Loaded Dice Brewery plans move to new Clawson location in 2024

Loaded Dice Brewery — which opened in 2020 inside a tucked-away plaza in Troy and has since become known in the southeast Michigan region for its off-the-wall but tasty brews and sharing the recipes — is on the move, but it's not going far.

Owner Jef Smith confirmed that Loaded Dice will open at 400 S. Main St. in Clawson next year, and is finalizing plans and documents for further approvals with the city and receiving bids on the project. Clawson, a small Oakland County community of about 11,000 people, has not had a brewery since Black Lotus Brewing closed in 2019 (though Grand River Brewery plans to open a taproom in the former Black Lotus location).

The move to the 7,800-square-foot space will allow Loaded Dice to increase its beer production and taps, while also introducing wine, cider and mead options. It'll feature a small kitchen, event space and outdoor beer garden with fire pits and a community space.

“Our current space has cultivated an atmosphere that approaches the brewery experience with a fun and whimsical attitude," Smith said in a news release. "Our new space will allow us to continue this and create one of the premier brewery experiences in the area. We will continue to offer more events, activities and other unique things that we have gained a reputation for."

Construction on the Clawson brewery is expected to begin this fall, with the goal of opening in late spring or early summer 2024. The roughly 2,000-square-foot Troy location at 1725 Rochester will remain open during that time, six days a week, with a rotating list of 8-12 beers on tap.

Madison Heights-based Architectural Intelligence will design the brewery, where guests can expect to be immersed in the brewing experience. That shouldn't come as a surprise for anyone familiar with Smith and Loaded Dice; Smith shares the full recipes of his beers and often collaborates with regulars to come up with new releases.

Smith, a longtime homebrewer and St. Clair Shores native, also introduced a crowdfunding campaign — which he originally utilized via Kickstarter to open Loaded Dice in 2020 with his wife, Jennifer, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — to allow members and loyal fans to support the new Clawson brewery and help expand its marketing and distribution. So far, he's raised more than $80,000 from more than 115 investors through the Mainvest campaign.

"When looking for our next space, it was important for us to find a location that was already part of a vibrant community and within a short distance of a residential neighborhood," Smith said in a news release. "We pride ourselves on involvement and want a collaborative environment for our guests. We recently released an American Coffee Stout named ‘2/7 Off Suit’ that came from one of our Beer Factory events where guests came up with several ideas for beer styles, flavors and even label art. The winner this time around was a Clawson resident, which is fitting. It’s also our 300th batch brewed since we opened."

Loaded Dice is perhaps best known for its series of Fat King beers, all of which feature some combination of peanut butter, bacon and banana notes, based on accounts of Elvis Presley's favorite sandwich. The base beer, The Fat King, is an 8.7% alcohol-by-volume weizenbock that's peanut-forward with banana notes and bacon smoke. Loaded Dice is hosting its annual Fat King Release Day on Saturday, featuring four Fat King releases.

Brian Manzullo covers craft alcohol for the Free Press. Contact him: bmanzullo@freepress.com and on Untappd, bmanzullo and Twitter, @BrianManzullo and @SpiritsofDET.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Loaded Dice Brewery to open new location in Clawson in 2024