Proprietor and mastermind Mitch Ermatinger, along with wife and partner, Whitney, opened Speciation Artisan Ales in Comstock Park in January 2017. They have since relocated Speciation to the Uptown neighborhood on Wealthy St., in a 100+-year-old former auto garage.

The business is now known as Speciation Cellars, reflecting an expansion of its beverage offerings beyond beer. Here’s what you need to know about Speciation Cellars, starting with the basics:

Address: 928 Wealthy St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506 

Speciation Cellars Taproom in Grand Rapids, MI

A look into the taproom on Wealthy Street.

Photo by Courtesy of Speciation Cellars

Beer

Speciation is known for its signature “wild” ales. Mitch Ermatinger refers to their beers as “rustic, wild beer that’s fermented with yeast from the environment.” Rather than traditionally inoculate their beers with lab-grown yeast, Speciation relies on what’s naturally floating around in the air (within the brewery) to make the magic happen.

Speciation also brews beer with single yeast cultures, including a lager, a pale ale and a stout. A Norwegian yeast strain called Kviek is used to ferment those beers, and they are available year round.

Prior to recent technologies that allow brewers to extract a single cell of yeast in order to harness its strain for consistency, Speciation’s brewing approach gives a nod to the way beer used to be made—one in which each batch, although perhaps the “same beer” on paper, is a beautiful anomaly from the last due to its reliance on trusting that Mother Nature will do her part where technology is generally relied upon.

Speciation takes a collaborative approach to its brewing. The brewery contracts with other breweries to brew unfermented beer for them. They’ve employed ArchivalCity Built Brewing Co. and the Mitten to handle this phase.

Speciation provides the recipe and the raw materials, and the specifications to the other brewery. That same day, the unfermented beer is turned back over to Speciation, where it spends the rest of its life fermenting, aging, and ultimately being packaged.

What makes Speciation’s beer particularly valuable is the blank canvas from which it starts.

Contained in a large 30-barrel and 50-barrel wooden foeder (approximately 1,000 gallons and 1,500 gallons, respectively), are their two distinct raw, house cultures used for the consistent base of their funky farmhouse ales and their sour/golden ales. It’s these two proprietary cultures that thread Speciation’s beers with its signature, underlying flavor profile foundation.

After being layered with fruit (locally sourced, seasons permitting) and other ingredients, about 75% of Speciation’s beers are laid to rest for months (or, even years) in an array of oak barrels.

While Speciation’s original focus was sour beers, its impressive sour selection is now complemented by a line of non-sour beers, including a lager, pale ale, stout and rotating seasonal beers, all available on draft.

Speciation Artisan Ales' taproom draft list is ranked in order of level of intensity, or acidity.

Whether it’s a craft beer, refreshing cider, or natural wine, Speciation’s taproom offers something for everyone.

Photo by Wes Kitten

Beyond beer

In addition to 10+ beers on tap at any given time, dry cider and hard seltzer are always on tap – the latter used to create a simple sort of cocktails. There are also many non-alcoholic options, both on draft and in cans and bottles, that you can enjoy in the taproom. (Try the Vernal Fizz, a house-made bubbly water featuring a rotating fruit twist, or the Pistachio Cream Soda, made with about half the sugar of traditional soda, both on tap.)

You can also get beers and seltzers to go in cans, bottles and, in the case of Kviek-fermented lager, a crowler.

Speciation's diverse menu extends to “natural wines,” which use grapes grown with little to no pesticides or other additives and are spontaneously fermented by the yeast that resides on the grape skins, then aged in oak barrels. Both “still” and “bubbly” wines are available.

Mug club

Culture Club: An upfront investment of $75 includes 20% off all purchases in 2025, four member-exclusive 375ml bottles of beer and special member-exclusive events.

Food Items

Speciation’s kitchen is currently closed, but you bring in your own food from lots of great places nearby, including Black Napkin, Electric Cheetah, Testa Rossa Italian Ristorante and Thai Table. Speciation also stocks a variety of snacks and regularly hosts yummy food pop-ups. 

Events

The Speciation calendar is packed with events, from free live music performances (every Friday), bring your own vinyl night (Wednesdays) and trivia nights (Wednesdays) to bingo, book fairs, mobile saunas and more. Visit the Speciation website for the latest schedule and to sign up for their monthly e-newsletter.

Outdoor Seating at Speciation Cellars in Grand Rapids, MI

During warm months, Speciation offers outdoor seating.

Photo by Courtesy of Speciation Cellars

Amenities

Ambiance: Relaxed and friendly, immersed in an intimate space shared with their production facility and aging barrels, commonly occupied by those in the know

Patio seating: Yes, a large permanent patio

Kids welcome: Yes

Pets Welcome: Well behaved dogs on a leash are welcome on the patio (but not inside)

Parking: Free parking lot, plus free street parking on the north side of Wealthy St.

Be sure to download the Beer City Brewsader® app before you visit Speciation Cellars (or any other Kent County brewery). Check into eight breweries and you’ll earn a free t-shirt, check into 30+ and you’ll get a free crewneck sweatshirt.

Speciation is also a Flights of Flavor destination, offering a flight of four assorted alcohols. Use the Flights of Flavor pass to check into Speciation and find other great drink and/or food pairings. Every check-in earns points that can be redeemed for cool prizes!

Cheers!