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(From left) Michael Brandt's son, Miles; his wife, Kara; and Hardywood Vice President of Operations Kate Lee gaze into the tank. (Photo by Maddie Wood)
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Miles adds hops to the beer in honor of his late father, dubbed EarthTone. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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The label art for EarthTone Festbier, designed by local artist Nils Westergard (Photo courtesy Hardywood Park Craft Brewery)
Michael Brandt, co-founder of Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery, was a fan of earth tones.
Tan, brown, burnt sienna and mossy green shades were prevalent in the VCU graduate’s wardrobe, and the Carytown taproom he opened with Ryan Mitchell in 2015 and its offerings also reflect his love for the earth — terroir — and its connections to wine, beer, cider and mead making as well as sustainability. Even his self-proclaimed nickname during a Habitat House That Beer Built demo day last September was “Mud.”
Following his unexpected passing Nov. 20 at 43, friends and family will always remember Brandt for that infatuation with natural colors and the planet.
"At his funeral we were talking about how he liked earth tone colors. … Everything we do at the brewery is in earth tone colors, and anytime we go outside of that we weren’t keeping in line with our brand," Mitchell says. "Mike believed in sustainability and the betterment of the earth."
When Mitchell and the Garden Grove team began to ponder the name for a commemorative beer that would celebrate their friend and co-worker’s life, it was clear as ... mud.
In early January, Garden Grove was joined by various members of the collective Richmond Breweries United at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery's West Creek location along with Brandt’s wife and childhood sweetheart, Kara, and their son, Miles, for a ceremonial brewing session of a forthcoming Vienna lager called EarthTone Festbier.
“The military does a 21-gun salute; we make beer,” says Chris Sarnoski of Garden Grove. “Mike dedicated a huge portion of his life to the creation and production of beers, wines, cider and meads. This is what we feel is the best way to honor him, his memory and his legacy.”
Garden Grove brewed EarthTone in collaboration with 20 area breweries. The one ingredient they didn’t add was Hallertau Mittlefruh hops; that task was given to 10-year-old Miles, who, as his mom and brewers from across the region watched intently, poured the aromatic flowers into the forthcoming beer.
Mitchell addressed the assembled crowd of brewers and other well-wishers: “I think doing this … and just coming together is awesome; that’s a reason I got into the brewing industry.”
Hardywood co-founder Eric McKay added, “When we found out that Mike had passed, it was just a shockwave through the industry, such a surprise. We felt like [Richmond Breweries United] was a perfect way for us to come together and try and support and honor someone who had a lasting impact.”
EarthTone will be released Feb. 10 and available on tap or in 16-ounce four-pack cans at the participating breweries. Designed by local muralist and artist Nils Westergard — Brandt was a big fan — the label artwork will feature a message about Brandt and list the breweries that are a part of the effort.
“This beer was designed to be a Festbier, and to me, a celebration of Mike’s life and contribution to all of our lives,” says Kevin Storm, brewer and winemaker at Garden Grove. “Whether or not you worked with him, or even knew him, he was a part of our lives because he was a part of this union.”
Storm shares that Brandt hated the overuse of hops and believed that what makes a great brewer is being able to balance out malt. The bock-influenced EarthTone reflects that.
Sarnoski agrees. “This was specifically brewed to be an homage to Mike’s love of lagers, malt balance and complexity,” he says. “Like Mike, this is just an unapologetic, straightforward, in-your-face Festbier.”
Participating breweries include Garden Grove, The Answer, Ardent, Bingo, Castleburg, Center of the Universe, Final Gravity, Fine Creek, Hardywood, Intermission, Isley, Legend, Lickinghole Creek, Midnight, Molly’s Blind Dog, Steam Bell/Canon & Draw, Stone, Strangeways, Trapezium, Triple Crossing, and The Veil.
All of the proceeds from beer sales will be split between a Virginia529 college savings plan for Miles and the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. EarthTone is projected to raise roughly $40,000.
“I miss a lot about him. ... He was such a presence,” Sarnoski says. “He helped to broaden my horizons in the alcohol industry, introduced me to a lot of new beers, wines, ingredients and methods. But beyond being a mentor, he was a great friend.”
Although Sarnoski says he’s uncertain whether the release of EarthTone will aid in the healing process, “What I do know is that Mike would just want us all to kick back and enjoy a beer together.”
Stay tuned for the exact release date of EarthTone.
