Now having been open for one year, The Church Brewery welcomes customers Thursday through Sunday, and they are also a venue that can be used for everything from private celebrations to school fundraisers.

Local couple Sarah and Brad Nault had been thinking about opening their own business – particularly a brewery – and had considered a few different spots, none of which were quite right for them, when the old gathering hub at 5133 I Rd. went up for sale.

It had been built around or prior to 1915 as Dittrich’s pavilion. Dances, comedy acts and more were hosted at the hall. On April 9, 1915, an affair described as “particularly elaborate” was thrown at Dittrich’s, with music by the Escanaba Military Band Orchestra. “It is expected a large number of pleasure seekers of Escanaba will attend the party,” read a brief article in the Daily Press six days prior to the event.

“They also kind of used it as an agricultural meeting place as well, because there was the general store next door – that’s what the Hyde apartments were,” Sarah described, setting the scene of a century ago, “and there was a potato mill across the street… a bar … One of the railroad depots was across the highway.”

Patrons gather at The Church Brewery in Hyde during an evening of live music in December. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Nault)

After serving as a social gathering spot for about 20 years, however, the dance hall was shut down. In the 1930s, the place was purchased by a congregation of German Lutherans that had existed for a handful of years beforehand, but were in need of a permanent home for their church. They converted the former Dittrich’s for their purposes.

For decades, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church occupied the building, later removing the “Evangelical” from their name. An addition was added to the front, bringing plumbing and restrooms to the building. A pipe organ originally from a church in Missouri was installed at some point.

Over the years, though, Hyde grew quieter. The congregation dwindled as businesses left and people moved away, Sarah said. She would know – she was a member of the church her whole life, and her great-great-grandfather, John Bittner, was reportedly one of the foundational members.

Sarah’s husband, Brad, also grew up in the area. Both graduated from Escanaba High School, though Sarah went to elementary school in Bark River. They moved away for a few years, for college and for a spell living in Florida, before returning home to settle in Delta County and raise their children. The family lives just a couple miles away from the brewery, in the area considered Riverland.

The Naults had toyed with starting a business for a few years.

Flights at The Church Brewery allow patrons to choose four offerings from the 12 taps. On this tray, which is designed after one of the building's stained glass windows, are "sacred sangria," a cider; blackberry shandy; "holy wah-ter," a hoppy light lager, and "vacation bible school," a vanilla stout. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

“We were looking for a place to open a brewery … We looked at lakefront, you know, different properties around Delta County, but they were always too expensive or too far or just didn’t fit the mold for us,” Sarah said.

When she first heard her own church was closing, Sarah said, the thought of acquiring the building didn’t even occur to her. For all the Naults knew, perhaps the church would continue to own the space. It wasn’t until they saw the “for sale” sign go up towards the end of 2023 that they realized they could fulfill their dreams somewhere so close to home, in a place they already felt attached to.

“I got married here, and my parents and my grandparents all got married here,” Sarah said. “I have a long connection to this building.”

The place stayed active as a church until February of 2024. Once St. Paul finally closed and moved out, and its members moved on to other parishes, the structure at 5133 I Rd. became no longer a church.

“At the last mass, they decommissioned it, (essentially saying) ‘it’s just a building now,'” said Brad.

Part-time bartender Kristi Wilson works behind the bar at The Church Brewery in June 2025.

Over the next 11 months, the place was prepared for its next life as The Church Brewery.

Though the building has good bones and was pretty structurally sound, there was some work that had to be done to comply with codes that hadn’t applied when it was a house of worship. Renovations included some plumbing and electrical work, ADA modifications, and were accompanied by a number of inspections.

As is routine, the Ford River Township board and nearby residents had to be consulted before plans could kick off. Though some people had some concerns and wanted to make sure the place wouldn’t become a raucous den of debauchery, the new owners assured them that The Church Brewery would be family-friendly, tame, and not open all hours of the night.

It opened for business in January of 2025.

The craft beer concocted by The Church Brewery is done so in relatively small batches. With two 3.5-BBL systems (1 BBL = 32 gallons), they have the capacity to make a maximum of 28 barrels per month. While some small breweries produce beer to be distributed off-premises, almost everything brewed at Church is consumed within its walls.

A partially-drank "Nectar of the Gods" sits on the bar before a stained-glass window at The Church Brewery. (R. R. Branstrom)

Seated at the bar, a patron may choose from the list of brews written on the chalkboard – all given names that give a light-hearted callback to the place previously being a church – to be pulled fresh from one of the taps on the wall. There’s also a good amount of seating scattered throughout the place – high tables with chairs, low tables with pews, a couple armchairs, and even an upper-level loft.

By mid-late summer of 2025, The Church Brewery had opened up a dog-friendly outdoor area that they hope gets more use this year – the Naults are looking forward to bringing in a food truck regularly, too.

At present, they serve pizza and snacks, but are not equipped with a full kitchen.

The Church Brewery has also been making their own wine on site for the past several months. Prior to that expansion, they had developed some sweeter brews – like shandies and ciders – to appeal to those who aren’t big beer fans.

Brad and Sarah said they like making such small batches; it gives them the opportunity to experiment, take risks and shoot for various styles and flavors. Some have paid off and become well-loved staples – like the blood orange wheat beer called “Nectar of the Gods” and the vanilla bean stout named “Vacation Bible School.”

Though they have canning capacity for customers who want to take beer home with them, most things brewed and poured by The Church Brewery are enjoyed in the taproom. At present, largely because of their limited output, they don’t distribute to stores. However, Sarah said that they would be open to supplying kegs to local bars if there was interest.

Brad noted that there is the capacity for growth and expansion if demand increases.

As far as the brewing process, the destination in Hyde completes the end stage. Because of the way their property is laid out, they are not permitted to complete the boiling and mashing on site; therefore, a subcontractor produces wort for The Church Brewery, and then the fermentation, flavoring and dry-hopping is done on premises in Hyde.

Modern beer drinkers who like logging their craft tastings may appreciate that the one-year-old brewery has a presence on Hop Passport, Untappd and TagaBrew.

While much of the traffic was from local residents at first, the Naults said they get a ton of out-of-towners in the summertime — whether they’re tourists passing through, visitors to the casino and golf courses, or beer enthusiasts on the hunt for unique brews.

Beyond producing and selling beer and wine, The Church Brewery looks forward to helping the community and partnering with other entities. They’ve already hosted a handful of special events and served as a meeting space, and live music is becoming more regular, but they’d love to see even more engagement – they welcome school fundraisers and collaborations with other businesses.

Sarah said that one of her favorite things about running the business is the positive feedback she hears — people remarking how beautiful the place is or thanking the Naults for bringing a new business to the small community. Brad said that he enjoys working with ingredients, trying new things, and getting into a rhythm.

At present, The Church Brewery is open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Hours will change in the summer.