Founders
Brewing Co

Founders Brewing was founded in 1997, and after overcoming near bankruptcy, it has grown to become one of the largest breweries in the US today. Famous for their fantastic stouts and their barrel-aged beers, no one can accuse Founders of being dull – they push way too many delicious (and award-winning) boundaries! Besides its absolutely flavourful and complex brews, Founders is also big on sustainability and charity, having saved millions of gallons of water, diverted 90% of waste and even launched its own charitable platform.

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Founders Breakfast Coffee Imperial Stout

8.3% ABV / 0.0

3 Reviews

$12.95
Award WinningHighly RatedCrowd Favourite

Founders KBS Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

12.0% ABV / 0.0

$18.95

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Single
355ml

$18.95

4 Pack
4 x 355ml

$68.50
~~$75.80~~

Case
24 x 355ml

$395.00
~~$454.80~~

Double Case
48 x 355ml

$750.00
~~$909.60~~

let's tap into their story!

Founders Brewing was established by Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers - two college friends who shared a passion for beer and a desire to start their own business. The two made a ballsy decision to quit their jobs and take out sizable loans in order to make their dreams of opening a craft brewery come true. In 1997, Stevens and Engbers did it - they opened the doors to Founders Brewing Co.

Founders Breakfast Stout: A Wakeup Call

Before Founders Brewing Co got its current name, the brewery was originally called Canal Street Brewing, named after a district in Grand Rapids, Michigan. However, Stevens and Engbers felt that they needed a more striking name for their brewery, so they headed to the library and scoured the historical records for classic Grand Rapids brewing lore.

It turned out that Grand Rapids had quite the brewing culture prior to Prohibition, and there existed a variety of breweries with interesting names ranging from Furniture City to simpler ones like Grand Rapids Brewing Co. In the end, Stevens and Engbers decided on Founders as they wanted to pay homage to the original brewers who founded the brewing tradition in the city.

Although Founders Brewing has grown to become one of the largest craft breweries in the United States, it had its fair share of struggles. In 1999, taproom sales were slow and the brand struggled to find its identity. Stevens and Engbers were struggling as their income only came from bartending tips. In the next year, the brewery was in the red; it was on the verge of bankruptcy. The two faced rent issues and Engbers had to buy a pair of bolt cutters when their landlord threatened to lock them out!

Thankfully, a wealthy investor came swiftly to Founders’ rescue and the brewery was saved. From then on, Stevens and Engbers reinvented their beer lineup, reworked their brewing philosophy, and started churning out complex and flavourful beers that well-reflected the brewery’s ethos and identity.

Founders’ revolutionary brews

In 2002, Founders led the extreme beer movement with Dirty Bastard - a dark ruby Scotch ale brewed with 7 varieties of imported malts. The bold and intense beer was a result of Founders financial struggles, when the team was grasping at straws to keep the brewery afloat. The brewing team decided to just brew beers that they wanted to drink, and the result was a big, mean, and malty strong ale.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you; Dirty Bastard ain’t for the wee lads! The 8.3% ABV Scotch ale might seem like an unlikely gateway into craft beer, but it has gotten a whole lotta people hooked.

In 2003, Founders pioneered the bourbon barrel-ageing movement and began bottling the Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS) - a big imperial stout brewed with massive amounts of coffee and chocolate that is later barrel-aged to perfection. The KBS is incredibly silky and full-bodied with complex notes of vanilla, cocoa, roasted coffee, and charred oak that are all mingling around to give you perfection in a bottle!

Founders Brewing: an inclusive and sustainable brewery!

Every year, Founders will reflect on how it performed - in terms of sustainability - the previous year, and also set new goals for the new year. This challenges the brewery to improve its existing efforts to minimise resources used every year. The brewery focuses on being energy-efficient in its brewing process, recycling its waste products, and reusing its water to reduce its overall usage.

In addition, Founders Brewing has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 50,000 trees in 2022, and Freshwater Future to protect the largest fresh surface water system on earth - The Great Lakes. Besides the brewery’s commitment to sustainability, Founders Brewing is also known for its philanthropic efforts. The brewery works with various local communities, including arts and culture groups!

Despite its initial struggles, Founders Brewing Co was able to emerge triumphant and become one of the most successful breweries in the US. Its ability to create such flavourful beers while keeping the environment in mind is truly impressive. With 6 World Beer Cup medals, 3 European Beer Star medals and 2 Great American Beer Festival medals under its belt, we definitely look forward to its future brews!