GRAND HAVEN — A lakeshore brewery offers seasonal beers and a colorful atmosphere.
Burzurk Brewing Co. — located on Washington Avenue near Beechtree Street — opened three years ago.
It's owned by Karen Forbes, who grew up in a small city called Salvatierra in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato, and her husband. Forbes started working in the restaurant industry at 15. She said she always wanted to open her own place.
“I really enjoy it,” she said. “I have a passion for it and that’s what got us thinking about (it)."
Forbes met her husband when he visited a restaurant in Mexico where she was working. After moving to West Michigan in 2012, she said, it was hard to find a job.
“It was a challenge for me ... coming from a different country with no background of education here from the United States, no background of work,” she said. “I looked for over a year ... and nobody would hire me.”
She and her husband started brewing at home on the side, but decided to go full-time in September 2020, when they opened the brewery. When they both lost their jobs during the pandemic, they relied completely on the business.
“We’re still going strong,” Forbes said.
The community has been very supportive.
“People are very welcoming and we've had an amazing response from our local people here," Forbes said. "They kept supporting us during COVID. They were coming and checking on us."
Forbes loves her work. The challenges she's faced, she said, have only driven her forward.
“In a such a male-dominated industry ... it’s always a challenge in trying to prove yourself, as a Hispanic Latina female, your knowledge of beer,” she said. “You’re always trying to prove yourself. So for me, that’s what keeps me going."
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She said it’s very traditional to drink beer in Mexican culture, but it wasn’t until she came to the United States that she “started really digging into the craft beer industry.”
“I just fell in love with all the flavors and … there’s so much spices and stuff and different types of hops. It’s very similar to my culture, because we use a lot of … herbs, fresh ingredients,” she said.
Customers will notice bright colors inside, including a mural on the wall with symbols for “peace, love and beer.”
“Beer just brings people together,” Forbes said.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Hispanic-owned Grand Haven brewery offers ‘peace, love, and beer’