'Simple. Social. Sustainable': Tripel Root owners want Zeeland brewpub to reflect motto in community

When their new Zeeland brewpub, Tripel Root, opens before the end of the year, owners Laura and Nate Gentry want the new establishment to reflect their motto: "Simple. Social. Sustainable."

The couple began demolition on the 115-year-old historic building at 146 E. Main Street a few years ago, doing all of the renovations to the old bank building themselves. Laura Gentry says when they first walked into the old building, there were still highlighters and office furniture – nearly three truckloads full – all of which they donated to Habitat for Humanity. 

"It's cool because we we've gutted the entire thing, so we have a blank canvas to work with," she says. "We turned the drive-thru window into the door to the beer garden. We've been repurposing a ton of other stuff, too. They were taking out a barn so we actually got the beam structure out of the barn and put that up and we've re-used all of the barn wood that we could get, even the metal roofing." 

When Tripel Root opens, it will be the first brewery for a city that only reversed a nearly 100-year ban on alcohol sales in 2006. 

Tripel Root will open with 11 taps, but Gentry says they have the capacity to expand to up to 21 for more variety. 

"Our focus with the beer is that we want to have a blend between good, local craft beer and also kind of that internationally influenced selection because there's a lot of really awesome Belgian breweries that make really good beer, so we want to kind of have that blend of local craft beers with some of those really good beers you can find around the world and maybe (are) not as common," she says. 

Tripel Root will serve fully customizable stone-bread pizzas, made with leftover grains from the brewing process, with classic American appetizers and side dishes.

Though Gentry says there is still no official opening date, they know it'll be before the end of 2014, and in the meantime, Tripel Root will host a Nov. 1 open house with cider and donuts from 10 a.m. to noon at its new location on at 146 E. Main Street. Gentry says the open house has something to do with a new Mug Club Membership they are offering, but details will be released later this week on Tripel Root's Facebook page. 

"We just have had so much support from all areas of the Zeeland community and it's been totally reaffirming how awesome this project is," she says. "It's just so rewarding to know that we can be integrated into the community and we can make a difference."

Written by Anya Zentmeyer, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of Tripel Root