Rhoobarb
Well-Known Member
My new wife and I stopped at five different brewpubs on our honeymoon trip through Michigan’s UP and mainland. I thought I’d write a mini-review for anyone considering a trip. BTW, Yooper, we got so busy we never had time to call and hook up! But we are already planning another trip soon. We fell in love with the B&B we stayed at near Ahmeek!
These are in the order we traveled:
Red Jacket Brewing, Calumet
Located in the Michigan House Café, their ‘signature’ oatmeal stout was not on tap. We were told it would be back on tap “next week”. Too late for us. We had an amber which was not brewed onsite and it was severely smacked with diacetyl! The bar itself was great and the bartender very friendly. It was an old Bosch Brewing bar (like the old Schlitz bars in Chicago) with lots of dark wood and a great Northwood’s mural behind the bar of men and women in German garb drinking and dancing. But the amber was so badly infected, my wife, Kelly, wanted to pour it out! We ordered a Bell’s Two Hearted ale to kill the taste. I’d like to go back and try the Oatmeal stout sometime.
Keweenaw Brewing, Houghton
Okay, we didn’t actually go here; otherwise I would have stopped at a place called The Library which was supposed to be great. But their beers are everywhere in the UP. We had them in colorful cans (yes, cans!) and they are all decent. We had the three signature beers, Pick Axe Blonde, Red Jacket Amber and Lift Bridge Brown. One night at a restaurant we found the Pick Axe Blonde and Lift Bridge Brown on tap. The Lift Bridge Brown had a touch of diacetyl (again, what is it with these Yoopers?), but the Pick Axe Blonde was much better on tap than in the can. I could have sipped this all day on a summer day and been happy.
Jasper Ridge Brewery & Restaurant, Ishpeming
The atmosphere is more like a Denny’s. It is behind a BP station in a cluster of other businesses, so it doesn’t face the street, making it a bit difficult to find. But they have decent beer. We had the Amber Kolsch, which was decent and a very nice blueberry wheat. They dropped fresh blueberries into the beer after pouring and the berries would rise and fall in the beer like a lava lamp. It was a nice touch!
Mackinaw Brewing Company, Traverse City
We had two large pints here, then shared a flight with a couple we met at the bar from Holland, MI, who happened to be brewpub enthusiasts. The best of their selections was the Peninsula Pale Ale, a nice, slightly hoppy ale, Harvest Moon Oatmeal Stout, "The Bridge" Nut Brown Ale and Belgian Whitecap. The Beadle's Best Bitter and Red 8 Ale were nearly identical, with the Red 8 having just a touch more malt backbone. It was a Saturday night at 9pm and the place was busy!
North Peak Brewing Company, Traverse City
Located in a converted warehouse, this place has a sleek look, was very busy and looks to be a place ‘to be seen’. Had a Steelhead Red, which was an Irish red not quite to style, but still decent. However, they had a cask conditioned IPA that was very good. They have a large selection of 10” pizzas. We had the white cheddar & bacon, which was quite good.
Right Brain Brewery, Traverse City
This place was our last stop on the last night of our trip. It was recommended by the couple we met at Mackinaw Brewing. It is not easy to find. We had to ask someone at North Peak where it was and it turned out it was very near there. It is co-located in a building with a hair salon called Salon Saloon and you have to go in their entrance to get to Right Brain. For those of you in the Chicago area, if you’ve been to Two Brother’s Tap House in Warrenville, then imagine that place, only smaller and with no food service. If you only have time to stop at one brewpub in Traverse City, make it this one. They have a large selection of beers and unfortunately, we were at the end of our night and needed to rest for the next day’s journey back home. We had the Stuck Truck American Oatmeal Stout, which was excellent and a cask IPA which was one of the best I’ve had in awhile. Our bartender, Gavin, an ex-Brit with in-laws in Huntley, was great to chat with. Kelly & I plan to go back to TC for a long weekend and this will be our first stop.
These are in the order we traveled:
Red Jacket Brewing, Calumet
Located in the Michigan House Café, their ‘signature’ oatmeal stout was not on tap. We were told it would be back on tap “next week”. Too late for us. We had an amber which was not brewed onsite and it was severely smacked with diacetyl! The bar itself was great and the bartender very friendly. It was an old Bosch Brewing bar (like the old Schlitz bars in Chicago) with lots of dark wood and a great Northwood’s mural behind the bar of men and women in German garb drinking and dancing. But the amber was so badly infected, my wife, Kelly, wanted to pour it out! We ordered a Bell’s Two Hearted ale to kill the taste. I’d like to go back and try the Oatmeal stout sometime.
Keweenaw Brewing, Houghton
Okay, we didn’t actually go here; otherwise I would have stopped at a place called The Library which was supposed to be great. But their beers are everywhere in the UP. We had them in colorful cans (yes, cans!) and they are all decent. We had the three signature beers, Pick Axe Blonde, Red Jacket Amber and Lift Bridge Brown. One night at a restaurant we found the Pick Axe Blonde and Lift Bridge Brown on tap. The Lift Bridge Brown had a touch of diacetyl (again, what is it with these Yoopers?), but the Pick Axe Blonde was much better on tap than in the can. I could have sipped this all day on a summer day and been happy.
Jasper Ridge Brewery & Restaurant, Ishpeming
The atmosphere is more like a Denny’s. It is behind a BP station in a cluster of other businesses, so it doesn’t face the street, making it a bit difficult to find. But they have decent beer. We had the Amber Kolsch, which was decent and a very nice blueberry wheat. They dropped fresh blueberries into the beer after pouring and the berries would rise and fall in the beer like a lava lamp. It was a nice touch!
Mackinaw Brewing Company, Traverse City
We had two large pints here, then shared a flight with a couple we met at the bar from Holland, MI, who happened to be brewpub enthusiasts. The best of their selections was the Peninsula Pale Ale, a nice, slightly hoppy ale, Harvest Moon Oatmeal Stout, "The Bridge" Nut Brown Ale and Belgian Whitecap. The Beadle's Best Bitter and Red 8 Ale were nearly identical, with the Red 8 having just a touch more malt backbone. It was a Saturday night at 9pm and the place was busy!
North Peak Brewing Company, Traverse City
Located in a converted warehouse, this place has a sleek look, was very busy and looks to be a place ‘to be seen’. Had a Steelhead Red, which was an Irish red not quite to style, but still decent. However, they had a cask conditioned IPA that was very good. They have a large selection of 10” pizzas. We had the white cheddar & bacon, which was quite good.
Right Brain Brewery, Traverse City
This place was our last stop on the last night of our trip. It was recommended by the couple we met at Mackinaw Brewing. It is not easy to find. We had to ask someone at North Peak where it was and it turned out it was very near there. It is co-located in a building with a hair salon called Salon Saloon and you have to go in their entrance to get to Right Brain. For those of you in the Chicago area, if you’ve been to Two Brother’s Tap House in Warrenville, then imagine that place, only smaller and with no food service. If you only have time to stop at one brewpub in Traverse City, make it this one. They have a large selection of beers and unfortunately, we were at the end of our night and needed to rest for the next day’s journey back home. We had the Stuck Truck American Oatmeal Stout, which was excellent and a cask IPA which was one of the best I’ve had in awhile. Our bartender, Gavin, an ex-Brit with in-laws in Huntley, was great to chat with. Kelly & I plan to go back to TC for a long weekend and this will be our first stop.
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