Beer, Coffee and Comfort Food Bring People Together at Juniper Brewing Co. in Bowling Green

When Chris and Zach Tracy gutted a building in Bowling Green to create their brewery, coffee shop and restaurant in 2020, they envisioned a place where members of the community could connect with friends and family. 

They opened Juniper Brewing Co. a year later, and today the couple’s initial vision plays out regularly during breakfast lunch and dinner. The spacious, sun-filled dining room’s wooden tables and church pews are filled with people enjoying brews, be it one of the beers carefully crafted by Zach (a former chemistry teacher) or one of the coffee drinks from the menu of lattes, espressos and other caffeinated creations. 

During a visit to Juniper Brewing Co. on a sunny Sunday afternoon, college students are here enjoying lunch and a beer with friends or typing on their laptops with a latte and some Juniper Balls (protein energy bites) in the coffee area. Families are found here, too, in a space meant to encourage connection and togetherness.  

“I was super intentional about the feeling I wanted people to have when they walked in,” Chris says. “When you walk into Juniper, I want you to feel like you’re walking into my house. I want to show you what I’ve been working on. Bring your friends. Bring your kids.” 

Chris, who has a master’s degree in business administration, and Zach, with his background in chemistry, work together to curate a menu of American comfort food that uses their beers in the dishes. The Smash Burger is the most popular item on the menu, and it goes well with the Soul Shine IPA. The Hazy IPA Mac and Cheese with sweet, tangy and salty bacon jam incorporates the Interstellar IPA and pairs well with it.  

Juniper’s Brewing Co.’s most popular beers are the Ale Ziggy Zoomba, a blonde ale named after one of BGSU’s official fight songs, “Ay Ziggy Zoomba;” Soul Shine West Coast IPA, which is Juniper’s flagship IPA; and Seven Story Mountain oatmeal stout. Ciders, like the Scarlet Begonias, and seasonal beers are part of the menu as well. 

“Oftentimes, we find the same person who likes a craft beer likes a really good coffee,” Chris says. “Expect the unexpected from Juniper. It’s always like, what are we going to do next?”

145 S. Main St., Bowling Green 43402, 419/819-4935, juniperbrew.com

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