Meet Bill VanEenenaam, he is a quiet man who enjoys life’s simple pleasures. Whether that be drinking the sweet wort of the morning brew, a long walk on the beach, or listening to some Funk with his pet pig. Bill, referred to as the Flying Dutchmen to the entire brew team has described his job title as simply being a “bad ass”, is in fact the Head Brewer here at Perrin.
The “Flying Dutchmen” began working at Perrin Brewing in June of 2014, and had previously worked at New Holland Brewing Company, located in Holland, Michigan. When asked why he chose to go into the brewing business, he stated “Why not?”. We asked him about it later he said “I like beer, so I started home brewing a bit, and that kind of escalated into me getting a job at a brewery and becoming a brewer.” And lucky for Perrin Brewing Company, the Dutchmen flew over to Comstock Park.
Bill is in charge of the entire brew house. Starting with milling in from the giant silo out front, to getting the wort to meet up with the yeast so they can meet up and make some magic happen, along with everything in between. Bill likes to vacation in the U.P. during the summer and the Florida Keys during the cold Michigan winters. The quiet Bill that we know on a daily basis will go through a Hulk transformation turning into a menacing savage on Saturdays while watching Michigan Football. Beware Buckeye’s for the Flying Dutchmen is ever on the lookout for an upset.
Bill’s hobbies include camping with his wife and kids, fishing, kayaking, relaxing with a beer while playing with his pet pig.
If he was not already known for being the “’Bad Ass’ Flying Dutchmen” he very well could have the nickname of “Honest Abe” saying that “If I wasn’t in the beer industry I would most likely be a pro athlete, an astronaut or an adult film star. I’d probably keep the same nickname for my adult film name as well. I like the Flying Dutchmen name.”
Flying Dutchmen quick facts:
First Beer- Budweiser or New Holland or Founder’s (He can’t quite remember)
Favorite Perrin Beer currently on tap- Call The Banners
Favorite Perrin Beer of all time- Can’t choose, he likes to change it up and stay fresh
Favorite Beer Style- Lagers
Favorite non-Perrin Beer- Belgian Quads, brewed from the Monks
Favorite Perrin Lunch Item- Classic Reuben
Favorite West Michigan place to drink is Logan’s Alley or at his house because they both have a relaxed setting and a good selection of brews.
There you have it. You have now met “Bad Ass” Head Brewer Bill the “Flying Dutchmen” VanEenenaam.