MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - There is nothing like that feeling of kicking your feet up and enjoying a delicious beer…or two…after a long day. Or how about a craft beer? Well, luckily for residents in Meridian Township, there’s a brewery in town that has already made quite the impact on us beer enthusiasts.

From the rustic, low-key vibe…to the variety of delectable IPA’s, stouts, and ale’s…Ellison Brewery is everything from charming to tranquilizing.

“I think we're the only place in Lansing that is a one stop shop…we actually make all of our products in house from the brewery, to the winery, to the distillery, everything is made here on sight...we don't buy anything from anybody else and ya know that’s kind of our claim to fame,” Owner Aaron Hanson mentioned.

Hanson believe it or not is actually an automotive engineer…so how in the world did he get into the brewing business?!

“My best friend, my business partner who I went to high school with has worked on the beer distribution side. I was talking to him late 2013 over Skype about wanting to open a distillery so he said 'well the economics of a distillery are hard to start up, what if we did a brewery AND distillery because they share a lot of the same equipment'…so we looked at it and said yeah that looks like it will be feasible,” said Hanson.

These two entrepreneurs wasted no time in starting up this crafty business. In fact, it took only 15 months to get things up and running and now they are constantly whipping up new flavors.

“Yeah really it’s kind of a mad scientist playground in here,” Hanson said while chuckling.

“I think we're up to 20 right now, so 20 different beers. We’re actually trying to add 10 more tap handles so that way we can keep them all on in rotation different times of the year and we still have another 20/30 recipes we want to make,” stated Hanson.

From the sweet aroma of their Tiramisu Coffee Stout, to the sour zing of their Pasadena Pale Ale…this brewery has combinations that are beyond unique.

"It’s kinda whatever you want to create, you let your imagination run free,” Hanson mentioned.

Speaking of spontaneous creations, one of Ellison’s most popular brews is their coffee scented chocolate milk stout called “Mud Slinger.”

“One of the big things that we do different is that we actually use real cocoa nibs from Ecuador. We don't like to use a lot of extracts or flavorings here,” Hanson said.

Most beer fanatics actually find it hard to believe that only real ingredients like cocoa nibs, grain and coffee are what is used to create this delicious concoction.

“It tricks people and they're like 'oh you just put some kind of artificial extract flavor in it' and I'm like 'no we didn’t,” Hanson said while busting out a laugh.

And besides experiencing the hype of mouthwatering beer, there is nothing more thrilling for customers than a great bargain.

“Our mug club wall…we have a special deal for people who sign up for our club, instead of getting served in a normal pint glass which is 16 ounces, they get a laser etched mug with their name and number on it and then the volume of the mug is actually 19 and a half ounces so they essentially get a better value when they come in,” mentioned Hanson.

So far Ellison has over 300 mug club members and that number continues to skyrocket.

“It’s just a way to get people involved...you know if we have guys come back twice a week, instead of just having a normal pint they actually get a discount if they join the club,” Hanson stated.

This brewery is one of a kind and it is without a doubt that Aaron and his crew put their heart and soul into each of these brews.

“Everyone thinks it’s a really glamorous job and it’s really not...it’s a lot of hard work,” Hanson said.

But despite the intensive labor, it’s seeing the satisfaction of his customers that make each day feel effortless.

“To be able to create a product and then you see people’s reactions on their face and their like ‘oh my gosh, this is so amazing’...ya know, that’s kinda the best part about it.”