Erratic Ale in Downtown Dexter is Changing Hands

The Erratic Ale Co. isn’t closing, but it is in the process of getting new ownership.

The family owned and operated nanobrewery in downtown Dexter has been a fixture in downtown Dexter since 2020. Owners Brian and Deb Schroeder now say they’re making a decision to transfer ownership to a like-minded buyer.

The Schroeders told the Sun Times News, “The brewery, taproom and café are not closing, but will transfer to new ownership.”

“We have found a like-minded buyer who wants to continue serving the Dexter area community with great beverages and a comfortable, family friendly place to enjoy them,” the Schroeders said. “We are working through the sale process and continue to run the operations as we normally would… no changes. The intention is to have no interruption in operations and a seamless transition to the new ownership. We anticipate the transfer will happen sometime in early fall.”

The new owner will be Andrew Groat, who first fell in love with Erratic Ale a few years ago.

“I first stopped into Erratic Ale one evening a few years ago while my daughter was attending a class at Dancer’s Edge,” Groat said in what drew him to Erratic Ale. “I had a flight and remember being impressed with the beers and thinking it was such a nice community spot.”

He was impressed.

“I personally prefer the hoppy ales, but I liked that Erratic had a brew on tap for every beer lover, whether that be Belgian styles, lagers, pale ales, sours or stouts,” Groat said. “I’ve been a novice homebrewer since the late 90s, and over the years I’ve visited loads of hip, fun craft breweries and thought to myself ‘why didn’t I do this?’ When I heard that a nanobrewery was for sale in Dexter, I immediately hoped it was Erratic and knew that I wanted to be part of its future.”

Making Erratic Ale a Community Hub

The Schroeders said they have loved their time in the Dexter community and appreciate all of the support from their friends and neighbors.  

“We feel it is time for us to step back so we can be more flexible with our time,” they said. “We would like to be able to spend more time with our family who all live out of state.”  

From where it started six years during the challenging times of the COVID era, Erratic Ale has become a destination spot for community members and visitors.

“We couldn’t be happier with the response and support from the community that got us started and kept us going through COVID,” the Schroeders said. “The Dexter community really embraced the brewery initially in 2020, and then the specialty coffee when we started that in 2022. We have enjoyed every bit of our time at the brewery and engaging with the community. Thank you for all the love and support over the past six years we have owned the brewery.”

They said they are “very pleased and proud of what we’ve accomplished with the brewery.”

“We wanted to create a community focused, family friendly space for people to gather and enjoy handcrafted beer and coffee. Feedback from the community seems to indicate we’ve hit that mark,” the Schroeders said. “We are happy to still be going strong and we are happy to continue serving great beverages to our community.  The new owner plans to continue that tradition and has ideas in mind to continue growing and improving what we have started.”  

In thinking about the past six years, the Schroeders gave a special thanks to a group of people that have helped make Erratic what it is.

“We want to especially thank our team members who work very hard to provide fantastic service for our guests. They have been great throughout this transition and are also dedicated to ensuring our customers are happy with the service,” the Schroeders said. “We couldn’t ask for a better team!!”

Looking Ahead

Groat, who grew up in Bowling Green, about an hour south of the Dexter / Ann Arbor area in northwest Ohio, said his path to this Dexter business has been a unique one from which he’s drawing inspiration for the next phase for Erratic Ale.

He said he left the Midwest after high school, lived up and down the Northeast and then spent sixteen years abroad in London and Abu Dhabi, before moving “home” to be closer to family during the pandemic in 2020.

“Part of Deb and Brian Schroeder’s inspiration for the ‘Erratic Ale’ name was their own family’s many moves, and I feel it’s similarly fitting for my family’s sometimes erratic life,” Groat said.

His professional background has been in finance and banking, which was the impetus for his family’s various moves before they eventually returned home to the Midwest. After nearly 30 years working in financial services, he recently retired from that career to focus full time on Erratic Ale. 

In thinking about carrying on what makes Erratic great, Groat said he also loves paying homage to the area’s geology and glacial past. An “erratic” is a large boulder that has been transported from its original resting place by a glacier, settling in a new area where it does not naturally belong, he said.

“Needless to say, I will not be changing the name,” said Groat.

He said he sees his role with Erratic Ale to “partly serve as the steward for the great business and beloved community hub that the Schroeders have built over the past six years.”

“My primary goal in the months ahead is to make sure this transition is as smooth as possible for the current employees and customers of Erratic Ale,” Groat said. “I’ve been brewing with Brian every week since April, learning his recipes and methods in order to maintain the high-quality brews Erratic is known for.”

He said he also wants to make sure Early Pour at Erratic Ale continues to serve downtown Dexter’s finest specialty coffee and remains a welcoming spot for morning and afternoon meetings, chats, remote work or simple solitude with a good book or puzzle. Also, Run Club will continue to have a home at Erratic, as will the local artists who have performed and quiz night + music trivia hosts that have kept customers entertained. 

“Looking forward, I’d like to offer more refreshers, mocktails and other NA options for guests to enjoy, and perhaps experiment with some new food items or collaborations with food trucks,” Groat said. “Erratic’s relationship with Raterman Bread Haus & Bistro next door is wonderful, but I’ll want to solve for the days and hours when Raterman isn’t open. I love the success and camaraderie of Run Club — could we eventually see an Erratic Cycling Club, an Erratic Fishing Club?! Most importantly, I’ll welcome and consider feedback and suggestions from the community and our staff.”

So Erratic isn’t going anywhere. It will continue on with what makes it great at its home at 8080 Grand Street.

To learn more about it, go to https://erraticale.com/.

Photo: Erratic Ale is located at 8080 Grand Street, Suite 3, in Dexter. Photo by Lonnie Huhman