EP-420 Eeva and Trace Redmond of Elder Piper Beer + Cider

It’s a classic question asked first in a novel, then in music, and often as
a half-joke pop culture reference: Can you go home again? People change
over time, but of course, places do, too. What we’ve previously experienced
in our hometowns and where we grew up can feel distant for a very good
reason. Time and experience changes us all, whether we like it or not. But
in this episode, we’re going to explore what it means to lean into this
question and ask instead, “what does it feel like to be home, again?”

Working through this with me is Trace and Eeva Redmond, a couple who in
recent years took years of experience working in beer and returned to
Eeva’s home town of Petoskey, Michigan where they’ve opened Elder Piper, a
brewery and cidery located along the shores of Little Traverse Bay on the
upper portion of the state’s mitten shape. As brewer, Trace brings brewing
experience that includes stops at Michigan’s Founders and Roak Brewing, as
well as North Carolina’s Highland Brewing. Eeva has worked in a collection
of hospitality and communication roles in beer as well, including positions
at Roak Brewing, Sierra Nevada, and Highland.

Why open a brewery now, at a time when we hear about so many closing?
That’s where we start our conversation, but it leads us to many other ideas
and reflections about what it means to start a business in a city of 6,000,
especially when it’s the place where you grew up. As you’ll hear, community
connection has been pivotal to Eeva and Trace, and their story offers
something of a roadmap of what it takes to launch a new,
neighborhood-focused brewery in today’s market.