Bell's Brewery

Bell's Brewery is an American craft brewing company based in Michigan, with brewing operations in Comstock and a historic retail and hospitality presence in Kalamazoo. The business began in 1983 when Larry James Bell established a homebrewing supply shop under the Kalamazoo Brewing Company name. In September 1985, the company began selling beer made on a very small system consisting of a 15-US-gallon soup kettle and open fermenters covered with plastic wrap. Its first-year output was approximately 135 barrels. Bell's developed from that modest beginning into one of the most prominent independent craft breweries in the United States. It opened the Eccentric Café brewpub next to its Kalamazoo operation in 1993, creating a combined brewing, dining, and community venue. The company added a second facility in Comstock in 2003 and opened a much larger production brewery there in 2012. That expansion increased stated brewing capacity from approximately 180,000 barrels to 500,000 barrels annually. In 2006, the company formally adopted the Bell's Brewery name, reflecting the identity under which consumers already knew it. The Bell's family also repurchased shares held by outside investors in late 2012, restoring full family ownership at that time. The brewery's reputation rests on beers that combine traditional styles with strong hop and malt character. Two Hearted Ale, an American India pale ale named for Michigan's Two Hearted River, became one of the best-known beers in the American craft segment. Oberon Ale developed into a major seasonal product associated with the arrival of spring and summer, while Hopslam, a double IPA, became an annual limited release that generated substantial consumer demand. Other important offerings have included Amber Ale, Porter, Kalamazoo Stout, Expedition Stout, Special Double Cream Stout, Lager for the Lakes, and newer IPA variants such as Hazy Hearted, Big Hearted, and Light Hearted. Bell's retail and hospitality activities include the Eccentric Café and the Bell's General Store in Kalamazoo. The store sells packaged beer, seasonal and location-specific releases, clothing, merchandise, homebrewing supplies, and beer served through growler and crowler programs. The brewery has also produced numerous draft-only, limited, and Kalamazoo-exclusive beers alongside its packaged portfolio. For much of its history Bell's was distinguished by its independent, family-owned status and its role in the development of Michigan craft brewing. It has been described as Michigan's oldest existing craft brewery and, geographically, as the oldest craft brewery east of Colorado. In 2021, it was reported as the sixth-largest craft brewery in the United States and the largest independently owned brewery in Michigan. At the end of 2021, Larry Bell sold his controlling interest to Lion, the Australian alcoholic-beverage subsidiary of Japan's Kirin group. Bell's therefore remains an active Michigan-based brewery while operating under international corporate ownership. Bell's previously operated Upper Hand Brewery in Escanaba, Michigan, as a separately operated division focused on beers for Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Upper Hand expanded limited distribution into Michigan's Lower Peninsula in 2020 and was sold to California-based Seven Beverages, Inc. in 2024. Bell's beer is distributed throughout all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, with availability varying by product, season, and market.

