After attending Kalamazoo College, Larry begins working at the original Sarkozy Bakery where he gains an interest in yeast and fermentation. Soon after, Larry starts brewing his own beer and sees an opportunity.

Larry opens his homebrew supply store, a precursor to the brewery, on Burdick St. in downtown Kalamazoo, under the name Kalamazoo Brewing Supply Co.

Brewing with a 15-gallon soup pot, Larry Bell sold his first commercial beer on this date in 1985.

Great Lakes Amber Ale (now known as Amber Ale)

Bell's Beer

Beer production reaches 135 barrels (1 barrel = 31 gallons): originally self-distributed, Larry and a staff of 9 bottle and deliver everything for the next four years.

Referring to the coastline created by the Great Lakes, Third Coast Beer was created before the craft beer market really took hold in the United States: people were afraid of beer called “ale.” Even though it is technically a Pale Ale, it was named “beer” to be more approachable. The original

Referring to the coastline created by the Great Lakes, Third Coast Beer was created before the craft beer market really took hold in the United States: people were afraid of beer called “ale.” Even though it is technically a Pale Ale, it was named “beer” to be more approachable. The original label set was a series of 24 different labels that traced a map of all 3,288 miles of the Michigan coastline, touching four of the five Great Lakes. TCB went to Larry's Library in 2017. 

Porter: Our award-winning Porter bridges the gap between malty brown ales and heavily roasted stouts. Notes of chocolate, coffee and roasted barley are offset with just a slight hop bitterness. 

Kalamazoo Stout

Best Brown Ale has had many labels - from plain text, to the label pictured here to a series of owl paintings. The most recent version features a Great Horned Owl.

Cherry Stout

Special Double Cream Stout

Third Coast Old Ale

Now shipping more than 500 barrels annually, Rave Associates, based in Ann Arbor, becomes our first wholesaler to further establish Bell's across the state of Michigan.

Expedition Stout

Brewing capacity increases again with the installation of a 2-barrel brew system. 

Bell's celebrates its first Eccentric Day: originally a Bell's employee holiday, this annual party has grown over the years. Intended to showcase your alter-ego, or the side of you that wouldn't show up at the office, it is a day of food, beers and music. 

 A long way from the original soup kettle, a larger brew system is installed. We still brew on this system to this day. 

Now known as Oberon Ale, this summer beer starts a revolution all on its own. Originally released in 22 oz. bottles, the name was changed in 1997 because of trademark concerns with a Mexican brewery. Larry picked the name because he played Oberon, King of the Fairies, in his sixth grade

Now known as Oberon Ale, this summer beer starts a revolution all on its own. Originally released in 22 oz. bottles, the name was changed in 1997 because of trademark concerns with a Mexican brewery. Larry picked the name because he played Oberon, King of the Fairies, in his sixth grade production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." MORE OBERON. 

Bell’s became the first Michigan brewery to open an onsite pub, the Eccentric Café, at 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave.

The acclaimed beer and whiskey writer, visited what was then known solely as the Kalamazoo Brewing Company. 

One of the earliest Bell's beers, Pale Ale was renamed Midwestern Pale Ale in 2012. That recipe used barley from the Bell's Farm (no longer affiliated with the brewery) in Shepherd, Michigan. That label featured a painting of the barn and silo on the farm by a local, Kalamazoo artist. 

This space has come a long way from where it started. 

The first version of Two Hearted debuted in the late 1980s as a Pale Ale brewed with English malt and Wisconsin grown hops (the two “hearts”). The Two Hearted we know and love today debuted in 1997 as a winter seasonal. In 2003, it became a year round offering and surpassed

The first version of Two Hearted debuted in the late 1980s as a Pale Ale brewed with English malt and Wisconsin grown hops (the two “hearts”). The Two Hearted we know and love today debuted in 1997 as a winter seasonal. In 2003, it became a year round offering and surpassed Oberon as Bell’s best-seller in 2013. [MORE TWO HEARTED]

7 miles from Bell's original location, Comstock will become the future home of Bell's main brewery. Bell's Kalamazoo location continues to be a home to innovation. 

Java Stout

Construction on Bell's Comstock Brewery is completed. Equipment is moved in and the first beer is brewed. 

The original footprint is just over 35,000 square feet.

Winter White Ale (now Bright White Ale)

Our Comstock Brewery receives an additional way to package Bell's beer. 

Hopslam 

Our Comstock Brewery expands for the first time, but not the last. Construction will continue, in stages from here on out. 

An Anton Paar for measuring alcohol, density and estimating calories is installed in the Bell's Quality Lab. 

Learn more about our year-round Lager. 

Hall Hath No Fury...Ale

Octoberfest Beer

Consecrator Doppelbock

First cellar expansion is announced.

