About Us

Towaki Brewing Company is 100% women- and queer-owned brewery. At Towaki, we’re all about bringing the joy of summer camp to your glass. Whether you’re hiking the trails or enjoying a campfire, Towaki beer is there.

Launching in 2026, Towaki will offer a thoughtfully curated beverage menu featuring both modern and classic beer styles, alongside hard cider, craft cocktails, select wines, and non-alcoholic options—ensuring there’s something for every palate.

Beyond the beer, Towaki will be a hub for community connection and creative experiences. Our dynamic programming includes fan-favorite events like Trivia Night, BINGO, Thirsty Thursdays, seasonal Maker’s Markets, live music performances, hands-on craft workshops, and our signature monthly Towaki Beer School—led by our in-house Certified Cicerone®. These unique offerings make Towaki not just a brewery, but a vibrant destination for locals, craft beer enthusiasts, foodies, and visitors alike.

Carrying forward the legacy of Guardian Brewing Company in Saugatuck, Michigan, Towaki is designed to be a welcoming and inclusive space for beer lovers of all kinds. We will feature 20 rotating taps showcasing a vibrant mix of year-round favorites, seasonal releases, small-batch experiments, and barrel-aged specialties—including ciders and seltzers.

Our beer lineup will celebrate a wide spectrum of styles, from bold innovations like our Imperial IPA brewed with blue juniper berries, to crisp, refreshing brews like our Mexican-style lager, and indulgent offerings such as our rich Imperial Milk Stout infused with Oreo cookies. In addition to craft beer, we’ll offer an eclectic selection of wine, hard cider, non-alcoholic beverages, and curated snacks—ensuring there’s something to enjoy for every guest who walks through our doors.

Towaki Brewing Company will soon become Southern Indiana’s newest Women’s Sports Bar…in a brewery! Women’s sports bars play a vital role in redefining both the sports and hospitality industries by creating spaces where everyone can enjoy and celebrate women’s sporting events without bias or exclusion. These venues not only empower all types of fans, but also inspire future generations of athletes. At Towaki, our mission is to champion craft beer culture while promoting inclusivity, diversity, and representation in every aspect of our space.

KIM COLLINS, OWNER, CO-FOUNDER & HEAD BREWER

Kim’s passion for the outdoors and community-building began in her youth, growing up between the Chicago suburbs and Northwest Indiana. At 18, she moved to Bloomington, Indiana, where she would spend the next 15 years immersed in its unique local community. During that time, Kim earned both her B.S. and M.S. in Outdoor Recreation from Indiana University Bloomington. She also taught university courses and served as Assistant Coordinator for IU Outdoor Adventures. Her love of summer camp led her to spend four seasons at Bradford Woods, five seasons as a counselor at YMCA Camp Tecumseh and over a decade volunteering with the Hoosier Burn Camp.

Kim began her professional brewing career in 2012 and has since built a well-rounded foundation in brewing science and operations. She holds professional certifications in Brewing and Malting (2012) as well as Packaging Technology (2022) from the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA). In 2016, she earned her Certified Cicerone® designation and continues to share her knowledge through monthly educational programming at Towaki Beer School.

Over the years, Kim has brewed for six breweries across Colorado and Michigan, most notably as co-founder and head brewer of Guardian Brewing Company in Saugatuck, Michigan. Founded in 2018, Guardian quickly became a beloved local gathering space known for its inclusive environment and bold beers. In 2024, Kim returned to Bloomington to be closer to family and to launch a new chapter with Towaki Brewing Company.

While brewing in Michigan, Kim also served on the Michigan Brewers Guild Board of Directors and was the founding chair of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. Outside of Towaki, Kim enjoys attending concerts, camping, crafting, and tackling DIY projects.

