Our Story
Welcome home to great brews and kindness
Our Vision
The Boulder Jct. Brewing Co.’s mission is to become a social and economic hub for our community by brewing top quality beers and providing a welcoming atmosphere for our local and seasonal customers to share with each other.
The Boulder Jct. Brewing Co. serves top quality beer to our local and seasonal customers, while supporting our community socially and economically and respecting and enhancing our local environment.
Meet the Brewer
Tracy Converse
Tracy Converse, a native of rural central New York, discovered her passion for brewing early on. Since 2016, she has been honing her craft professionally at Lake Anne Brew House in Reston, VA, following years of home brewing starting in 2014. Tracy is a Certified Cicerone Level One and an active member of the Pink Boots Society, showcasing her commitment to excellence in the beer industry. She holds a certificate from the Siebel Institute World Beer Academy Intermediate Concise Course in Brewing Technology, underscoring her dedication to mastering brewing techniques. Tracy's creativity shines through in her recipe development, with notable contributions such as the collaborative brew "15 Shades of Grisette" (2018 Pink Boots DC Chapter Collaboration Brew), as well as standout beers like Brown Eyed Girl Imperial Brown Ale, Heart Beet Saison, Shuck Oyster Stout, Brewsters’ Barleywine, and Broomstick Brown Ale. Her journey in brewing continues to blend innovation with tradition, making her a respected figure in the craft beer community.
our taproom history
One of our Core Values is to Remember and Respect. We wouldn’t be where we are today without those who came before us in our community, in our families, and in the brewing industry. It is important for us to recognize them and to tell their stories. This is the story of 10351 Main Street, our taproom.
In August 2022, we purchased the property at 10351 Main Street in Boulder Junction. We had been keeping an eye out for possible brewery sites for some time. When this spot came available, we walked through the property and just knew that it had to be our location. The building at 10351 Main Street had a storied history. Bill and Clara Paquette built the initial structure in 1953 and sold Woolrich and Pendleton clothing. In 1956 Kate and Betty Brady leased the building from the Paquettes and opened Tourist Togs, a ladies clothing shop. Within a couple of years, the Brady’s moved Tourist Togs to another location, so Fred Haag took over the lease and opened his first Lakeland Marine business.
Dwight and Arvilla Doss took ownership of 10351 Main Street in 1964. Longtime residents of Monticello, IL, the couple moved north after Arvilla retired from her career as a schoolteacher. They soon opened Arvilla’s Antiques and became a staple of Main Street shopping. Wanting more space and opportunity to offer more merchandise, they hired Bill Gabert, Sr. to remodel and extend the building, adding a large back room with a beautiful stone fireplace, a massive carved wood mantle, a large chandelier, and gorgeous rustic wooded trusses.
Dwight passed away in 1989, and soon thereafter Arvilla sold the property to the Bauers. Prior to our purchase, this was the home of The Blueberry Patch, a Boulder Junction icon for around three decades. Mike and Joyce Bauer took ownership of the property in 1990 and opened The Blueberry Patch soon thereafter. They retired in 1998-99, and their son Mike and his wife Jean took over from them. For the past 18 years, The Blueberry Patch was operated by Stephanie Miesbauer, who finally retired at the end of 2021.
We purchased the property with the full intention of modifying the existing building to fit our brewery and taproom operations. Unfortunately, it quickly became very clear to us that it would be virtually impossible to bring the building up to codes to operate year-round as a brewery. Building codes have changed significantly from the 1950s and 60s. We made the decision to demolish the existing structure and design a new brewery and taproom structure that would meet state codes, provide space for efficient brewery operations, and pay homage to the original structure. Our architect has been able to hit all these goals, and it’s wonderful to see this vision come into reality as we continue our construction process.
We were able to salvage quite a bit of material from The Blueberry Patch before demolition. Even though we couldn’t keep the building in its original form much of its spirit will live on in the new structure. Stay tuned as we go through the process of repurposing salvaged woods and items to be featured in our taproom!
