Speciation Cellars
Speciation Cellars is a Grand Rapids, MI craft microbrewery producing 100% wild and sour beers through mixed fermentation, serving craft beer enthusiasts and collectors via a taproom, monthly bottle releases, and the Cultured Club membership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersGrand Rapids, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Speciation Cellars does
Speciation Cellars (operating as Speciation Artisan Ales) is a craft microbrewery founded in 2015 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by Mitch and Whitney Ermatinger. It is the first and only 100% wild and sour beer producer in the Grand Rapids area, specializing exclusively in mixed fermentation, barrel-aged, and spontaneously fermented beers using a proprietary house culture of three Brettanomyces strains, Belle Saison yeast, wild yeasts harvested from Holland MI crab apple flowers, Lactobacillus species, and other microbes captured from the Comstock Park environment. The brewery operates a 3,000 sq ft production facility in Comstock Park and a taproom housed in a restored 100+ year old auto shop at 928 Wealthy St SE in Grand Rapids. Core products include flagship wild saisons (Genetic Drift), golden sours (Incipient), Berliner Weisse-style beers (Common Descent), Wild NEIPAs (Biomimicry), and foeder-aged solera sours, with ancillary offerings of hard seltzer, wine, house-made non-alcoholic beverages, merchandise, and glassware.
The business model is direct-to-consumer and highly curated. Revenue is generated primarily through taproom draft pours, monthly bottle and can releases gated through the Eventbrite ticketing platform with strict per-customer limits, and the annual Cultured Club membership ($75/year) which provides recurring revenue via discounts, exclusive cans, and early access. Secondary wholesale distribution is handled through M4 CIC for Michigan's lower peninsula, with limited international reach into the UK and select placements in Wisconsin and Indiana. Pricing ranges from $10-$32 per 750ml bottle and $8 per 19.2oz can, with methodologically novel production techniques including coolship spontaneous fermentation, can conditioning, and barrel aging across wine, bourbon, tequila, gin, scotch, rum, and applejack barrels. The company maintains a single-digit employee headcount and is entirely founder-owned with no institutional investment beyond a $5,000 Comcast RISE grant in 2025.
Speciation Cellars firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Speciation Cellars
- Legal name
- Speciation Artisan Ales
- Website
- https://speciationartisanales.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Speciation Cellars is a Grand Rapids, MI craft microbrewery producing 100% wild and sour beers through mixed fermentation, serving craft beer enthusiasts and collectors via a taproom, monthly bottle releases, and the Cultured Club membership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Speciation Cellars industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Brewery
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Premium, Rare & Collectible Alcohol Retail (Fine Wine/Spirits) (CRANAAAJ), Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA), Producer-Owned Retail & Bottle Shops (On-site) (THAFALAL)
Keywords
Where Speciation Cellars is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grand Rapids
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Speciation Cellars business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Taproom Pour Sales: On-site draft beer, wine, seltzer, and NA beverage sales at the taproom. Customers can drink on premises or purchase to-go. Family-friendly taproom with patio and dog-friendly outdoor area.
- Bottle and Can Sales: Monthly bottle release events featuring limited edition wild and sour ales. Bottles sold via Eventbrite reservation system with Saturday pickup days. Also sells 19.2oz stovepipe cans for Berliner Weisse style beers and NEIPAs.
- Cultured Club Membership: Annual membership program ($75/year) providing 20% discount on draft pours, bottles, cans, and merch, plus $3 off all draft pours on Tuesdays, eight exclusive 16oz cans, membership card, and invitation to holiday party.
- Merchandise and Retail: Online store selling glassware, merchandise (apparel), gift cards, and event tickets.
- Event Venue Rental: Hosting private events, live music performances, trivia nights, food truck events, and community gatherings. Bands can apply to perform via booking form.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Cultured Club 2026 Annual Membership |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Taproom Draft Pours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bottle Releases (750ml corked & caged) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Can Releases (19.2oz stovepipe) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Tip the Brewer |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Speciation Cellars product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Speciation Cellars is a craft brewery producing a 100% wild and sour beer portfolio using mixed fermentation, house cultures, and oak barrel and foeder aging. Its core products include wild saisons, golden sours, Berliner Weisse-style beers, and wild NEIPAs, sold through a taproom, monthly Eventbrite-ticketed bottle releases, a $75/year Cultured Club membership, and limited Michigan and UK wholesale distribution.
