Everyone's heard about the big hardware store that comes into a small town putting the locals out of business. That, in a way is what happened to Bret and Eric Kuhnhenn, two brothers who owned Lutz Hardware in Warren, MI. A Lowes warehouse opened up just a half-mile from their store, which their dad bought some 35 years ago.

Like a lot of stores that have faced a similar dilemma, the Lutz owners decided they couldn’t compete against big box stores. Instead of closing for good, they transformed their space into a seven-barrel microbrewery and brew-on-premise shop.

It may sound like an odd transition, but the Kuhnhenn Brothers have been in the beer business for some time. As well as being active homebrewers, they have sold homebrewing supplies out of the back of their hardware store for many years.

Bret Kuhnhenn says there is a long tradition of selling brewing supplies out of hardware stores. The Brothers began offering supplies out of the frustration of not being able to buy products locally.

The transition is a special one for Bret and Eric because of their love for the art of brewing. They make one of the best German-style Hefeweizens in the Detroit Metro Area as well as many other Award Winning lagers and ales. The brothers bottle their beers in 12 and 22 oz. bottles as well as offering kegs. The brew-on-premise aspect of the business is one of only a handful in the state.