Brewery Vivant

I pulled up to Brewery Vivant a few weeks ago after visiting O'Connors Homebrew Supply Store for some acid malt. The brewery and pub occupies the historic former Metcalf Funeral Home in the trendy (and equally historic) East Hills neighborhood just east of downtown Grand Rapids. Largely unassuming, one fails to realize what activity lies behind the large, wooden "chapel" doors until broaching the threshold of a venue which, in years past, bore witness to eulogies and darkly-clad mourners. Only much later, after having got all caught up in the reverie of quaffing Belgian-style pale ale under stone arches and roughly hewn wooden trusses out of a glass illuminated by stained-glass windows, did I recognize the poetry of juxtaposing Brewery Vivant (French for "to be living") with an old funeral parlor. The pub does, indeed, live in the chapel, furnished with long, wooden tables and benches, and high-backed booths in the transepts. The bar, encased in marble, is a great, wooden, U-shaped elbow rest about where an altar might be positioned. Behind the bar, the bartender works tirelessly serving patrons as a minister might bless, break, and serve sacraments to parishioners of a Sunday morning communion service. Although I did not try any food during my visit, one can be assured that any of Brewery Vivant's artisanal, house-made offerings easily make the Body and Blood of Christ seem like the flat wafer and cheap juice that they are. The place appears to be frequented by a significant majority of hipster types (as one might guess), but the clientele also includes humorous businessman naive to craft beer, couples, groups of capri-wearing girlfriends in Crocs, curiously austere-looking retirees, and pacifists in Birkenstocks. It is the type of place that truly lives up to the dismissive explanation, "you had to be there." So, I encourage you to go "be" there. The beer is good, mainly Belgian in inspiration if you've got a yen for a nice saison or dubbel. Enjoy these pics.