It only took one lecture to change Eli Green鈥檚 life trajectory. The Troy native had been living in New York for several years and working as an actor. He had long had an interest in home brewing beer and had tried his hand at a few different styles. Then a friend gave him an extra ticket to an interesting-sounding lecture about beer and cheese pairings. That lecturer just happened to be Garrett Oliver, the revered longtime head brewer for . His lecture on the advantages of beer for pairing with cheese led Green down a rabbit hole that culminated in the June 2024 opening of on West Maple Road in Troy.
Green brought seasoned brewer Chris Coburn on board immediately. Together, they鈥檙e crafting a program that leans heavily on lagers and pilsners, with appearances from IPAs and a few specialty beers planned. The brewery walls feature photos and memorabilia related to trains and railroad history. I sat down with Green to talk about what it took to get started and his plans for what鈥檚 next.
What made you decide to take up home brewing and become a brewer?
Full disclosure: 鈥 It was a bad breakup, and I needed something to do. There was a really tiny, divey-looking bar very close to my apartment in Queens. On the wall was brewing equipment and grains. That was my first introduction to the fact that you could make beer at home fairly easily. I think it was the next day I came back and bought a little kit. I鈥檝e been brewing ever since.
Where did the name come from? And why all the train memorabilia?
The textbook definition [of a stumblebum] is a clumsy or inept person, and I carried that nickname with me through college. It鈥檚 become an alter ego of mine, a gentleman vagabond. At first glance, he might be unassuming, but he is a gentleman. I had a vague idea that I wanted to hearken back to the days of the hobo. It wasn鈥檛 until my logo designer brought in a design concept with this idea of a bindle stick and a hop plant that I really got serious about it.
The menu leans heavily on cheese: grilled cheese sandwiches, charcuterie. Why is that?
There鈥檚 something about wine that I feel doesn鈥檛 wash cheese away, but a nice crisp, bubbly beer will. When you get cheese inside your mouth, and it鈥檚 all on your tongue, and you take a sip of beer, all that washes down and you get that flavor coming off that mixes with the beer. It鈥檚 all about the protein in hops and the acidity.
What鈥檚 your recommendation for beer and cheese pairing?
I think the star player is the witbier. We鈥檝e tried it with an Irish cheddar and with a blue cheese, and it seems to hold its own against those strong flavors. My palate is not the same as your palate, so the rules I play by you might not agree with. There are a million different combinations.
This story originally appeared in the August 2024 issue of 黑料网 Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of 黑料网 Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our will be available on Aug. 6.
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