For 22 years, Jeremy Boucher served in the Army. That is where he met his wife, Kristen, who also served in the Army, for four years.

While Kristen returned to practicing chiropractic medicine upon exiting the military, the two had tossed around a few ideas of what they might do after retirement and joked about taking one of their favorite hobbies to a whole new level.

But that’s exactly what they did when, in June 2020, they opened the doors to Split Fin Brewing LLC in Midway, Liberty County’s first ever micro- brewery.

As Jeremy was approaching his military retirement, he had taken advantage of the Soldier for Life — Transition Assistance Program offered at Fort Stewart, which provides classes to transitioning service members moving into the civilian workforce. It so happens the program offered Jeremy an internship opportunity, allowing him to work at Coastal Empire Beer Company, a brewery in Savannah.

Jeremy said the experience not only bolstered his hobby of making homemade brews, but it also taught him the commercial and business aspects of a brewery. The more he learned, the more he realized that he and Kristen could operate their own.

But the couple had to overcome a few hurdles first.

“Liberty County has never had a brewery, winery, distillery, cidery or meadery in existence, so we had to work closely with the Liberty County Planning Committee and try to get a lot of the ordinances changed to even allow us to exist,” he said. “And we had to lobby all the men and woman on the Midway City Council, and the more effort we put in, the more it was a reality. It started as a dream, and we made that dream a reality.”

Since opening two years ago, the couple has been able to expand their business. Thanks to loyal customers Brian and Anne Carr, the Bouchers added a diner to their brewery, called Hew.

“So, this was my opportunity to give Brian and Anne, who are really close friends now, an opportunity to create their own following, create their own business and have an opportunity to excel,” Jeremy said. “And then a couple of years down the road, when they are ready for their own restaurant, or their own building, they’ll break off from me, and by that point I will have the opportunity to move right on in and start managing a kitchen.”

The diner specializes in Asian treats like green curry chicken, kimchi, egg rolls and yummy Asian slaw, and they recently made their tempura beer-battered shrimp or calamari tacos a permanent fixture on the menu.

In the expanded interior, the Bouchers have also expanded their taps, from six to 16, and added two indoor axe-throwing lanes.

“We’ve been doing the axe throwing for about eight months now,” Jeremy said, adding that the original lanes were outside the building. “It was such a hit and a huge revenue driver and was enough to support having two more lanes out of the inclement-season weather.”

Split Fin Brewing LLC has been selected as Best of Liberty two years in a row and was also named Best of Georgia 2021.

“It’s just amazing,” Jeremy said. “For all the breweries in Georgia, to be within the top six breweries! Even in the Savannah area right now, we are in fourth place out of the eight local breweries.”

The couple is also committed to giving back. They’ve partnered with East Liberty County American Legion Post 321 and the local Veterans of Foreign Wars, hosting several fundraising events, proper flag retirement services and a community cookout with free burgers and hot dogs.

“Both me and my wife were in the military,” Jeremy said. “But there is one thing that is always lacking when you go from military service to the civilian sector — the sense of doing your job for your nation — and there is still that need to provide for the community.”

They helped the local Shriners’ organization raise funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and they gave out 40 hams for Easter and 72 turkeys for Thanksgiving.

“It’s that want to give back to the community that gives to us,” Jeremy said. “Without the community — I mean, they are the ones drinking my beer. It’s my way to give back.”

And Split Fin Brewing LLC has more plans for growth. Jeremy said his five-year plan is to add a distribution component to the business.

“We move from just manufacture (for) consumption on site, to distribution, to the point where we are in all the stores and restaurants,” he said.

Split Fin brewery and the diner, Hew, are located at 60 Butler Ave., Suites 3 and 4, in Midway.