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GARY MARSHALL: CREATIVE MASTERMIND BEHIND CADILLAC STRAITS BREWING COMPANY
MEET THE BREWER
VoL. 1 ISSUE 4
By Mike Lerchenfeldt for mibrew trail
Cadillac). Gary is said to be a dedicated and happy family man who puts his time into high quality, craft brewing. He stays busy creating pilot batches of various beer styles every couple weeks.
Madison Heights goes by the motto, “the city of progress”. This cool city was completely supportive to the plans of Gary, and his business partner, Gordie Davignon, to open the city’s first brewery in their lively community. It is still the city’s only and undisputed best brewery.
Naming the brewery Cadillac Straits was Gary and Gordie’s homage to the area without calling themselves Detroit, since they are technically located in the suburbs. Antoine de la mothe Cadillac, a French military leader and trader, was the founder of Detroit. Strait is the word Detroit translated from French.
ary Marshall is the co-owner and head brewer at Cadillac
Straits Brewing Company in Madison Heights (not
G
In 2004, Gary graduated with computer science and accounting degrees from Oakland University (OU). While working as a software developer for credit unions in Michigan, he became annoyed with corporate America and decided to do something different with his life.
When Gary became interested in craft brewing, his wife, Keri, bought him a homebrewing kit. He eventually decided to join the Kuhnhenn Guild of Brewers (KGB), a homebrewing club in Warren, and later served as their president.
In 2017, Gary met Gordie at the National Homebrew Conference (Homebrew Con) in Indianapolis, a one-of-a-kind gathering exclusively for members of the American Homebrewers Association. They both realized that they had the same vision, which led them to the decision of opening a brewery together.
Gary is doing what he loves and is following his passions. He absolutely loves the recipe creation and the beginning to end process from ingredients to beer. Being able to write a recipe and create something different out of raw grains that people can enjoy is a great feeling.
In 2019, the brewery opened their doors to the public. Gary and Gordie created a pro-kid, family-friendly environment offering one of the best root beers. They have a dynamic kitchen with a menu featuring nachos, boneless wings, and flatbread pizza.
There is team trivia during the week and live music on some weekends. Whether in-person or on social media, Gary feels a sense of pride when he hears or sees people talking or posting about the beer (or root beer) that he created while they are hanging out and enjoying themselves at the brewery.
His best seller is Tough Eddy; an India Pale Ale (IPA) with a ton of Citra hops giving it a strong, yet smooth floral and citrus flavor. This brew is his take on the Midwest style making it somewhere in between a New England and West Coast IPA.
Customers also enjoy the pink, easy-drinking Flower Power. It is a hibiscus Belgian Witbier brewed with unmalted wheat. His MadisonBrau was wildly successful, too. This brew is his take on the classic Märzen lager, traditionally served at Oktoberfest. It is made from old world, German malts and hops.
Gary is doing what he loves and is following his passions. He absolutely loves the recipe creation and the beginning to end process from ingredients to beer. Being able to write a recipe and create something different out of raw grains that people can enjoy is a great feeling.
Gary’s favorite beer style to make and drink is the New England IPA because he likes to experiment with various types of hops. He often uses hops and other ingredients from their attached homebrew store, The Supply House at Cadillac Straits. It is a one-stop shop for homebrew supplies.
He is creative with his beers and thinks outside the box, which allows their brewery to always have a rotation of taps. Gary is a great role model for anyone interested in learning more about brewing some ale or a career in the craft beer industry.
The other small breweries out there, such as Urbanrest Brewing Company in Ferndale, that are chugging along and making excellent beers inspire him. They lift each other up and support one another with the challenges of trying to stay relevant in the sea of craft brewers.
When he is not brewing, Gary likes to bike ride and spend time in the outdoors with his two daughters. Their family enjoys going up north together to the beaches of Houghton Lake, which happens to be the largest inland lake in Michigan.
Gary is a proud member of the Michigan Brewers Guild, and he will be participating in their Detroit Fall Beer Festival at Eastern Market. Cadillac Straits Brewing Company is exceptional and worth putting on the fall to-do list.
"MEET THE BREWERS" ARCHIVES
In the world of craft brewing, he is said to be a risk-taker who is not shy about making different beers.
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MANDA GEIGER: A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
As the only female brewer at Dragonmead Brewery, a popular, family-orientated brewery, Geiger is said to be a breath of fresh air in the world of craft brewing.
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JEF SMITH: high stakes brewer at loaded dice brewery
Check out Hearst’s newest brand showcasing Michigan Breweries at MiBrewTrail.com.
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MANDA GEIGER: A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
As the only female brewer at Dragonmead Brewery, a popular, family-orientated brewery, Geiger is also said to be a breath of fresh air in the world of craft brewing.
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MEET THE creator of International Women’s Brew
Claira Sudduth is an assistant brewer at Eastern Market Brewing Company and Ferndale Project.
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MEET THE creator of International Women’s Brew
Claira Sudduth is an assistant brewer at Eastern Market Brewing Company and Ferndale Project.
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MEET THE BREWER
VOL. 1 ISSUE 6
Gary is doing what he loves and is following his passions. He absolutely loves the recipe creation and the beginning to end process from ingredients to beer. Being able to write a recipe and create something different out of raw grains that people can enjoy is a great feeling.
JEF SMITH: high stakes
brewer at loaded dice
brewery
MANDA GEIGER: A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
MEET THE creator of
International
Women’s Brew
Gary’s favorite beer style to make and drink is the New England IPA because he likes to experiment with various types of hops. He often uses hops and other ingredients from their attached homebrew store, The Supply House at Cadillac Straits. It is a one-stop shop for homebrew supplies.
He is creative with his beers and thinks outside the box, which allows their brewery to always have a rotation of taps. Gary is a great role model for anyone interested in learning more about brewing some ale or a career in the craft beer industry.
The other small breweries out there, such as Urbanrest Brewing Company in Ferndale, that are chugging along and making excellent beers inspire him. They lift each other up and support one another with the challenges of trying to stay relevant in the sea of craft brewers.
When he is not brewing, Gary likes to bike ride and spend time in the outdoors with his two daughters. Their family enjoys going up north together to the beaches of Houghton Lake, which happens to be the largest inland lake in Michigan.
Gary is a proud member of the Michigan Brewers Guild, and he will be participating in their Detroit Fall Beer Festival at Eastern Market. Cadillac Straits Brewing Company is exceptional and worth putting on the fall to-do list.