The Great Fermentations Story

Well, where do we begin? It started in 1995 with a desire to try something new and an interest in this thing called “homebrewing.” Our founder, Anita Johnson, asked a friend to teach her how to make beer in exchange for a home-cooked meal of boxed mac ’n’ cheese and fish sticks (nothing but the finest). When she popped the bottle of her first batch, Cheeks to the Wind mild, she knew things would never be quite the same. Soon after, she left corporate life, ventured out on her own, and Great Fermentations was born.

Anita began her adventure in a comfortable—and by comfortable, we mean cramped—900-square-foot storefront, with an oversized closet for storage and three volunteer employees: her husband and two sons. Over the next three decades, that little shop grew into a place where brewers and winemakers could find ingredients, ask questions, swap stories, and share something they made themselves. We even got a forklift. It was a big deal to us.

None of it would have happened without the best darn customers a business could hope for, the people who helped build Great Fermentations, and this great hobby we all love.

Today, our story continues with a new chapter. Great Fermentations is now part of Beer Meister, a fellow family-owned homebrew business based in Plymouth, Minnesota. Our Indianapolis storefront has closed, and we now serve customers through our online store, with orders shipping from Minnesota. Our Indiana roots will always be part of our story, and we’re grateful for every recipe conversation, shared bottle, and brew-day adventure along the way.