Saline residents Ron Schofield Jr., Mark Zadvinskis, and Ed Brosius joined forces to open the city’s first microbrewery July 31. The instantly popular Salt Springs Brewery combines a microbrewery with a full service farm-to-table restaurant and beer garden.

Their meticulous restoration of the old Methodist church not only celebrates the history of the building and the region but skillfully embraces the wit and spirit of its owners. Look skyward to the interior dome of the church, and you’ll see a mural reminiscent of Michelangelo’s on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This one, however, by local artist Dan Barry, depicts the hand of God touching a sprig of hops rather than Adam’s hand. “The image is meant to honor the fact that the building was once a place of worship,” says Barry.

Beneath the dome, the sun shining through the giant stained-glass rose window bathes the main-floor dining area in jewel-colored hues. The face of the granite bar top is made from reclaimed oak doors from the building. A metal reproduction of a skull of a saber-toothed cat sits atop the corner of the open-concept kitchen counter. “In prehistoric times, mastodons and saber-tooths roamed this area, attracted to the minerals in the nearby salt springs,” Zadvinskis explains.

Tall and fit with cropped blond hair, Zadvinskis exudes enthusiasm for the microbrewery and for his two co-owners. The partners recruited fifty silent investors from among friends and family and secured a small business loan from Old National Bank in partnership with the Michigan Certified Development Corporation. They’re employing sixty-four people, mostly part-time.

Zadvinskis and Schofield met just a few years ago. “We’re neighbors. Ron’s an architect and runs Ron Schofield Design in Saline,” says Zadvinskis. Schofield, now Salt Springs general manager, is a beer lover, but Brosius and Zadvinskis have the long history of brewing it.

“I’ve been brewing for over twenty-five years,” says brewmaster Brosius with a hint of a smile underneath his impressive handlebar mustache. Brosius and Schofield met years ago when their now-grown children were young Saline Fiddlers. “Ron tasted my brews and has always encouraged me to open a brewery,” says Brosius. Both Zadvinskis and Brosius have engineering backgrounds. Brosius worked in material science as a metallurgist for a faucet company and later for a forging company. “Understanding the technology behind metal and water and erosion comes in handy when you’re making beer,” Zadvinskis explains. Zadvinskis has degrees in mechanical engineering and fine arts, but it’s beer and brewing he loves to talk about: “My parents gave me a beer-making kit right after college, but it was my roommate’s kit that changed everything. His had better instructions than mine. We made this great-tasting beer, and I was hooked. I joined the Brewers’ Guild that same week,” laughs Zadvinskis, who spent summers touring breweries in Belgium and Germany whenever he could.

They’ve been brewing at Salt Springs since June. The seven-barrel Wisconsin-made system fits nicely downstairs–they’ve added a lift big enough to load and unload giant barrels and brewing apparatus (a second, ADA-approved elevator transports guests to the lower-level restrooms). Ten to twelve beers will be on tap at any given time. The beer brews range widely, with IPAs and seasonal beers rounding out a strong selection influenced by Belgian and German classics such as Koelsch. “It’s less hoppy and closer to a Pilsner, with delicate honey and floral notes, and requires a very careful mash and fermentation temperature control,” says Zadvinskis. “You can’t make any mistake with this one. The result is a very smooth, refreshing summer flavor.”

They also have several wines on tap, served by the glass, as well as by the bottle. They’re working with Michigan wineries, including L. Mawby Vineyards of Suttons Bay.

The building was purchased for $700,000. Schofield oversaw the meticulous restoration and preservation of its historic features, especially the stained glass. An Amish family made the dining tables out of reclaimed barn wood from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. A small private room off the main dining area in what was once the ground floor of the bell tower houses a beautiful handmade table for eight. Customers can play darts in another small room. The second-floor mezzanine seats up to twenty-four, and the beer garden adjacent to the building another seventy-five; its graceful landscaping and twinkling mini-Edison lights make for an inviting atmosphere.

Executive chef Justin Dalenberg worked most recently as head chef at Zingerman’s Roadhouse, “I’m having a blast,” Dalenberg says. “I’m passionate about beer and working on a simple farm-to-table menu, and I’m just getting entrenched in this.” He’s originally from Port Huron, and his parents own a small farm in Onsted, where several crops have already been planted for use in the Salt Springs kitchen, including over 400 pounds of Kennebec potatoes ready for a fall harvest.

“I live by one motto. It’s the make-it-yourself culture, everything from cheese to sausage. And keep it simple,” adds Dalenberg, making it two mottos. He collaborated with Zadvinskis’s wife, Tara, who is a registered dietician. “I’ve always believed you can eat healthily even when dining out,” Tara says. “Justin and I sat down at our kitchen table poring over cookbooks and brainstorming dishes that can be locally sourced throughout the year.” Their menu lists plenty of options for meat and fish lovers as well as vegetarians. Kids have a nice array of options, too.

Salt Springs Brewery, 117 S. Ann Arbor, Saline, 295-9191. Tues. & Wed. 5-10 p.m., Thurs. 5-11 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 5 p.m.-midnight, Sun. 5-9 p.m. Closed Mon. The brewery will serve lunch starting September 15, opening at 11 a.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. weekends. saltspringsbrewery.com

Reincarnations Resale on Michigan Ave. in downtown Saline closed its doors over the summer. A peek inside the windows reveals everything cleaned out except the antique sales counter and cash register. Owner Michelle Ingalls explained by email that she closed because her husband’s job moved to Plano, Texas.