BAD Brewing Co.: The BAD boys of Michigan brewing

Mason’s BAD Brewing Co. built its name on creativity, turning a small-town brewery into one of mid-Michigan’s most respected destinations. It’s the kind of place where both regulars and out-of-towners feel at home: a steady favorite on the Michigan beer trail and a neighborhood hangout with a loyal following.

Its 22 taps offer a mix of mainstays and rotating creations. While staples like the Hop Dancer IPA, chocolate-coffee brown ale and Sunhands golden ale anchor the menu, guests will also find hazy IPAs, pastry meads, gluten-free options, adult slushies and ciders. The variety of the tap list reflects the agility of the small-batch operation and the vision of its head brewer, Kenneth “KJ” Rowan, the runner-up for Best Brewer in the inaugural Top of the Town People Contest.

When Rowan started at BAD 10 years ago, he was bartending and scrubbing tanks. After working in the restaurant industry and enlisting in the National Guard at 18, he trained for a career in the medical field, but he reconsidered before committing.

“I just didn’t have it in me,” he said. “And the craft beer world was taking off at that point.”

He landed at BAD and worked his way from cellar hand to assistant brewer. He’s led the brewing operation since 2020, when owner Brian Rasdale stepped back from brewing and handed him the reins.

“He gave me enough space to make those mistakes and figure out what the hell I’m doing,” Rowan said. “It was definitely imposter syndrome for a long time. It still is sometimes.”

Rasdale said Rowan is “a better brewer than I could even think about being.”

Raymond Holt for City Pulse

Raymond Holt

Rowan has seen trends shift, with young people drinking less, craft beer getting pricier and more customers leaning toward lower-ABV and nonalcoholic options. But he’s not worried.

“The nice thing here is, us being as nimble as we are with our tank size and the number of taps we have, we can usually keep up and make a change as quickly as possible,” he said.

When COVID hit, BAD didn’t lay off a single employee.

“We kept everybody somewhat busy,” Rasdale said. “Hours were cut, of course, but it was pretty nice not to have to take people’s money away.”

Rowan’s creative concoctions are often prompted by the brewery’s calendar, with seasonal drops built around special events and holidays. Recent standouts include a strawberry-rhubarb tripel for Mother’s Day, a tequila-barrel-aged gose for Cinco de Mayo and a 4/20 release paired with carne asada fries and toaster pastries from Strange Matter.

“If there’s something to celebrate, we’ll try to celebrate it,” Rowan said.

The brewery’s annual summer block party is a highlight: BAD shuts down the street, brings in live music and offers more than 30 beers on tap. June 7 marks its 10th year.

“We just do what we love.” Rasdale said. “And people get it.”