My Story
I'm Mike, and, for a good portion of my adult life, I've said, "That's going to go in the restaurant." Flash forward to 2021—I made the decision to do work that felt more personal and left my 20+ year career in homebuilding to build something of my own. I am so fortunate to have such supportive family and friends—many of whom you will meet when you visit!
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Why "Modern German Fare"?
We were blessed, in 2011, by the arrival of our German exchange student, Lisa. She is such a special person—she, almost immediately, became our 4th child. During her many visits back to the US (the only draw wasn't us... she married a local girl), Lisa would make dishes from home. We think you'll agree—they're amazing! Our brilliant chef, Anthony, visited Germany to make sure that he gets them "just right" with authentic flavors.
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Why Craft Beer?
Beer is best when it's fresh—you'll find nothing more fresh than beer brewed right in front of you. I've been home-brewing for a while. Making beer is a dash of art with a whole lot of science. You find a delicious blend of traditional styles along with several experimental brews.
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We Brew Community!
Finally, this is about community. I've lived in North Canton for most of my childhood and for the majority of my adult life. This community has taught me about hard work and friendship. You'll find us (my wife, Gretchen, and my twin sons, Evan & Graham) here most days -- working hard to provide you great beer, delicious food, and great experiences for our community.
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Why New Berlin?
Samuel Bachtel laid out the community of New Berlin in February 1831. The small village was located in Plain Township, Stark County. Many of the early settlers of New Berlin were Germans.
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During World War I, it became unpopular to be associated with anything German. As a result, the citizens of New Berlin voted to change the community's name to North Canton in January 1918.
We have used Ruth Harpold Basner's book The North Canton Heritage to name most of our beers.
What's up with the bear?
Bears have been associated with Berlin since 1280. Today, the Berlin Bear is a common symbol found throughout the German metropolis. As we reclaim a morsel of North Canton's German heritage, we found our German Bär an apt mascot for the enterprise. Plus, he looks really cool - and we made his beard look like hops!