Roar Brewing Company
Brewery · Midtown ·
Veteran-owned brewery with unique beers & friendly atmosphere
Veteran-owned brewery with unique beers & friendly atmosphere
"The taproom opened at 666 Selden Street in early July with a weekend celebration that kicked off on Thursday, July 10; the three-day event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a set by Detroit’s own DJ Invisible, live music performances, TVs broadcasting local sports, and a lively hustle line that energized the courtyard patio. The MVP of the tap list is a black honey oat stout — a deliberate and unusual choice for a flagship beer that speaks directly to the brewery’s mission and identity: "We want to make everyone stout drinkers," Fay says. "It represents the brewery really well; dark, smooth, creamy, and there’s a subtle sweetness from the honey. People think stouts are just for cold weather, but I want to enjoy them any time, all the time. Think of us as Detroit’s Guinness." Owner Evan Fay — a U.S. Air Force veteran who also co-owns Café Noir and Chloë Monroe Galleries — has worked with Wayne State historians to confirm that this is Detroit’s first Black-owned brewery, acknowledging the boldness of the claim and noting that Black-owned breweries make up less than 1 percent of breweries nationally; this operation thus joins a small but growing community of Black-owned breweries and beer professionals in Michigan, including 734 Brewing Company in Ypsilanti and Black Calder Brewing Co. in Kentwood. On representation, Fay observes: "I don’t think people don’t drink craft beer. I think they just don’t drink beer, yet," and he adds a personal origin story: "I didn’t drink a ton of beer before going into the service, but once I started learning about its complexities and the people behind it, it changed my perspective. I started to imagine what my place in it could look like. I’m hoping to inspire others in that way, too." He also notes how these businesses build community: "Craft breweries are good at gathering the community together through their programming." The brewery debuted with a lineup of six beers it calls its franchise players, including a raspberry wheat, pilsner, IPA, amber, and the honey oat stout, all brewed on a 10-barrel system by head brewer Dave Hale (formerly of Nain Rouge); Fay served as assistant brewer during the lineup's development before stepping back as day-to-day operations demanded his time. The operation emphasizes local sourcing — malt from Great Lakes Malt and honey from Hives for Heroes, a Michigan-based, veteran-owned business — and occupies the former home of Nain Rouge Brewery, a fitting site given Nain Rouge’s earlier focus on a brewing education program for low-income and minority brewers. The interior opens onto an extended patio through a roll-up garage door and the brewery plans to add an 800-square-foot, three-and-a-half-season room to increase covered seating. Programming aims to make the taproom a neighborhood gathering spot and includes karaoke nights, hustle and line dancing, weekly drum circles, and sports watch parties; there’s a small-bites menu in development with the neighboring Barcade and a collaborated popcorn flight with So Creamalicious that pairs with the taproom’s beer flight. Inspired by Midnight Sun Brewing, the brewery runs a pay-it-forward program where guests can buy a beer for someone who has experienced a specific situation written on a card that is then hung on the wall; instead of a traditional mug club it offers a season-pass model tied to Detroit’s pro sports teams, with an annual Pride membership costing about $175 and season pass memberships ranging from approximately $100 to $150. The brewery plans to host three tours a day with beertenders facilitating them, with Fay’s goal that everyone who works there will know as much about the beer and brewing process as the brewers do to make beer accessible in a comfortable, inviting environment." - Courtney Burk
"A neighboring brewery collaborating with the new restaurant to develop a line of beers designed to pair with the kitchen’s flavors, with proposed ideas including a black-sesame–infused porter, a Sichuan pepper–spiked saison, and a lychee-and-cherry-blossom blonde ale to complement both the menu and the bar program." - Serena Maria Daniels
"This hidden gem in Midtown is not only home to one of Detroit’s newest micro breweries — named after the the legendary red dwarf that costumed Detroiters drive out of the city every year. It also faces a communal outdoor patio area that is also connected to Barcade and Smith and Co. Pull up on a bicycle and grab a pint from the brewery under the sun or at the neighboring restaurant whose menu utilizes the beer for many of its food items." - Serena Maria Daniels, Eater Staff
"A small taproom that opened after a long wait, operating a limited schedule and pouring a rotating lineup that includes experimental offerings like a coffee stout and a session IPA brewed with rose hips; the brewery is affiliated with a neighboring hospitality business and runs an educational program aimed at supporting minority brewing entrepreneurship." - Brenna Houck
"I visited Midtown's new brewery Nain Rouge, which opened in mid-May at 666 Selden St next to Smith & Co.; named after the storied mischievous imp of Detroit, it features a variety of brews including the Jalopy session IPA, sells its beers exclusively at Smith & Co.'s bar, and has partnered with Eastern Michigan University's Fermentation Science program to serve as a brewing school to promote diversity in the beer industry. The brewery had been expected to open within months of Smith & Co.'s 2019 launch, but that did not happen." - Serena Maria Daniels