Bell's Brewery traces its origins to 1983, when Larry James Bell incorporated Kalamazoo Brewing Company as a homebrewing supply shop in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The company moved into commercial brewing in September 1985. Its earliest beer was produced in a 15-US-gallon soup kettle and fermented in open vessels covered with plastic wrap. Output during the first year was approximately 135 barrels, establishing a small-scale operation that would later become one of Michigan's leading craft breweries. A significant early development was the opening of the Eccentric Café in 1993. The brewpub connected Bell's beer production with food service, live community activity, and direct interaction with drinkers. The business expanded beyond Kalamazoo in 2003, when Bell's opened a brewing facility in nearby Comstock. In 2006, it legally changed its name to Bell's Brewery, Inc., formalizing the consumer-facing identity that had already become widely established. Bell's undertook a much larger production expansion in 2012, opening a new Comstock facility and increasing stated annual capacity from 180,000 barrels to 500,000 barrels. The same period also marked a return to family control: in late 2012, the Bell family repurchased all stock held by outside investors. This preserved the brewery's independent ownership structure for the remainder of the decade. The company broadened its Michigan footprint in 2014 with the opening of Upper Hand Brewery in Escanaba, in the state's Upper Peninsula. Upper Hand operated as a separate division and produced beers including UPA, Upper Hand Light, Yooper Ale, Escanaba Black Beer, Upper Hand IPA, and seasonal and specialty releases. Its distribution initially focused on the Upper Peninsula, although limited distribution into Michigan's Lower Peninsula began in 2020. Bell's sold Upper Hand to California-based Seven Beverages, Inc. in 2024. Bell's brand growth was driven by a mixture of dependable year-round beers and anticipated seasonal releases. Two Hearted Ale became a defining American craft IPA, while Oberon Ale became strongly associated with the warmer months and the brewery's Michigan identity. Hopslam, a double IPA released annually in limited quantities, developed a particularly strong following. According to the supplied reference material, the American Homebrewers Association's Zymurgy rankings placed Two Hearted among the top beers in the United States, at number two from 2010 through 2016 and number one from 2017 through 2019. The brewery's product and retail infrastructure also includes the Bell's General Store at its Kalamazoo location. The store sells packaged beer, seasonal products, Kalamazoo-only releases, merchandise, homebrewing kits, and beer in growlers and crowlers. Bell's produces year-round packaged beers as well as seasonal, draft-only, and limited-production offerings. Its distribution network reaches all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, although individual products are subject to market and seasonal availability. Bell's encountered two notable commercial and legal issues in its history. In 1998, it changed the name of its summer beer from Solsun to Oberon after legal action by Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, whose El Sol beer was considered sufficiently similar in name. Separately, the brewery temporarily left the Illinois market in 2006 after a dispute with Union Beverage, its Chicago distributor, over a proposed transfer of distribution rights. Bell's returned through new distributors in 2007 and restored its principal brands to the market in 2008. In 2021, founder Larry Bell sold his controlling interest to Lion, an Australian alcoholic-beverage company owned by Japan's Kirin group. The transaction ended Bell's period as a family-controlled independent company but retained the Bell's brand and Michigan brewing operations within a larger international beverage organization. Bell's remains an active brewery centered on Comstock production, Kalamazoo hospitality and retail, and a nationally distributed portfolio of craft beers.

1. 2024Upper Hand divested

   Upper Hand Brewery was sold to California-based Seven Beverages, Inc.

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2. 2021Lion acquires controlling interest

   Larry Bell sold his controlling share to Lion, the Kirin-owned Australian alcoholic-beverage company.

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3. 2014Upper Hand Brewery opens

   Bell's opened Upper Hand Brewery in Escanaba in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

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4. 2012Major Comstock expansion completed

   A larger Comstock production facility increased stated brewing capacity from 180,000 to 500,000 barrels per year.

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5. 2012Family ownership restored

   The Bell family repurchased stock held by outside investors, returning the company to full family ownership.

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6. 2006Company adopts Bell's Brewery name

   The company legally changed its name to Bell's Brewery, Inc.

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7. 2003Comstock brewing facility opens

   Bell's opened an additional brewing facility in Comstock, near Kalamazoo.

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8. 1998Solsun renamed Oberon

   Bell's changed the name of its summer beer from Solsun to Oberon following legal action concerning similarity to another beer name.

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9. 1993Eccentric Café opens

   The company opened the Eccentric Café brewpub next to its Kalamazoo operation.

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10. 1985Commercial beer production begins

    Bell's began selling beer brewed on a small 15-US-gallon system and produced approximately 135 barrels in its first year.

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11. 1983Homebrewing supply shop established

    Larry James Bell incorporated Kalamazoo Brewing Company as a homebrewing supply business in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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A pioneering Michigan craft brewery combining regional brewing heritage, hop-forward flagship beers, seasonal releases, and a strong Kalamazoo community presence.

• Two Hearted AleIndia pale ale

  Bell's flagship American IPA is named for Michigan's Two Hearted River. It became one of the brewery's most recognized beers and achieved repeated high placements in Zymurgy's American beer rankings, including the top position from 2017 through 2019 according to the supplied reference material.

• Oberon AleSeasonal wheat ale1998

  Oberon is Bell's signature warm-weather seasonal beer. Formerly sold under the name Solsun, it was renamed in 1998 after a naming dispute. It is generally available from late March through September, with year-round availability in selected warm-weather markets including Florida, Arizona, and Puerto Rico.

• HopslamDouble India pale ale

  Hopslam is a limited annual double IPA released around January. Its seasonal availability and strong reputation have made it one of Bell's most anticipated releases, with demand frequently exceeding immediate supply.

• Light Hearted AleSession India pale ale

  Light Hearted Ale is a lower-intensity IPA in Bell's Hearted family. It extends the brewery's hop-forward positioning into a more approachable, lighter-format year-round offering.

