Brouwerij What?
A boy with a funny last name can be a little bashful, even embarrassed, by the various mispronunciations he invariably endures during his youth. I was no exception. Yea, I had gotten pretty good at anticipating having to spell it for folks all the time. “Say, is that French?,” folks would ask. I got to the point that I would make this silly retort about being from the French-speaking region of Iowa. It was funny to me, but usually resulted in blank stares.
Anyway, I grew up, as kids often do, and eventually, having the funny last name became less important to my identity. My adult identity was more centered on the man I was and the foundation that I had been built on. Make no mistake, that last name was still there, but the “funny” descriptor failed to survive to adulthood. I grew quite proud of it… DuBois.
My great-grandfather on my father’s side, Gustave DuBois, emigrated to the United States from Bruges, Belgium in the very early years of the 20th Century, and made his way to Iowa of all places. He settled in as a coal miner and married a woman of Dutch ancestry, Hannah Schakel. Life in Iowa wasn’t easy back then and Gustave was tough. I am proud of being descended from such determined folk on that side of the family.
My mother’s side of the family certainly contributed their fair share of grit as well. My grandpa, Max Miller, was a farmer, and so was his dad. My mom grew up on the farm, waking up at the literal crack of dawn to get outside and do her chores. Grandpa farmed over 700 acres at one point, raised some livestock, and was the most ornery man you’ll ever meet. My grandma, Jo raised a garden, kept chickens, cooked, canned, stitched and knit clothes, and did about a hundred other little tasks to keep the household afloat.
I would be lying if I told you that I had always wanted to grow up and brew farmhouse ales inspired by Belgian and French traditions as a result of my last name. No, it wasn’t until much later that the decision to incorporate the last name into the business dawned on me, a proverbial “light bulb moment” if you will. But it kind of makes sense in a way. In French, DuBois means “of the wood” which is quite convenient for a guy who loves oak aged farmhouse beers and mixed culture sour ales.
And so, the name Brouwerij DuBois is a neat little representation of all that we hope this humble little endeavor of ours stands for: family, tradition, hard work, responsibility, integrity, beauty, and quality. We set out to build this business, to brew these beers, to serve our friends and family, hoping to honor the hard work and dedication of Gustave, Max, and Jo.
But that’s not where it ends. They may be the foundation upon which we are built, but innovation, stewardship, and adventure are what will drive us forward. We hope you will join us for the long haul!
