Mackinac Island vacation

Starting this Sunday, my family (wife and 8 year old daughter) will be leaving for a week-long vacation on Mackinac Island / St. Ignace, with stops at Manistique, Seney Nat'l Wildlife Refuge, and Tahquamemon Falls State Park along the way.

We'll be coming from the Appleton/Green Bay (WI) area, so we're a little spoiled as far as brewpubs go, with Titletown, Hinterland and Stone Cellar all within easy range. Are there any good breweries or brewpubs in the UP to check out along the way? Is the brewpub near Tahquamenon any good? Any suggestions from fellow HBT-ers would be appreciated!

I have not been to the UP breweries... But it looks like pretty slim pickings for you that are not out of the way... http://www.michiganbeerguide.com/?page=directory

I've never been to the one at Tahquamemon, but I've heard mixed reviews (mostly poor). There is a brewpub in Marquette, and one in Escanaba, but that's about it.

There is nothing on M28 or US 2 much at all, let alone brewpubs. I haven't been to Mackinaw City in a while, but there wasn't anything in that area either the last time I was there.

The one in Grand Marais is ok. It has great whitefish, and the beer is ok.

Soo Brewing Company is probably the closest. Very small brewpub. Beer is ok but it's hit or miss for what's on tap. No food but they let u bring local food in. Oh and kid friendly.

Thanks Yooper - I was hoping that you would have some insight. It sounds like pretty slim pickings... I guess I might just have to pack some of my own and try to make it through the week.

Well the brew pubs may be slim pickings but I would imagine you could pick up bottles of Short's and other Michigan beers somewhere along the way.

mors said:

Well the brew pubs may be slim pickings but I would imagine you could pick up bottles of Short's and other Michigan beers somewhere along the way.

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There is a store in Escanaba that carries Shorts and other Michigan beers. There are a couple of stores in Marquette that carry a small but ok selection.

The one in Escanaba is a little grocery store, and I can find the name somewhere in my memory banks if the OP is interested. Otherwise, there isn't too much for package stores or availability as the towns are very very small and the stores carry little (or no) craft beers.

Not sure about stores selling craft beer around St. Ignace but an hour drive north to Sault Ste Marie there is the brew pub Soo Brewing Company as I said before. It's nothing special but all we have up here. Also Soo Corner Store ( not very original with names up here lol) they have all the Michigan brews, Founders, Shorts, Bells, New Holland with many others. I'm from Sault Ste Marie Ontario and make trips across the border to hit those two stops frequently. Plus it's a nice little town with lots of touristy stuff around. Might be worth looking into.

You do know that next week is race week? The Island is going to be nuts beginning sunday when the first ones start arriving, and get progressively crazier each day, probably hitting it's peak on Tuesday or Wednesday depending on if it's a fast race or not.

I referee vintage base ball tournaments on the Island at the grand hotel....there is actually a store on the Island that sells Michigan Craft beers, and you can iirc do mixed sixers. It's the Michigan Peddler at Main Street Center. It's a little pricy though.

If you're staying in St. Ignace, Doud's Market also has an OK beer selection of Michigan Beers. 699 W. US-2 St. Ignace, MI 49781

The Doud's on the Island itself might have some too, but I can't recall. I stay in St. Ignace, and bought my beer at Doud's.

Most of the bars in St Ignace has some form of Michgan Beer either on tap or in bottles....I found Bell's in a couple places, but most of the joints had 1 or 2 from Cheboygan Brewing Company or IIRC Saugatuck out of Douglas.

There's not a heck of a lot up there, but it's not a vast wasteland of BMC either. You WILL find stuff...but brew pubs, no...Michigan Beer even in the crappiest of places? Yes.

If you're looking for food and are hitting St Ignace at all, be sure to hit up the establishments owned by Joe Durm a local institution there's three places, and they are all funky and the food is good.

My favorite, and where I ate breakfast all the time when I was up there last summer was Java Joe's Cafe Some of the best breakfasts I've ever eaten....

He also has a really good Mexican Place Cantina Joe's , really good food, really good margaritas and Cheboygan beer on tap.

He used to have a hot dog stand that served all regional style of hotdogs, but it looks like this year he opened a health food restaraunt out of it instead called the Garden

You can't miss his places, they are all brightly colored.

Oh yeah, the Pink Pony has some decent beers. They even have a house ale brewed by Bell's I think.... But it will be guaranteed to be packed from Saturday night on (It will be mostly journalists who drive up on Saturday to beat the boats)...But come Sunday on it's party central for the boat crews coming in from Port Huron...it's going to be a madhouse. Think something out of Hunter S Thompson. Keep your daughters on a short leash if you can.