Black Note Stout

Bourbon Barrel-Aged Expedition Stout

Hopsoulution Ale

Christmas Ale: the basic inspiration was to create a sessionable holiday beer which would stand apart from the array of spiced, high ABV winter warmers typically introduced during the holidays. The original Christmas Ale was designed to be a beer that could be paired with food without overwhelming it.

Christmas Ale: the basic inspiration was to create a sessionable holiday beer which would stand apart from the array of spiced, high ABV winter warmers typically introduced during the holidays. The original Christmas Ale was designed to be a beer that could be paired with food without overwhelming it. Brewed without any spices: all of the dry, toasted notes and subtle toffee flavors come from the 100% Michigan-grown, custom malted barley, In 2017, the recipe was tweaked to be more malt-forward and fuller bodied as a Scotch Ale.

Oarsman Ale grew out of a desire to explore the tradition of session beers, trading intensity for finesse while still creating a flavorful experience. This was one of the first bottled Bell's beers to make the transition to cans only. Despite common misconceptions, it is not a Berliner Weiss, nor

Oarsman Ale grew out of a desire to explore the tradition of session beers, trading intensity for finesse while still creating a flavorful experience. This was one of the first bottled Bell's beers to make the transition to cans only. Despite common misconceptions, it is not a Berliner Weiss, nor was it wild fermented. A ground breaking beer when it was released, Oarsman was removed from our year-round lineup in 2019 and is currently not being brewed. 

The Oracle was developed from a one-off batch brewed for the Craft Brewers Conference that was called “Big Head San Diego Style Ale.” The name and label refer to The Pythia, the title given to a priestess who serves as the Oracle of Delphi from Greek history & myth.

Updates included a state-of-the-art music venue, expanded restrooms, additional seating options, a transformed Beer Garden, a new patio and a new main entry way.

Golden Rye Ale (now known as Smitten) was one of Larry Bell's earliest recipes. It was originally part of a series of rye beers released in 2010. It was part of our seasonal lineup (spring release) from 2013 through 2017. It has been released as a specialty once since then. 

The timeframe and size of Skills Week has ebbed and flowed over the years, but it has always been about our employees. We gather to discuss where we've been, where we are going next and get to know one another better. Workshops, guest speakers, a company picnic and celebrating milestones

The timeframe and size of Skills Week has ebbed and flowed over the years, but it has always been about our employees. We gather to discuss where we've been, where we are going next and get to know one another better. Workshops, guest speakers, a company picnic and celebrating milestones are all a part of this annual company event. 

Construction begins in Escanaba, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on our sister brewery.

Learn more about Sparkleberry Ale. 

First full-time microbiologist hired as part of the Bell's quality team. 

A division of Bell's, it is an entirely separate brewery, offering a completely different line of beers available across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The first of our 800 barrel fermenters is installed. 

Construction continues in Comstock: The Cube AKA our waste water treatment facility comes online; our Quality Lab adds ICP for measuring water quality and PCR for the analysis of beer DNA. 

Bell's Brewery is named Voted one of the Best and Brightest companies to work for in the U.S.!

Other Best and Brightest awards include: 

• West Michigan's Best and Brightest 2015-2018
• Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation 2015-2018
• Best and Brightest in Wellness 2016-2019

The 150 square-foot kitchen that served the Café’s guests for more than 20 years, makes way for an expanded, brand new bar and additional draught options. A full-service restaurant and full-sized kitchen now also occupies space once used to brew and package beer. 

Everything you love about Two Hearted , but doubled. 

Pooltime Ale

Learn more about our dry-hopped lager. 

Construction is completed on a brand new Bottling Hall, warehouse space, additional fermentation space, employee care areas and Logistics Center.

Learn more about our Coffee Millk Stout. 

Sixteen 400 barrel dry hop fermenters added to Cellar A.

This a specialty American IPA was brewed for release in Texas to celebrate the addition of our 31st state. The first time we brewed a beer specifically for a new market, it was only available during our launch in the Lone Star State.  Fun fact: this beer shares a name with

This a specialty American IPA was brewed for release in Texas to celebrate the addition of our 31st state. The first time we brewed a beer specifically for a new market, it was only available during our launch in the Lone Star State.  Fun fact: this beer shares a name with a song by the band Asleep at the Wheel who have performed at our Eccentric Cafe twice. 

Twelve additional 800 barrel fermenters are installed. Other construction projects are completed including yeast propagation system upgrades, two pilot brew systems and a specialty packaging line installation. 

Bell's first publication in the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC). 

Twelve additional 800 barrel fermenters are installed, yeast propagation system receives upgrades, two pilot brew systems and a specialty packaging line are also added. 

Learn more about Larry's Latest Sour Ale.

Get up and close with these flamingos (no tarp needed).