• Hazy Hearted IPAHazy India pale ale

  Hazy Hearted IPA is a year-round packaged beer that applies Bell's Hearted branding to a hazy IPA style. It is part of the brewery's current core portfolio alongside Two Hearted and other Hearted variants.

• Big Hearted IPAIndia pale ale

  Big Hearted IPA is one of Bell's year-round Hearted-family beers, positioned as a larger-format expression within the brewery's hop-focused IPA range.

• Amber AleAmber ale

  Amber Ale is a year-round Bell's beer representing the brewery's malt-forward ale offerings. It forms part of the regular packaged portfolio distributed alongside the flagship IPAs.

• PorterPorter

  Porter is a year-round dark ale in Bell's core range, complementing the brewery's pale ales and IPAs with roasted malt character and a darker style profile.

• Kalamazoo StoutStout

  Kalamazoo Stout is a year-round stout associated with Bell's Kalamazoo heritage. It is part of the brewery's regular packaged selection and reflects its broader range beyond hop-forward beers.

• Expedition StoutImperial stout

  Expedition Stout is a specialty stout released during the autumn period. It belongs to Bell's seasonal and limited-production dark-beer program rather than the everyday core lineup.

• Special Double Cream StoutCream stout

  Special Double Cream Stout is an autumn specialty release emphasizing a fuller, creamier stout profile. It is produced in limited quantities as part of Bell's seasonal dark-beer offerings.

• OctoberfestFestbier

  Octoberfest is a seasonal beer released from late July through October. Its timing places it among Bell's recurring autumn offerings and complements the brewery's other calendar-based releases.

• 2024Divest Upper Hand BreweryM&A

  Upper Hand had operated as a separately managed Bell's division in Escanaba and had expanded limited distribution beyond Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

  What changed. Bell's sold Upper Hand Brewery to California-based Seven Beverages, Inc.

  Aftermath. Upper Hand became separate from Bell's while Bell's retained its principal Comstock and Kalamazoo operations.

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• 2021Sell controlling interest to LionM&A

  After decades of family control and a 2012 return to full family ownership, founder Larry Bell decided to sell his controlling share.

  What changed. The controlling interest was sold to Lion, the Australian alcoholic-beverage subsidiary of Japan's Kirin group.

  Aftermath. Bell's continued operating as an active Michigan brewery while becoming part of a larger international beverage group.

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• 2012Expand Comstock production capacityStrategy

  Growing demand for Bell's beers required production capacity beyond the earlier facilities.

  What changed. Bell's opened a larger Comstock production facility and increased stated annual capacity from 180,000 to 500,000 barrels.

  Aftermath. The expansion supported broader distribution and the brewery's development into a nationally prominent craft producer.

  Annual brewing capacity. 180,000 barrels → 500,000 barrels (2012)

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• 2006Change corporate name to Bell's BreweryStrategy

  The company had been incorporated as Kalamazoo Brewing Company, while consumers increasingly knew the business as Bell's.

  What changed. The legal corporate name was changed to Bell's Brewery, Inc.

  Aftermath. The formal company identity was aligned with the established Bell's consumer brand.

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• 1998Rename Solsun as OberonOther

  Bell's summer beer was named Solsun, but Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, maker of El Sol, pursued legal action over the similarity of the names.

  What changed. Bell's changed the product name to Oberon.

  Aftermath. Oberon became one of the brewery's best-known seasonal beers and remains associated with Bell's warm-weather program.

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• 2024Upper Hand Brewery sold to Seven Beverages

  Bell's divested its separately operated Upper Hand Brewery in Escanaba, Michigan, selling it to California-based Seven Beverages, Inc.

  M&A
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• 2021Bell's Brewery sold controlling interest to Lion

  Founder Larry Bell sold his controlling share in Bell's Brewery to Lion, the Australian alcoholic-beverage subsidiary of Japan's Kirin group.

  M&A
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• 2007Bell's re-entered Illinois with new beers

  The brewery re-entered the Illinois market through new distributors and introduced Kalamazoo Royal Amber Ale and Kalamazoo Hopsoulution in connection with the market return.

  Product launch
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• 2006Bell's temporarily exited the Illinois market during a distributor dispute

  Bell's beer was temporarily withdrawn from Illinois after its Chicago distributor sought to transfer distribution rights to another company. Bell's later returned through new distributors and restored distribution of its principal brands.

  Other
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1. Bell's Brewery
2. Bell's Brewery official website