Beer and a Show

Hear.Say Brewing + Theater this year hosted the inaugural Yes, Ann Improv Fest, which sold out two of four shows in the Michigan Theater’s main auditorium. Hear.Say’s own theater has on-site programming most nights. | Michael Hovitch

Hear.Say Brewing + Theater is a lot of things: a craft brewery, a taproom, and a performance space for comedy of both the stand-up and improvisational varieties. Nestled into a cozy west-side commercial strip on W. Liberty, between Stadium and Maple, it’s also a welcoming neighborhood hub.

The taproom is bustling almost every day of the week, and you might encounter trivia, nonprofit fundraisers, or tastings. Some events are more unique. “We’re willing to do things that are a little unorthodox for a brewery, in terms of community and civic engagement,” says owner Tony DeRosa, a U-M MBA and former local improv performer. “We hosted a ranked choice voting event where people could get a flight of beer and vote for their favorite, [to] learn how that would work in the political process—but through the lens of beer.”

Hear.Say owner Tony DeRosa (second from left) and Yes, Ann Improv Festival headliners (left to right) Tim Lamphier, Colton Dunn, Eugene Cordero, and Suzi Barrett share their excitement in front of the brewery and theater on Liberty between Stadium and Maple. | Courtesy of Hear.Say Brewing + Theater

Next door to the tap room is the other half of Hear.Say’s operation—the theater. “We offer, by my most recent count, around twenty-three shows a month,” says DeRosa. Fridays and Saturdays feature a mix of stand-up and improv comedy, with the house improv troupe, 11 Non Blondes, performing every Friday night. Sunday is for particularly high-skill shows, including musical improv and “Extra Credit,” a partnership with U-M’s School of Information that combines academic lectures with comedy sketches. As the local talent pool expands with graduates of Hear.Say’s popular improv comedy classes, DeRosa hopes to add new shows with new twists.

This past summer saw the inaugural Yes, Ann Improv Festival, with fifty-five improv groups from around the country performing shows at both Hear.Say’s space and the Michigan Theater. “In our first year, we sold out two of four performances in the main auditorium,” says DeRosa. “So, it was pretty awesome.” (The Yes, Ann Improv Festival will return in 2027, see listing.)

But you don’t need to be into comedy to come to Hear.Say. The tap room is open six days per week (it’s closed on Monday) whether there’s a show going on in the theater or not. There are board games on the shelf and TVs on which you can request pretty much anything. A huge group of New York fans took over last June to watch the Knicks’ historic NBA finals win, and groups have come to watch Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and U-M women’s basketball games. “We’re willing to do what it takes to get games on for people, if that’s what they’re looking for,” says DeRosa. “I think it’s especially fun when you can make space for a group that maybe doesn’t feel like they have a space in town.”

Outside the taproom is a large concrete patio with gas firepit tables and comfortable lounge chairs. A grassy, expansive beer garden out back hosts lawn games and space for people to spread out and kids to let loose. “We’re very kid- and dog-friendly outside,” says DeRosa. On Saturday and Sunday evenings, the beer garden hosts live music from local bands. “We probably do more music than I envisioned when we opened, but we have so many artists looking for a home to be able to perform,” he adds.

All of Hear.Say’s beers are brewed on-site. DeRosa recently hired Wayne Burns, an award-winning brewer out of Denver. The menu rotates frequently, with plans for seasonal offerings related to Oktoberfest and the winter holidays. Recent beers include a hazy IPA (in honor of Yes, Ann) and a hefeweizen. “We expect to have a solid mix of IPAs, lagers, grain-forward beers, fruited sours,” says DeRosa. There are wines, ciders, cocktails, and nonalcoholic options. WestSide Biscuit—the food truck arm of Side Biscuit on Packard—serves up high-quality pub food including wings and chopped cheese sandwiches.

As Hear.Say settles into its third year of existence, DeRosa is firmly focused on maintaining a high-quality experience—beer, comedy, and ambience—for his customers. “We definitely want to be seen as a top choice for people that love craft beer,” he says. “Everything we do, we want it to be really positive.”