GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Brewery Nyx’s operation may be small, but the brewery holds a big title.

“We are Michigan’s first dedicated gluten-free brewery,” Brewery Nyx Owner Jessica Stricklen said.

Inspired by her own intolerance for gluten, Stricklen spent more than a decade shying away from beers because of how they made her feel.

That all changed when she discovered two gluten-free options in her own town out west.

“I was able to go to a taproom and drink the flights and bring beer home,” Stricklen said. “It was so great to be able to have that experience again.

When this Michigan native returned home, only to find the area still didn’t have options for her gluten-free friends, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She had a vision and now needed a beer maker. That’s where Nick came in.

I’m not doing anything weird or special to it in order to make it gluten-free,” Brewery Nyx beer maker Nick LaVelle said. “I'm just using gluten-free ingredients to make regular beer.”

Together, they set out to create a craft beer taste they’d grown accustomed to, but without feeling sick after.

The names, the taste and even the look similar to what you see at other breweries, but the process is far from it.

"With normal barley, you take it, you throw it in the mash tun, you get it to the temperature that it needs to be at and the enzymes take over and they just convert it for you," LaVelle said. “But with millet and rice, you need to do several extra steps.

From grain to glass, the process can take up to three weeks.

“We’re going to be playing around with other food science flavors,” LaVelle said.

In December, they debuted their beers in multiple retail stores around Michigan, and now the brewery is set to open its doors to the public for the first time.

“You can have a flight, taste through and go to the cooler, grab what you want and bring it home, share it with friends,” Stricklen said.

Giving a taproom experience to those who haven’t enjoyed it in West Michigan until now.

Licensing is still being processed and they hope to be open in the next few months.

This story was first reported by Elliot Grandia at WXMI in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The San Antonio beer community represented at the Great American Beer Festival and one brewery brought home gold. The annual competition was held Oct. 6-8 in Denver, Colorado. Texas brought home 22 medals overall, three of which came from the Alamo City.

Roadmap Brewing took gold international-style pilsner with Alright, Alright, Alright. Mad Pecker Brewing claimed silver with Bitter Soul in the extra special bitter category, and Freetail Brewing brought home bronze for the Bowie Bock in the international dark lager category.

Johnson City claimed the most medals in the Hill Country. Pecan Street claimed two medals, gold for the Rye Lager and bronze German altbier with Road Devil Amber. Old 290 Brewery in Johnson City snagged bronze in the wood- and barrel-aged beer category with the Hell Raiser Bourbon Barrel Brown.

More golds for the Hill Country craft beer community were won by Alstadt in Fredericksberg with the Alstadt Lager in the Munich-style lager category and the top golden or blonde ale with Fireman's #4 by Blanco's Real Ale Brewing.

Austin's beer community snagged six medals overall, two golds from Lazarus Brewing with the Black Pearl in the herb and spice beer category, and in the German-style pilsner category with Industry by the Austin Beer Garden Brewing. Two silvers for Meanwhile Brewing in the American-style strong pale alec category with Secret Beach and Austin Beer Garden Brewing in honey beer with The Beeginning (not a typo!). Jester King and Pinthouse Pizza brought home bronze with Atrial Rubicite in Belgian fruit beer and Fresh Hop Training Bines in fresh hop beer respectively.

North Texas showed up with a spread of medals. The gold American amber lager was won with Sonidero by Windmills, which is located in the Colony. Carrollton's 3 Nations Brewing won silver in chocolate beer with Devour Imperial Milk Stout: Mexican Chocolate. First of His Name was crowned bronze robust porter, brewed in Weatherford by Edgewise Eight Brewing.

Dallas won two medals, silver in juicy or hazy India Pale Ale with IPO IPA from White Rock Alehouse & Brewery and bronze non-alcholic beer with Nada IPA by Community Beer. Fort Worth claimed bronze American fruit beer with Raspberry Fields from Maple Branch Craft Brewery.

Houston grabbed silver in light lager with Heights Light Lager by New Magnolia Brewing.

Customers are still sitting down for a cold beer at Joyride Brewing in Edgewater, Colorado.

“We always talk about stopping and smelling the hops. It’s all about the joy ride of life,” said Grant Babb, the owner of Joyride Brewing.

That’s despite new state rules that state bars must serve food to stay open, and Joyride doesn't serve food.

“It makes you lose a little sleep at night, not knowing every day when you wake up if you have to do something different. It’s trying to shoot at a bullseye and just watching it constantly move,” said Babb.

Babb had to make arrangements with multiple food trucks and the restaurant down the street to stay open. That’s because the recent spike in COVID-19 cases has led the state to put its economic restart plans on hold.

“In our case, we schedule out food trucks about a month and a half in advance, and we’re working with only the food trucks we’re trusted partners with,” said Babb.

Colorado isn’t the only state backtracking due to the surge. According to a tracker from the New York Times, 15 states are pausing plans to reopen and six are reversing course and shutting some things back down.

Arizona is one of those states where bars, gyms, and theaters have been ordered closed once again. Restaurants there fear the same might happen to them soon if new COVID-19 cases aren’t curbed.

“You can’t simply turn off and turn on a restaurant operation,” said Steve Churci, the head of the Arizona Restaurant Association.

He says the toll of shutting down those businesses for a second time would be crushing.

“If you were to shut down, what happens to the suicide rate? Does that go up? What happens to the homelessness rate, people losing their homes? So, there’s a whole other sad and unfortunate contingent that would be impacted by this,” said Churci.

Churci says service industry workers employ almost a quarter-million people and the state has lost $815 million in revenue from food sales. He says in a normal year, US restaurants sell $900 billion worth of food.

“Almost a trillion-dollar industry. So, we often say we’re the cornerstone of our communities. We’re the heart and soul of America in the restaurant industry, and we are,” said Churci.

For Joyride, the losses have been heavy as well.

“We, we’re down 80 percent in the month of March, April, May. And then June, we’re still seeing a significant decrease, we’re down definitely 40 percent,” said Babb.

For Babb, the money hurt, but letting his staff go was harder.

“It’s the most painful thing you can do is tell an employee that we don’t have any work for you,” he said.

He says it will hurt even more if he has to send his staff home again.