Story and photos by T. Michael Stone
You’re obviously familiar with Lakelife magazine since you’re reading the latest issue at this very moment, but did you know Lakelife is more than just words and photographs?
It’s also beer.
And there is no better way to enjoy the magazine than by drinking a cold, refreshing Lakelife Lager, official beer of Lake Oconee … or would be if such a thing existed.
Lakelife lager is the creation of Michael Abbruzzese and Peggy Teufel of the newly minted Bruzze Brewery and Taproom on Scott Road.
The beer they created turned out to be so good, Putnam County had Scott Road completely resurfaced so beer lovers would have an easier time getting there.
Now that’s good government.
According to Michael and Peggy, a passion for beer was what brought them together. But it took a while. “We met in high school,” Peggy says. “We had our first date at 16 and our second date at 51.”
Yes, you read that right.
Michael and Peggy went to the same high school in West Virginia and went on a first date that, due to circumstances any teenager would understand, turned out to be the last … at least for quite some time. Michael went on to Morgantown to study chemistry at West Virginia University, and Peggy went on to Shepherdstown to study business and psychology at Shepherd University.
Separated by 150 miles and different life paths, it looked as though Lakelife lager and the 12 other beers available on tap at Bruzze Brewing might never be made.
But stay tuned …
Michael’s family and Peggy’s family remained close, and Peggy and Michael remained friends.
Both married and started families in the interim.
Peggy is the mother of 27-year-old twin daughters; Hannah is currently living in Jacksonville, Fla., and Kayla in Charleston, S.C.
Michael’s 24-year-old daughter, Erika, recently earned her master’s degree in psychology and son, Michael, is scheduled to graduate from the University of Georgia next year.
Still, Michael and Peggy stayed on different tracks until a casual lunch conversation led them into a conversation about beer.
As fate would have it, the two realized they both had an interest in the craft beer business.
So, what next?
According to Michael, the first step was an obvious one: Learn how to brew beer.
So that’s what they did, experimenting with recipes as homebrewers. Their hobby soon morphed into a passion.
Peggy and Michael decided to pursue the goal of opening a brewery, setting up a five-year plan to get it done.
According to the Bruzze Brewing website, “our vacations were planned around hiking and visiting breweries where many of our ideas for a brewery came from. We entered numerous homebrewing competitions and have won awards in several states. If we didn’t win, we took the comments to heart and tweaked our processes.”
The two knew they would have to understand the nuances of the business and started to fashion logos for their beers. Peggy drew up the five-year plan, which worked almost to perfection. Then the search began for the location of their dream brewery.
Michael and Peggy decided the Lake Oconee area would be an ideal place for it and moved to Eatonton in February of 2023.
Michael says property was acquired near Highway 44, but supply chain issues caused prices to skyrocket on materials needed to construct a building. Then they learned the building that once housed the Classic Car Museum might be available. The building had the necessary infrastructure, and Michael and Peggy picked up two of the remaining suites, which totaled 4,200 square feet.
Soon, the creation of Bruzze Brewing got underway, and the spot opened in October of last year.
So far, Michael and Peggy have created 21 different varieties of craft beer and will soon offer another seasonal brew when Octoberfest – a beer Michael is currently in the process of brewing – becomes available.
Bruzze Brewing offers 12 beers on tap, and you also can get Lakelike in four packs at the brewery. He said they made Lakelife to epitomize the lifestyle of the area.
Michael and Peggy have created a pallet of different beer styles that land at different spots on the IBU (International Bitterness Unit) scale.
A beer’s bitterness comes from the hops used in the brewing process. IBU values start at zero and climb all the way up to 100. According to Michael, lager beers tend to be lower on the IBU scale with a softer flavor. Lakelife Lager is an example with an IBU rating of 6.
It’s Christinith IPA, on the other hand, ranks highest on the IBU scale at Bruzze Brewing with an IBU rating of 80. “This hopped up IPA was created using Mosaic, Citra and Simcoe hops that bring out the flavors of tropical fruit with hints of mango and mandarin orange,” according to the website.
Summer Bruzze IPA falls somewhere in between with an IBU rating of 50. It was created using the same hops used to brew Christinish and also Orange Blossom Honey.
Whatever your preference, Bruzze Brewing has you covered. So, have a beer and enjoy the rest of the magazine.
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This story appeared in Lakelife magazine, Volume 18, Issue 4 (August 2024) and is the property of Smith Communications, Inc. No portions of the story or photos may be copied or used without written consent from the publisher.
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