By now a lot of you have heard of our house IPA, Fox Deluxe. Most of you have enjoyed many a pint in our beautiful taproom. But like most of our beers, the name of it has a lot of cultural and historical significance to the Creston neighborhood and the craft beer mecca that was and still is Grand Rapids, MI. Fox DeLuxe is no exception. This bright, citrusy IPA’s namesake comes from a Midwestern family of brothers known as The Fox Brothers, who made their path into the craft beer scene through some of the most trying times for brewers and beer drinkers alike in the mid 1900s.

Prohibition almost ruined everything, didn’t it?

External view of Fox DeLuxe Brewing Company

After huge success in Chicago, Peter Fox Brewing Company sought to grow their brand and increase their production to satisfy the demand of thirsty workers. Buying up other breweries, like Kiley Brewing Company, in their original hometown of Marion, Indiana, Peter Fox Brewing Company was soon becoming a beer juggernaut of the Midwest in the 1940s. Because of this success, Peter Fox continued buying up properties that his beloved his Fox DeLuxe beer, among others, could be brewed, packaged and sold. Among those places was the former Hoffman Brothers Brewery on Monroe Street, and another well-equipped brewery space that became known as Fox DeLuxe Brewing from 1941-1951.

Most of the Fox DeLuxe materials can still be found and purchased online. The Fox DeLuxe 32-IT quart cone canned by the Continental Can Company goes for nearly $2,000.00 online…whew! Sounds steep, but look at this beaut:

Original Fox DeLuxe Beer Can

It has been documented that during its 11 year reign, Fox DeLuxe Brewing Company helped boost the Peter Fox coalition to combined total barrelage of one million! With beers like Alpine Pilsner and Patrick Henry Extra Smooth Premium, the Fox Brewing stronghold was ranked thirteenth of 25 leading breweries in the nation, beating none other than Miller Brewing Company, in 1944. Fox DeLuxe Brewing Company closed it’s doors in 1951, but it’s place in craft beer history remains as one of the most successful.

It seems as though things have come full circle for Peter Fox’s beer legacy through the help of Creston Brewery. We love the rich and interesting history of craft beer and love to incorporate that in each and every pint you have. And in the words, of Peter Fox, “Don’t say Fox…Say Fox DEEELuxe!”