Product overview
Speciation Cellars is a craft brewery specializing in 100% wild and mixed fermentation sour beers, operating from a converted 100+ year old auto shop taproom in Grand Rapids, MI. The core product portfolio centers on barrel-aged sour ales including flagship beers like Genetic Drift (wild saison) and Incipient (golden sour), supplemented by Berliner Weisse styles, Wild NEIPAs, and foeder-aged solera sours. The company operates a taproom offering draft pours of crispy lagers, pale ales, oak-aged sours, seltzer, wine, and house-made N/A beverages. Ancillary offerings include the annual Cultured Club membership ($75/year with discounts and exclusive cans), bottled/canned beer releases via monthly Eventbrite ticketed events, Cellar Raid special releases, merchandise (glassware, apparel), and ticketed special events like The Moth Ball. Products are distributed statewide in Michigan with limited brewery-exclusive releases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cultured Club: Annual membership program offering 20% off draft pours, bottles, cans, and merch, plus exclusive Tuesday discounts and eight exclusive 16oz cans
Products and services
- Genetic Drift House wild saison fermented with Brettanomyces, Saison yeast, and house wild yeast with a multi-grain recipe (Pilsner, Vienna, wheat, rye, oats), dry hopped with Mosaic and Saaz; released in batches with different hop combinations; won World Beer Cup Silver medal for the Peaches variant.
- Incipient House golden sour base fermented with house blend of Brettanomyces, Belle Saison, wild yeast, and Lactobacillus with a simple grain bill of Pilsner, wheat, and oats; released in fruited variants including Tangerine, Black Currant, Pomegranate, and Cherry.
- Common Descent Berliner Weisse style sour beer, low alcohol (3.9-4.2% ABV), lightly tart, released in flavors including Lemon Lime, Cucumber and Limes, and Lime and Mint; available in 19.2oz cans for immediate consumption.
- Biomimicry Wild NEIPA Wild NEIPA fermented with house mixed culture, dry hopped with Belma, Citra, Chinook, Denali, and Amarillo, featuring fruity hop character balanced with brett funk; available in bottles and 19.2oz cans.
- Cultured Club Membership Annual membership ($75 for 2026) offering 20% off draft pours, bottles, cans, and merch; $3 off all draft pours on Tuesdays; eight exclusive 16oz cans; membership card for taproom discounts; invitation to Cultured Club Holiday Party in December; valid January 1 to December 31 of the membership year.
- Taproom Draft Pours On-site draft pours of crispy lagers, pale ales, oak-aged sours, seltzer, wine, and house-made non-alcoholic beverages served at the 928 Wealthy St SE taproom; customers can drink on premises or purchase to-go.
- Merchandise Branded apparel and merchandise items available through the online store for craft beer fans and taproom visitors.
- Glassware Branded glassware and KOOZIES available for purchase through the online store.
- Gift Cards Gift cards available for purchase in the online store for redemption at the taproom or on store purchases.
- Wine Wine offerings available at the taproom, with dedicated Wine and N/A Menu published for guests seeking non-beer alcoholic options.
- N/A Beverages House-made non-alcoholic beverages served at the taproom, featured in the dedicated Wine and N/A Menu.
- Hard Seltzer Hard seltzer offerings served at the taproom alongside beers and wine.
- The Moth Ball Ticketed Event Ticketed special event presented with GR Bug Club featuring bug-themed beverages, costume contest, photo booth, and live DJ; limited capacity event for ages 21+.
- Cellar Raid Release Event Special release event where Speciation opens the cellar for purchase of aged and rare bottles from previous releases, typically held for anniversaries with exclusive one-off beers and bottle pours.
Quantifiable outcome
- World Beer Cup SILVER medal - Genetic Drift Wild Farmhouse Ale with Peaches
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Speciation Cellars
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Speciation Cellars technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature5 records
Speciation Cellars partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Rake Beer Project (Muskegon)minorCollaboration on Mycoplasma - Nordic Cream Ale fermented with Hornindal yeast. Pre-opening collaboration for Muskegon brewery.
- Cultivate in YpsiminorCollaboration on Gram Positive - Coolshiped BA sour with Obsidian Malt and Concord Grapes. Cultivate serves beer on tap while Speciation bottles for brewery-exclusive release.
- Brewery VivantminorBrewery Vivant brewed a double batch (23 bbls) of Extinction Line sour for statewide distribution, helping Speciation reach more customers with affordable pricing.
- HOMES Brewery (Ann Arbor)minorCollaboration on Proglacial - Tequila barrel aged sour golden ale with passionfruit. Both breweries brewed their own versions; HOMES distributes their version at their Ann Arbor location while Speciation distributes through their channels.
- City Built Brewing CompanyminorCollaboration on Urbanization - Dry Hopped Wild Oat Pilsner. City Built brewed clean lager version (Conurbanization) at their location while Speciation brewed wild fermented version using house cultures.
- Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales (Denver)minorCollaboration on Montauk Kvass - modern interpretation of bread beer using cultures captured from Taum Sauk mountain flora. Joint brewing with mentorship relationship from founder James Howat.
- M4 CIC (East Side Distributors)coreEast side Michigan distribution partner for Speciation products. Also collaborated on Morphology Berliner Weisse release with exclusive east side distribution.
- Pike 51minorCollaboration on Vicariance Farmhouse IPA - wild IPA fermented in neutral barrels at Speciation with house cultures.
