For Jim Barrie, brewing is a family tradition that extends back centuries. In the middle of the 19th century, Jim’s great-great-great-grandfather Philip Kling, a cooper by trade, immigrated to the United States from Germany to set up a barrel shop. Upon settling in his new country, he changed careers and founded Peninsular Brewing in 1863, which was eventually renamed Ph. Kling Brewing Company.
Kling was part of a wave of German immigrants in the mid-19th century who changed local preferences from English ale to clean German-inspired lagers. Ph. Kling Brewing Company became popular in the Michigan brew scene, made headlines for transitioning beer delivery from horses to truck and opening up a second location in Flint, Michigan. Kling produced lager beers until it was forced to shut down because of Prohibition.