Taking a Brewery Road trip around Lake Michigan

[Cromacster]

The SWMBO and I are planning on doing a roadtrip around Lake Michigan, starting and ending in Milwaukee. So far we have a small list of breweries and brew pubs to check out.

Miller-Coors, Milwaukee, WI
Lakefront Brewing, Milwaukee, WI
Hinterland, Green Bay, WI
Titletown Brewery, Green Bay, WI
Hereford and Hops, Escanaba, MI
Shorts Brewing, Bellaire, MI
Jolly Pumpkin and North Peak brewpub, Old Mission Peninsula, MI
Right Brain Brewery, Traverse City, MI
Jamesport Brewing Co., Ludington, MI
Odd Side Ales, Grand Haven, MI
Founders Brewing, Grand Rapids, MI
New Holland Brewing, Holland, MI
Saugatuck Brewing Co., Douglas, MI
The Livery, Benton Harbor, MI

We may or may not check out Bells, as it is a little further off of our route. Also, time in Chicago may be limited, but I know little about Chicago breweries other than Goose Island.

So I am looking for suggestions for additional breweries or if the ones above are not worth checking out.

Thanks for the Input!

Edit: Link for the google maps route (roughly) we are taking. http://g.co/maps/ay3a6

 

[gregpio85]

If you're passing through Chicago, on top of Goose Island Brewpub, you'll want to check out:

1. Half Acre Beer Co. (production facility with Tasting room) - Lincoln and Cullom Ave
2. Revolution Brewing Co. (brewpub) - Milwaukee Ave. between Fullerton and California
3. Haymarket Pub and Brewery- Randolph and Halsted

Finch and Metropolitan are all open, but are production facilities. I'm not sure if you're able to just walk in.

Piece Pizza and Brewing also just opened up, but I haven't been there yet.

Half Acre is probably the most well known besides Goose Island and you can be in and out fairly quickly so that's probably your best bet.

 

[rich32501]

FYI half acre only does tours saturday at noon and you need to be there at least 45 minutes before to get in.

 

[gregpio85]

FYI half acre only does tours saturday at noon and you need to be there at least 45 minutes before to get in.

They'll still give you free tastings if you go during store hours, but there are only four beers on tap if I remember correctly. I went on a Friday and they were more than happy to hook up some free beer.

 

[TyTanium]

If you have some extra time in Milwaukee, I'd highly recommend the Milwaukee Brewing Company tour. They're on the South side in the 3rd ward. $7 all you can drink, plus you keep the pint glass. Great beer, great tour.

 

[JonM]

Hit up Sprecher in Milwaukee if you have time, too.

And the food at Hinterland is unbelievable. My last visit I had elk tenderloin. Can't beat it. And their pairings are great too.

 

[Flyguy01]

Shorts brewing, Bellaire, MI.
I would put that one on top of the Traverse City area breweries.

 

[Weizenwerks]

Titletown Brewery in Green Bay on Dousman St. (actually it's a brewpub).

Beer | Titletown Brewing Co.

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

You should definitely hit up Founders! Also +1 for half acre, if they still have Ginger Twin you should pick that up.

 

[JonM]

Titletown Brewery in Green Bay on Dousman St. (actually it's a brewpub).

Beer | Titletown Brewing Co.

A BIG +1 to this.

 

[xsists]

Check out Kuhnhenn Brewing in MI and Three Floyds just outside of Chicago in Munster IN.

 

[fullstop22]

+1 on Shorts & Founders -1 on Hereford & Hops

 

[FermentedTed]

Check out Kuhnhenn Brewing in MI and Three Floyds just outside of Chicago in Munster IN.

+1 on Three Floyds. And depending on how far out into the Chicago suburbs you're willing to venture, Two Brothers in Warrenville.

 

[TyTanium]

...And depending on how far out into the Chicago suburbs you're willing to venture, Two Brothers in Warrenville.

~45 minutes from downtown, but only ~25 mins from 294. I'd recommend lunch or dinner at their taphouse - good food, and their beer is fantastic. There's also a small homebrew shop at the entrance. I'd skip the tour though.

 

[gregpio85]

. I'd skip the tour though.

Have they stopped giving tastings after the tour? Between me and the old man, we were able to try everything on tap. The brewery isn't much, but I take it for the tastings afterwards.

I would also +1 Three Floyds, but I'm not sure it's as close as you'd like.

 

[TyTanium]

Have they stopped giving tastings after the tour? Between me and the old man, we were able to try everything on tap. The brewery isn't much, but I take it for the tastings afterwards.

No, still do tastings - I think it's 3 each, so yeah, two is usually enough to sample one of each. That part is good. I just didn't like the tour part - very little showing what stuff does, more lecture on history of the brewery. Plus it was packed on a Saturday afternoon.

 

[Cromacster]

Titletown Brewery in Green Bay on Dousman St. (actually it's a brewpub).

You should definitely hit up Founders!

Shorts brewing, Bellaire, MI.

Added to list.

I would like to do more in Chicago, but our time actually spent there is going to be minimal. Its going to the be the 2nd to last or last day of our trip.

We'll probably end up spending a night in Milwaukee, 4-5 nights driving the northern part of the lake, 1 night in Grand Rapids/Holland area, then maybe 1 night in or near Chicago.

 

[JonM]

If you're looking for a hotel in Milwaukee, I gotta recommend The Iron Horse, which is Harley-Davidson's hotel. That place is amazing.

 

[Cromacster]

If you're looking for a hotel in Milwaukee, I gotta recommend The Iron Horse, which is Harley-Davidson's hotel. That place is amazing.