DR. CATHARINE BISHOP (KATE), CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF OF OPERATIONS

Kate grew up on a crop farm in Northwest Ohio and has early life experience working in the hospitality, outdoor adventure, and environmental education fields. Some of these places include Bradford Woods, Cape Cod National Seashore, and YMCA of the Rockies. She holds a B.S. double-majoring in Recreation Administration and Recreation Programming and a M.Ed. in Leisure and Tourism Studies from Bowling Green State University, Ohio. Kate furthered her education by obtaining a Ph.D. in Leisure Behavior through the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

Her area of specialization is Outdoor Adventure Education with a triple-minor in Experiential Education, Gerontology, and Gender Studies. She taught classes for several years as an Adjunct Faculty Member and Visiting Lecturer at Indiana University and spent five years as an Assistant Professor with Metropolitan State University of Denver in Colorado. There, she acted as the Program Coordinator and taught Parks and Recreation Management courses. She also has extensive practical and research experience in Therapeutic Outdoor Programming and working with special populations in both clinical and non-traditional settings.

Kate left the Academy to pursue another passion of hers (craft beer) and to utilize her management skills within the beverage and hospitality industries. Kate plans to oversee and manage the daily operations at Towaki.

JULES ERWIN, DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & PROGRAMMING

Jules is a born and bred Hoosier who spent her summers falling in love with camping, playing in the woods, and being outdoors. She is a die-hard summer camp fanatic and has worked at multiple camps in the surrounding hillsides. After receiving a B.S. in Outdoor Recreation and Resource Management at Indiana University, she worked for over a decade in the parks and recreation field before returning to grad school and earning an M.S. in Outdoor Recreation and Resource Management from Indiana University. It was during this last stint in school that she was able to combine her love for education, parks, and event management through a variety of opportunities with academic and nonprofit organizations.

Nowadays, you can find her still haunting the halls of her Alma Mater as she serves as adjunct faculty for IU’s School of Public Health teaching a Wildflowers and Wild Edibles course each semester. She reads, hikes, camps, birds, crafts, and loves cats and costumes… and cats in costumes.

Jules is passionate about nonprofit work and volunteerism and has served as a board member for local and state nonprofits for over 25 years, as well as offering her services throughout the year as an interpretive naturalist, event programmer, and historic reenactor.

Jules is super thrilled to be part of the Towaki team and is ready to fill the calendar with programs, events, family activities, and special nights for the Towaki crew.

At Towaki Brewing Company, we aspire to be synonymous with collaboration, diversity, exceptional quality, and a welcoming atmosphere. Our mission is to become the heartbeat of the Bloomington community—a gathering space that invites connection, creativity, and shared experience. With deep Midwestern roots, our Owner, COO, and Director of Events and Programming — all graduates of IU’s School of HPER — are thrilled to reunite and bring a one-of-a-kind, summer camp–themed craft beer experience to life, unlike anything else in the United States.

The name “Towaki” holds special meaning for us. It pays tribute to the time Kim and Kate spent as Environmental Educators at Indiana University’s Bradford Woods in Martinsville, Indiana. On the property sits a place called Towaki Beach, named after “Camp Towaki,” the first summer camp for girls at Bradford Woods. Operated by the Camp Fire Girls—founded in 1913 as the first U.S. organization for girls to intentionally embrace racial, religious, and cultural inclusivity—Camp Towaki later became part of Camp Fire Inc., which expanded its mission in 1975 to include all genders.

Our logo, featuring a North American red fox named Finnegan, reflects our sense of place and personality. Foxes are native to Southern Indiana, and therefore, our main logo is surrounded by hop cones and native leaves from Sassafras, Sugar Maple, and Tulip Poplar trees. These natural elements honor our backgrounds in environmental education and outdoor recreation, while serving as a visual symbol of our commitment to both craft and community.

(Photo by Jiri Sifalda)

At its core, Towaki Brewing Company is about more than just great beer. We’re committed to creating inclusive, intentional spaces—especially for women and historically marginalized communities—where everyone can feel a sense of belonging. With a diverse menu featuring a wide range of beer styles, cocktails, wine, non-alcoholic, and zero-proof options, Towaki welcomes all tastes and identities. Everyone has a seat at our table.