Beer list pdf Pink Pony

Don't forget you also have the Chicago to Mackinac race finishing up just a few days prior to the Port Huron to Mackinac race... (My father does both every year for like the last 40 years)

mors said:

Don't forget you also have the Chicago to Mackinac race finishing up just a few days prior to the Port Huron to Mackinac race... (My father does both every year for like the last 40 years)

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Those that do both should be getting to Port Huron by no later than mid day today. It's family day in Port Huron, and the infamous boat night is tomorrow....folks usually want to be there for that.

You ever do it with him?

The Upper Falls Brewey is OK at best. Marquette has three breweries now that I've heard are pretty good. I went to the brewery in Grand Marais 2 years ago as was not impressed with the beer.

Revvy said:

Those that do both should be getting to Port Huron by no later than mid day today. It's family day in Port Huron, and the infamous boat night is tomorrow....folks usually want to be there for that.

You ever do it with him?

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No I enjoy sailing but not racing them. I prefer a more leisurely pace lol. I have gone up there afterwards and sailed the boat back down to Port Huron/ Chicago many times though.

Revvy said:

Keep your daughters on a short leash if you can.

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We did this - literally - when we took my 3-year old daughter to Vegas for a wedding. We received quite a few odd looks from the casino patrons as we walked her through the lobby... I don't suppose she would go for that anymore.

Thanks to Revvy and all of the others for the great suggestions. We won't be getting to Mackinac Island itself until Wednesday, so hopefully some of the craziness will have settled down by then.

Revvy said:

He also has a really good Mexican Place Cantina Joe's , really good food, really good margaritas and Cheboygan beer on tap.

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We're actually staying next door to this place for three nights, at the Bavarian Haus Inn. It seemed a little odd having a Mexican place next to the German hotel, but it sounds like it should be a good time.

Try a pasty when you are in the UP. You put them on your nipples!

I thought a couple beers from Tahquamenon were good, especially the raspeberry beer. Dark Horse also has a good raspberry beer. Normally, these two wouldn't be my thing but in the dead of summer they are refreshing.

There is a mini brewery in Mac. City that is ok, I can't remember the name but it is literally right across the street from the Sheplers ferry. There is also a mini brew on the island that is also ok, but I also can't remember the name of, so the beers must have been good.

Needless to say, you might not have a beer-life changing experience, but you will definitely have a damn good beer-life experience to remember. Or forget, if you don't moderate!

I haven't been to the Taq brewery in a couple of years, but it was nothing special (at best) when I visited last. Escanaba has Hereford and Hops, and I thought the beers I've had there were pretty good, as was the food. There isn't much else along the way that I can recall, but I think Bells was planning on putting a brewery in up in Escanaba at some point in the future. Probably won't be complete before your trip.

I haven't been to the Mack Island in a number of years. Nice place for a tourist trap!

Here's the full rundown on beer along your way.

Marinette, WI - Rail House Brewpub. Decent food, decent beer
Escanaba, MI - Hereford & Hops Brewpub. The beers are good and they just put in a Mongolian Grill that's worth checking out
Escanaba, MI - Sav-Mor IGA. Best beer store in the U.P.
Marquette, MI - The Vierling, Blackrocks, and Ore Dock brewpubs. Blackrocks has the best beer, OD has the best atmosphere, and Vierling is the only one with food (and pretty good beer)
Marquette, MI - White's Party Store. Smaller selection than Sav-Mor but they focus more on belgians/sours/etc
Munising, MI - Shooters Firehouse Lounge & Brewpub. I haven't been to this place yet
Grand Marais, MI - Lake Superior Brewing Co. I also haven't been here
Tahquamenon Falls Brewery - Food is quite good, beers are just OK. The atmosphere more than makes up for it so it's worth a stop.
Sault Ste Marie - Soo Brewing. This is a bit out of your way, but worth checking out. Ray makes some nice beers.
Mackinac Island - Hit up Pink Pony, and I also heard that Petoskey Brewing has a cream ale on tap at Mission Point Resort that you can't get anywhere else.

A note on Upper Hand Brewery (Bell's in Escanaba) - That's just going to be a production facility, not a taproom, and it won't open until next year.

Is Blackrocks still in that old house? We went there two years ago and it was just recently opened. The beer was BARELY ready (meaning still cloudy and green), but the locals were downing it so fast they couldn't keep up. Half the beers were sold out. I had two of their beers and was not impressed. The atmosphere was very cool, though and I hoped they managed to upgrade the system enough to keep a rotation.

The Vierling had both great food and great beer, IMO. Been there twice.

And I concur about the Taq Falls brewery. It's still a great diversion, even if the beer is just so-so.

Yes, Blackrocks is still in the big yellow house. When they first opened they DEFINITELY had a hard time keeping up, but they've upgraded to a 3bbl system. Also they just installed a 20bbl in another location so they can begin distributing.