Batch Brewing Company

Batch Brewing Company is a nanobrewery located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. Established in 2015, it is recognized as the first nanobrewery in the city. The brewery was launched in part with a $50,000 prize from the Hatch Detroit contest, a Comerica Bank-sponsored entrepreneurship competition designed to support small businesses in Detroit. Over the course of a decade, the brewery has become a fixture in Detroit's craft beer scene, operating through periods of economic pressure that have forced many comparable establishments to close.

History

Batch Brewing Company was founded by Stephen Roginson and Jason Williams, who won the 2013 Hatch Detroit contest and received a $50,000 award to help launch the business. Hatch Detroit is a business competition backed by Comerica Bank that awards funding and mentorship to Detroit-based entrepreneurs. The pair envisioned a nanobrewery, a very small-scale brewing operation typically producing fewer than three barrels per batch, paired with a limited food menu. That model distinguished Batch Brewing from the larger microbreweries entering the Detroit market at the time.

Two years passed between the Hatch Detroit win and the brewery's opening. The gap reflected the startup realities of small-scale brewing: equipment purchases, licensing, and the full build-out of a Corktown taproom took time to complete even after the prize money and additional support had been secured. Before opening, artist Antonio "Shades" Agee painted a mural at the location, marking the space as part of Corktown's broader artistic identity from the outset. The brewery's opening was welcomed as a meaningful addition to the Detroit beer scene, which was expanding rapidly during the mid-2010s as the city's broader economic revitalization drew new investment and residents to neighborhoods like Corktown.

In February 2025, Batch Brewing Company celebrated its 10th anniversary, a milestone that has grown increasingly uncommon in the craft brewing industry, where a significant share of operations close within their first five years. The anniversary was marked with events at the taproom and coverage in local press. Roginson and Williams acknowledged the difficulty of sustaining a small hospitality business amid rising ingredient costs, supply chain disruptions, and the economic headwinds that have hit Michigan's restaurant and bar industry hard since 2020. Many Detroit-area craft breweries didn't survive that stretch. Batch Brewing did.

The brewery has continued to expand its community programming beyond the taproom. The BOSS BBQ festival, a two-day music and barbecue event, was held at Batch Brewing Company, reflecting its established role as a neighborhood venue. In May 2025, the brewery hosted a Claude Young ambient set during Movement festival weekend, part of a Reset Fest programming series that drew attention for coaxing the Detroit techno figure out of retirement for a one-off performance. Batch Brewing also hosts an annual celebration recognizing International Women-Owned Businesses, now in its second year, adding a civic dimension to its event calendar that extends the brewery's role as a community space.

Location

Batch Brewing Company is situated in Corktown, one of Detroit's oldest surviving neighborhoods, bounded roughly by the Lodge Freeway to the east and the historic Michigan Central Station to the west. The neighborhood has undergone substantial reinvestment since the mid-2010s, driven in part by Ford Motor Company's acquisition and redevelopment of the Michigan Central Station complex, which has drawn tech firms, restaurants, and creative businesses to the area.

Corktown's mix of preserved 19th-century brick buildings, independent bars, and locally owned restaurants has made it one of Detroit's most visited neighborhoods. Batch Brewing's presence contributes to a cluster of food and drink destinations that draw visitors from across the metro area. It sits within walking distance of other Corktown businesses, making it part of a walkable commercial corridor that's unusual by Detroit standards, where most neighborhoods remain heavily car-dependent.

Offerings and Culture

Batch Brewing produces handcrafted beers on-site and serves a food menu that has evolved since the brewery's 2015 opening. The founders originally planned a limited food program to accompany the beer, consistent with the nanobrewery model, and the kitchen has remained part of the taproom experience. Food vendor pop-ups have been incorporated into the weekly schedule, with rotating offerings that supplement the in-house menu and give local food entrepreneurs a platform.

The brewery hosts live DJ sets as part of its regular programming. DJ Dan Austin, founder of the local history project Historic Detroit, has performed at the taproom, a booking that reflects Batch Brewing's interest in connecting its space to Detroit's broader cultural community rather than operating strictly as a drinking establishment. Events like the BOSS BBQ festival and the Claude Young ambient set during Movement weekend show the brewery's capacity to host programming that brings together music, food, and community engagement.

The mural painted by Antonio "Shades" Agee at the brewery's exterior remains a visual marker of the space. Agee's work is part of a long tradition of public murals in Detroit that use building facades as canvases for community expression. The piece has served as an identifier for the brewery's location since before it opened, and it's become inseparable from the brewery's public image in Corktown.

Hatch Detroit

The Hatch Detroit contest, which Batch Brewing won in 2013, is an annual competition that awards funding and business support to Detroit-based retail and food entrepreneurs. Comerica Bank is the primary sponsor. Winners receive a $50,000 cash prize along with mentorship, legal support, and marketing assistance. The contest was created to accelerate the return of independent brick-and-mortar businesses to Detroit neighborhoods and has funded dozens of local businesses since its founding.

For Roginson and Williams, the Hatch Detroit win was the financial catalyst that made the brewery viable. Small-scale brewing operations face significant startup costs, including equipment, licensing, and build-out expenses, that are difficult to finance through traditional lending. The $50,000 award, combined with the visibility that came with the contest win, helped the founders secure additional support and complete the Corktown build-out that opened two years after their victory.