Unexpected Craft

By Sara E. Teller

Offering A Comfortable & Accepting Atmosphere

EDWARD & MARTHA STENCEL FORMED RIVER ROUGE BREWING CO. IN 2014. AFTER SPENDING LONG CAREERS IN THE FILM AND AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES, THE TWO DIDN’T YET HAVE A LOCATION PICKED OUT BUT KNEW THAT OPENING A BREWERY WOULD BE IN THEIR FUTURE.

“The name was a nod to my family history,” said Edward. “But when we decided on a location, we figured we should change it to be more fitting, since people were confused. That’s when we came up with Unexpected Craft.”

Landing in Royal Oak initially, the venture was certainly unexpected, but Edward had spent time in San Diego studying the craft of brewing under some master brewers and had a dream of owning his own place. Martha, who Edward called “the heart and soul” of the company, is majority owner, and he credits her encouragement for making the decision to take the plunge. The two met while working in the auto industry in Mexico. Eventually, the couple would expand operations to Oak Park, and when the pandemic hit it became obvious they needed to move out of Royal Oak. Edward is grateful to the City of Oak Park for offering grant money after the building was purchased that helped them get up and running. SEATED AT THE CORNER OF 11 MILE RD. AND GARDNER AVE. SINCE 2021, the 7,500 square foot building that Unexpected Craft Brewery Company currently occupies is central to many of Oak Park’s surround-ing communities including Berkley and Huntington Woods. In addition to a wide variety of beers on tap, cider, wine, and other must-try beverages, UCBC hosts trivia Wednesdays and live music on Fridays. There are also food trucks stationed at the brewery on the days in between. The Stencels are planning to expand their drink options to include mead, and patrons can take advantage of discounts offered through a Mug Club Membership. Edward said, “I am a former board member of the Michigan Brewers Guild and current member of the Guild’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) committee. We offer a very comfortable and accepting atmosphere here – all are welcome!”

14401 W. Eleven Mile Rd., Oak Park MI 48237 | 248.802.0555 | www.unexpectedcraft.com