Sister Lakes Brewing Company to host paint night Wednesday

Published 8:49 am Monday, January 29, 2018

SISTER LAKES — The light golden hue of lagers and the rich dark brown shade of stouts will not be the only colors on the palette at the Sister Lakes Brewing Company Wednesday evening.

The local microbrewery will host its second-ever “Paint Night at the Brewery” from 6 to 8 p.m. that evening inside its taproom, 92500 County Road 690, Dowagiac. A $40 fee is required to participate, which will include a free painting lesson by local artist Tami Roth, as well as a canvas, brushes, paint and other materials guests will need to create their very own artistic masterpiece.

People interested in participating are asked to call the brewery at (269) 332-5135 or RVSP through the brewery’s Facebook page, facebook.com/sisterlakesbrew.

Roth will guide participants step-by-step on how to create their own winter-themed painting. Guests will first be shown how to perform a particular technique, at which point they will return to their easels and do it themselves, before gathering in front of Roth to learn the next step.

The brewery hosted its inaugural paint night in October, after Roth approached it about hosting a special painting class that fall, said Brian Morin, one of the owners and brewers at the business.

“A lot of wineries do a ‘wine and canvas,’ so why don’t we do a ‘beer and canvas?’” Morin said. “It gives people a chance to show off their artsy side and to have a great time.“

The event was an instant success, with about 25 people participating, Morin said.

“It was a fun event for both experts and beginners,” the owner said. “We had people who had never painted before in their lives walk away with a nice painting they could either keep or give away as a gift.”

The event will also give people a chance to try out Sister Lakes Brewing Company’s assortment of IPAs, ales, porters and other craft beers, all brewed onsite.  Morin and the other brewers recently added two beers to the menu.

The first is a winter warmer called the “Driftskipper,” named in honor of the local snowmobile club that meets inside the brewery. The dark seasonal beer is brewed with a blend of eight spices — including cinnamon, cloves and allspice — which makes it the perfect way to warm up on a cold winter evening, Morin said.

The brewery also added a Mexican-style lager, called “Primos,” which means “cousins” in Spanish. The beer gets its distinct, light taste from yeast that originates from Mexico City, Morin said.

Customers may also enjoy the bar’s selection of ciders and wines as well, along with the kitchen’s selection of sandwiches, salads and other dishes. Every Wednesday, the business offers BBQ pulled pork sandwiches and sloppy Joes for $2.

The paint night is just one of several events the brewery hosts every month. The business also has a team trivia night every Thursday, and routinely hosts live music inside its taproom.

For Morin — who runs the business with his two brothers, Joe and David, and their father, Jerry — these special evenings, along with special discounts and seasonal brews, are a great way to get people to get out of their homes to enjoy a night out, especially during the winter when most simply want to stay indoors.

More importantly, however, the brewery wants to continue to offering their neighbors a great place to eat, drink and enjoy one another’s company, per the business’ motto of “fostering community one pint at a time.”

“We don’t want to be a place where people just come to drink,” Morin said. “We want to give people an outlet where they can embrace the community — where they can meet new friends or reconnect with old ones. It’s all about community.”