, the team expanded their beer menu to include some lagers and red ales. One of its signature beers, Chet’s Red Ale is, always on tap-- as is the pilsner.

“We now offer lighter beers for people who don’t care for a heavier dark beer or a strong IPA,” said Cynthia Andrews. Loggers also has wine and just recently started making its own sodas, Birch Beer and Black Cherry Cream Soda. The microbrewery offers weekly specials but more importantly a most welcome reprieve from life stresses that no one is immune to.