About Bridge Up Brewing
Bridge Up Brewing Company: a small-batch, ego-free, craft brewery for the people of Door County, that focuses on brewing varied, input-driven, ever-changing beer styles with appealing flavor profiles that are as unique, fun, and memorable as Door County itself.
Bridge Up Brewing Gives Back
Bridge Up Has Donated to Local Charities to Date:
$2,365
Bridge Up Brewing takes pride in being part of the Door County community. We are locals who recognize the importance of supporting organizations that make our county the incredible place it is. That’s why we started Pints with a Purpose — to help raise awareness and money to support great causes around Door County.
Each month, a brew is selected and a percentage of sales goes to support a different Door County nonprofit organization.
Have a Door County charity interested in partnering with Bridge Up Brewing? Email us to get talking!
About Trent and the Launch of Bridge Up Brewing
Never in his wildest dreams did Trent think he would be brewing beer for a living. It started as a hobby, then became somewhat of a passion – but always out of his garage, on his back deck in Coleman coolers, or in propane-powered turkey fryers.
Beer has been somewhat of an evolutionary journey for him. It began how it usually does: with domestic lagers out of hand-pumped kegs at college parties and in the parking lot of Lambeau Field. From there, it blossomed into trying and brewing various IPAs as he began working and traveling more.
With the explosion of the craft beer industry and residing for 23 years in the Twin Cities (a true craft beer mecca), he began rounding out his palette and appreciation for every and all styles of beer. As his appreciation for beer grew, so did his ability to brew better, more flavorful, and exciting recipes.
The Bridge Up Brewing story and brand is and continues to be a truly organic one. After moving back to Door County with his wife and two daughters, Trent was looking for a job that would allow him to completely immerse himself back into the culture and the community that was such an amazing part of his childhood.
One day he got a call. A brief phone conversation with Jason Estes, owner of Sonny’s Pizzeria, about the brewing process and its requirements. This call led to a face-to-face meeting to look for available space for what could someday be a brewery.
It felt very consultative in nature until the end of the meeting when Jason said, “Well, I think you are the right guy for the job.” At no point did Trent ever think this was any kind of an interview – but he is so grateful that it was.
The next few months were filled with investigating and buying brewing equipment, building relationships with grain and hop providers and designing recipes that would become the first few Bridge Up Brewing beers
However, they still needed a name, a hugely important and vital part of the business. Trent spent weeks compiling potential brewery names and filling a notebook with ideas and concepts that would someday become the brand that people know and love today.
After narrowing in on their top three brewery names, Trent was on his way to meet with Jason and a few other managers at Sonny’s Pizzeria, only to get stuck behind a line of cars because the steel bridge was up.
As he sat there, staring through the steel girders of the bridge across the canal, he thought to himself, “Man, I feel like this bridge goes up like 10 times a day.” Immediately after, he unzipped his backpack, took out his notebook and in big letters across the front page wrote “BRIDGE UP BREWING COMPANY.”
Needless to say, Jason and the rest of the team loved it. Bridge Up Brewing Company: a small-batch, ego-free, craft brewery for the people of Door County, that focuses on brewing varied, input-driven, ever-changing beer styles with appealing flavor profiles that are as unique, fun, and memorable as Door County itself.