At Elder Piper Beer & Cider in Petoskey, things keep getting curiouser and curiouser. We sit down with owners Trace and Eeva Redmond.
Trace and Eeva Redmond spent a decade working for some of the best breweries in the country—Founders, Highland, Sierra Nevada—before returning to Eeva’s hometown with their own business plan in hand.
At the core of Elder Piper Beer & Cider is a love for exploration. Trace has developed hundreds of recipes throughout his career, playing with herbs, spices, bark, coffee and fruits. But at distributing breweries, consistency is key. “They sell six-packs in stores, so you have to hit a certain price point and volume. Since our business model is direct to consumer, it allows us flexibility,” he explains. Eeva, a certified cicerone and international beer competition judge, calls it their Island of Misfit Toys, a home for the many ideas they’ve jotted down over the years.

The name Elder Piper comes from a genealogy project; borrowed from one of Trace’s ancestors from the 1800s. “We really like the way Elder Piper inspires curiosity,” Eeva says.
“It makes you ask, ‘What’s that about?’ And that’s the way we want people to approach us—with curiosity.”
Tucked half a mile outside of downtown Petoskey, the 24-tap brewery sits within the laid-back Old Town Emmet neighborhood. There’s a baseball field a stone’s throw away and a trailhead just around the block leading to the North Country Trail. It’s housed in a quirky 1930s cinder block building that was once home to a Bell telephone switchboard. Two large garage doors open to a small beer garden, where some days you’ll find Stiggs Barbecue Wagon slinging smoked wings, plates of brisket and a panko-crusted catfish sandwich that’s exclusive to Elder Piper.
Sip: The Beach Grass Helles Lager and Apple Blossom Cider are simple, elegant and approachable.
Celebrate: Elder Piper turns 1 the weekend of June 6. Stop by Friday–Sunday for special releases and community activities.
This article first appeared in Traverse Northern Michigan. Find this story and more when you explore our magazine library. Want Traverse delivered to your door or inbox monthly? View our print subscription and digital subscription options.