And the food at Hinterland is unbelievable. My last visit I had elk tenderloin. Can't beat it. And their pairings are great too.

Between The Iron Horse and the Hinterland I wont have enough money for gas to leave Milwaukee

Now we don't have enough money to get to Aspen! We don't have enough money to get home! We don't have enough money to eat! We don't have enough money... TO SLEEP!!

Sorta like that just replace Aspen with Green Bay or whatever town the next brewery is in. Just as long as the SWMBO doesn't trade our car for a moped....

 

[Yooper]

We had a great time in a short trip on the west side of Michigan. By far, the best brewpub I've ever been to was Short's. It's in Bellaire, Michigan, and the beers are awesome. Don't miss that one!

Near Traverse City, we really like Jolly Pumpkin, up on the Mission Peninsula but that area is more well-known for its wineries. We did many wine tastings, and had lunch and beer at the Jolly Pumpkin. Just cruising around that peninsula was great, and then we stopped at Right Brain in Traverse City for more good beers. We stopped at North Peak in TC as well, and it was OK but the food was really good. The brewpub in downtown TC was ok.

Jamesport in Ludington is OK. Not great, but good beer. Food is good.

In Green Bay, Titletown Brewing Company is awesome. He's a GABF winner and a super nice guy. If he's around, you can talk to him. Great beer, good food, good service. Hinterland is good, and the upstairs bar is decent. If you want a fancy meal, stay in the dining room. Entrees are $25 and up, so it's pretty spendy. They are across the street from each other, so you can easily go to both.

In Milwaukee, I love the Milwaukee Ale House the best but Lakefront has the better beers overall. The Ale House has great food, good service, live music sometimes, and is a fun place to be. Lakefront has awesome beer. A fun thing to do in Milwaukee in the summer is the Brewery Boat Tour. It goes up the River, and stops at Rock Bottom (pretty decent most of the time), Lakefront (always awesome) and Milwaukee Ale House. Sprecher has a fun tour, great beer, and a fun and cool gift shop. Their IPA2 is one of my favorites, and a growler of it is about $12 I think.

In Escanaba, Hereford and Hops is ok. Beers are drinkable, steaks are ok. I would skip it, unless I was thirsty.

In Grand Rapids, Founders is great. Also, there is a place called The Hideout that is really great. Another place we liked was Hopcat. Those are all worth a stop. In GR, there is a brand new Belgian-style brewery that a friend told me was great. I haven't been there, but here is some info: Brewery Vivant

Of everything listed, my favorites are Titletown in Green Bay and Short's in Bellaire, MI.

 

[Yooper]

Oh, in Madison, WI, you must go to Vintage Brewing Company! GREAT beer, nice guys.

I also like New Glarus (a bit south of Madison) and it's worth a trip.

You didn't say when you're going, but if you're going spring through fall, when you go through Mackinaw City, there is a route that takes you to the west shortly after the bridge. There is a cool Polish restaurant there, and that is the beginning of the "Tunnel of Trees"- an amazing curvy road that has breathtaking views and some stops to walk along the beach of Lake Michigan. It's on the way to Belaire, and it's worth the detour off of the freeway.

 

[Cromacster]

You didn't say when you're going, but if you're going spring through fall, when you go through Mackinaw City, there is a route that takes you to the west shortly after the bridge. There is a cool Polish restaurant there, and that is the beginning of the "Tunnel of Trees"- an amazing curvy road that has breathtaking views and some stops to walk along the beach of Lake Michigan. It's on the way to Belaire, and it's worth the detour off of the freeway.

I think we are planning on going in June/July. And we are planning to stay off the highway whenever reasonably possible, so that will definitely be a route that we will consider.

Thanks for such a detailed post!

 

[mlakota]

Going through the U.P. skip Hereford and head to Marquette instead. Vierling has great food and good beer, and if you're in town on a weekend night, Blackrocks is out of this world. There's a third brewery opening this spring supposedly too. Two maybe three great places in one stop instead of one ok place imo.

 

[Yooper]

Going through the U.P. skip Hereford and head to Marquette instead. Vierling has great food and good beer, and if you're in town on a weekend night, Blackrocks is out of this world. There's a third brewery opening this spring supposedly too. Two maybe three great places in one stop instead of one ok place imo.

Oh, yeah, and if you're going to The Vierling, send a note to the brewer (a member of this forum, but maybe he's "incognito" so PM me for his HBT ID and name, unless he responds on this thread), as he's a very cool guy and fun to talk with. He likes homebrewers a lot, and is "one of us".

It's about 60 miles away from Lake Michigan, but then you get to see Lake Superior, too. There used to be a brewpub at Tahquamegon Falls, but I don't know if it's still there. From Marquette, going east on M28 would take you to the Falls, which are really awesome. I'd also suggest skipping Escanaba, Manistique, etc, if you aren't into just driving around the lake.

Actually, though, if it was my lake tour, I'd start by going through Duluth, along Lake Superior, and not doing the Lake Michigan tour until after the Mackinaw Bridge, as from Green Bay north and then east there isn't anything particularly wonderful- although there are some nice beaches around Manistique.

 

[Andrewtherooster]

I would suggest skipping New Holland and doing Bell's instead. I would say spend the night in Grand Rapids going to Founders, the Hideout, and maybe Brewery Vivant. Bell's is less than an hour from GR, and their food and beer list is much better than what I've ever had at New Holland, which will take you about 40 minutes to get to from GR.