- Nyblad OrchardscorePrimary fruit supplier for cherries, peaches, plums, and other stone fruits from local Michigan farms. Source of Methley plums, sweet and tart cherries, peaches.
- Tanglewood Winery (Holland, MI)minorSupplier of blueberries and Aronia berries (chokeberries) for fruited sour beers.
- Berrien Domaine VineyardminorSupplier of Seyval Blanc grapes for Sympatric beer/wine hybrid - 45% of final blend.
- Gray Skies GinminorGrand Rapids distillery whose barrels are used for aging sours including Cucumosis, Cypsela, and Macromutation beers.
- Coppercraft DistilleryminorSupplier of bourbon barrels used for aging Heredity, Progenote, and other barrel-aged sours.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Speciation Cellars competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Brewery Vivant: Grand Rapids, MI peer brewery with Belgian-inspired and barrel-aged sour programs. Direct geographic overlap and existing collaboration partner; shares the Michigan craft brewery ecosystem with comparable taproom-led business model.
Broad incumbents
- Upland Brewing Company: Indiana-based craft brewery with a strong sour/wild ale program (Sour Reserve, Oude Tatsu, etc.) inspired by Belgian lambics. Comparable in mixed fermentation focus and Midwest distribution geography.
- Allagash Brewing Company: Maine craft brewery recognized for its coolship program and wild ales (Coolship Red, Resurgam). Comparable in wild/sour production methods and honor for terroir-driven beer, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader distribution.
- Founders Brewing Co. Largest Grand Rapids craft brewery with broad distribution and taproom. Comparable as a Michigan craft player with similar taproom-driven D2C channel, but with a much broader mainstream portfolio rather than wild/sour specialization.
- Russian River Brewing Company: Established craft brewery famous for sour programs (Supplication, Consecration, Sanctification) plus IPAs. Overlaps in barrel-aged sours and taproom/D2C bottle releases, but operates at much larger scale and broader portfolio.
Emerging players
- Bottle Logic Brewing: California craft brewery known for barrel-aged sours, stouts, and limited-release ticketed bottle events. Comparable in membership/reservation-driven D2C and barrel-aging focus, though with broader portfolio beyond wild ales.
- Blackberry Farm Brewery: Tennessee-based farmhouse-style brewery producing wild, sour, and barrel-aged ales with a taproom and bottle list. Comparable in mixed fermentation ambition and culinary ingredient integration, though smaller scale and regionally focused.
Direct peers
- Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales: Michigan-based pioneer of 100% mixed fermentation wild and sour ales using oak barrels and foeders. Often cited as the American wild ale movement's standard-bearer; directly comparable to Speciation in production methods, customer base (sour/wild enthusiasts), and taproom-plus-distribution model.
- Side Project Brewing: Missouri craft brewery renowned for mixed fermentation, wild ales, and barrel-aged sours distributed via a members-only bottle release model. Comparable in small-batch production philosophy, scarcity-driven pricing, and committed collector customer base.
- The Rare Barrel: Berkeley, CA brewery dedicated exclusively to wild and sour barrel-aged beers with a taproom and bottle release model. Operates a similar enthusiast-driven, limited-release D2C model with subscriptions and ticketed bottle releases.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Speciation Cellars social profiles
Digital presenceSpeciation Cellars financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Speciation Cellars leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Speciation Cellars funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Speciation Cellars M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Speciation Cellars
What does Speciation Cellars do?
Speciation Cellars is a craft brewery producing a 100% wild and sour beer portfolio using mixed fermentation, house cultures, and oak barrel and foeder aging. Its core products include wild saisons, golden sours, Berliner Weisse-style beers, and wild NEIPAs, sold through a taproom, monthly Eventbrite-ticketed bottle releases, a $75/year Cultured Club membership, and limited Michigan and UK wholesale distribution.
Is Speciation Cellars a public or private company?
Speciation Cellars is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Speciation Cellars founded?
Speciation Cellars was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Speciation Cellars based?
Speciation Cellars is headquartered in Grand Rapids, United States, in the North America region.
How does Speciation Cellars make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Taproom Pour Sales are the primary driver. The others are bottle and Can Sales, cultured Club Membership, merchandise and Retail and event Venue Rental.
Who are Speciation Cellars's main competitors?
Brewery Vivant is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Upland Brewing Company, Allagash Brewing Company, Founders Brewing Co. and Russian River Brewing Company. Emerging players are Bottle Logic Brewing and Blackberry Farm Brewery. Direct peers are Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Side Project Brewing and The Rare Barrel.
Does Speciation Cellars have an API?
No public API is recorded for Speciation Cellars.
What industry is Speciation Cellars in?
Speciation Cellars's product category is Craft Brewery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAA, Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service), with a secondary code of CRANAAAJ, Premium, Rare & Collectible Alcohol Retail (Fine Wine/Spirits). Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.