brettg20
Well-Known Member
Will be in Chicago next month for work, plan on renting a car for a few days and am thinking of either heading east or west...thoughts? BTW have already been to 3F, Bells Founders etc
Cleveland or Detroit or Minneapolis?
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Firewalker11
Brewer
Minneapolis, Surly Brewing is a nice visit. Detroit is depressing...
LakeErieMonster
Well-Known Member
Cleveland.
Great Lakes, Fatheads, Brew Kettle, Thirsty Dog, and many, many more. It is really an underrated beer scene.
Objectively speaking though, I would check out google maps and see what piques your interest.
Great Lakes, Fatheads, Brew Kettle, Thirsty Dog, and many, many more. It is really an underrated beer scene.
Objectively speaking though, I would check out google maps and see what piques your interest.
brettg20
Well-Known Member
Google mapped it...all about same distance. Breweries are def #1 priority but never been to any of these cities...
Dont forget Platform or Portside as well. 2 new breweries that seem to be pretty popular. but same here very objectively speaking living in lakewood
Northeast Ohio born and raised, so I am totally biased.
However, there really is a kick ass brewery scene in Cleveland and Akron.
In no particular order...
-Great Lakes
-Brew Kettle
-Fat Heads
-Thirsty Dog
-Hoppin' Frog
-Lager Heads
-Platform
-...many, many others
Check this map out. It may help you in your quest:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zABphixrTxLg.kA--zVJ7ysE0
However, there really is a kick ass brewery scene in Cleveland and Akron.
In no particular order...
-Great Lakes
-Brew Kettle
-Fat Heads
-Thirsty Dog
-Hoppin' Frog
-Lager Heads
-Platform
-...many, many others
Check this map out. It may help you in your quest:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zABphixrTxLg.kA--zVJ7ysE0
Twin Cities has Sisyphus.
treacheroustexan
Well-Known Member
I'm with the Cleveland bunch. Great Lakes, Fat Heads, The Brew Kettle, Platform, Nano Brew, Market Garden, Lager Heads, Hoppin Frog, Buckeye, Thirsty Dog, Brick & Barrel, Portside, Butcher & The Brewer, just to name a few...
Steel Toe, Day Block, Fulton, Surly, Vine Park, Flat Earth, Indeed... and if you get a wild hair to head to Windom, MN, I'll share some home brew with you.
ipe:
ipe:
d3track
Are you sure about that?
Minneapolis - great breweries, great food. The lakes in the city are great fun - and serve local craft brew.
brettg20
Well-Known Member
Been looking at Cleveland and MN for an hour...coin flip at this point...both look enticing
Heads= Minneapolis Tails= St. Paul
brettg20
Well-Known Member
Surely has been on my list for a while...not being able to get out in CA. MN does seem like more to do otherwise also....hmmm
d3track
Are you sure about that?
That's a great choice, and if you're in the SW corner of the city I'll share a HB with you
set Surly aside for a moment. Day Block has a great menu and great beers. Sisyphus is a small mom & pop place with great beer and they have crowlers sealed right in front of you. don't dismiss Surly, but don't forget Day Block & Sisyphus.
brettg20
Well-Known Member
Atwater, dragonmead, griffinclaw, kuhnenns, sherwood, bastone and those are just the really good breweries, then there are a whole lot more decent ones as well. Sure the other places sound great as well, but I wouldn't just write the Detroit area off.
While there are dozens of breweries scattered across the metro, you can hit a bunch of good ones in one small area of northeast ("Nordeast") Minneapolis. Dangerous Man, Indeed, 612Brew, Bauhaus Brew Labs, Boom Island, Fair State Brewing Cooperative, Sociable Cider Works.
Edit: Here's a brewery map for the state.
Edit: Here's a brewery map for the state.
Firewalker11
Brewer
Nobody leaves the Twin Cities saying it's ugly, dirty or boring. We call it the Mini Apple because of the high density of arts, theatre, food and drink. Not imposing but available. We also have an incredible trail system.
mrdauber64
Well-Known Member
Another vote for the Twin Cities. The Happy Gnome in St. Paul has great food a huge tap list with a lot of the local stuff. Also the Twin Cities in the Summer is awesome. Another benefit of driving from Chicago to the Twin Cities is that you can hit some of the Wisconsin Breweries along the way with some slight detours, Madison has some good ones.
Yeah, I'm wondering why you want to drive so far away when you can be in Milwaukee in an hour, and Madison in two. The other destinations are around a 6 hour drive from Chicago, give or take...
That said, I'd vote Minneapolis. I've spent a fair bit of time there for work, and it's a nice city.
That said, I'd vote Minneapolis. I've spent a fair bit of time there for work, and it's a nice city.
aryoung1980
Well-Known Member
+1
I think you'd enjoy Milwaukee but of your choices I'd vote Minneapolis. It is a fun city. Definitely go to Nordeast if that's your destination.
Edit: Milwaukee has an ethnic festival on the lake front every weekend, great trails to explore, a fair amount of breweries but enough pubs/taverns/bars to keep your whistle wet, and Brewers tickets can be had for under face value considering our dismal performance. If you're into art there is a Van Gogh and Pollock exhibit going on too.
brettg20
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the replies. The main reason I want to go so far is I don't know when the next time I'll be close enough to drive...being from SoCal. I've been to Milwaukee so trying to explore somewhere new.
treacheroustexan
Well-Known Member
Hmm, have fun but I still think you should visit Cleveland. We have a wonderful city (also have our flaws but what city doesn't?). Someday then I hope!
Can't believe I'm saying this, being from Michigan: pick Cleveland. Detroit's all right, but Great Lakes alone is worth the drive. There's nothing in Detroit that will make it worth skipping Cleveland-- though you should stop by and pick up a some Atwater on your way back through.
Most of the good beer on the east side of the state is in Ann Arbor, anyway. Jolly Pumpkin, Arbor Brewing, Odd Side.
Most of the good beer on the east side of the state is in Ann Arbor, anyway. Jolly Pumpkin, Arbor Brewing, Odd Side.
treacheroustexan
Well-Known Member
Can't believe I'm saying this, being from Michigan: pick Cleveland. Detroit's all right, but Great Lakes alone is worth the drive. There's nothing in Detroit that will make it worth skipping Cleveland-- though you should stop by and pick up a some Atwater on your way back through.
Most of the good beer on the east side of the state is in Ann Arbor, anyway. Jolly Pumpkin, Arbor Brewing, Odd Side.
Have you ever been to Dark Horse in Marshall? I've been wanting to make the drive from Cle to check it out.
The drive to the Twin Cities up I-94 is quite scenic, too. Makes for a nice trip. Pick up some New Glarus while you're in WI. You'll be going right by Madison, it's a cool town worth checking out if you have the time.
JoshuaW
Well-Known Member
If you head east, you should hit up 18th Street Brewing in Gary, IN, Shoreline in Michigan City, IN, and Evil Czech in Mishawaka, IN. All of those wont have you veering very far off of I90. If you stop at Evil Czech, South Bend Brew Werks is also pretty good, as is Bare Hands Brewing in Granger.
No, which is a shame, considering how close it is and how much I like Plead the 5th-- I also hear Perculator is way better out of the tap. They even have an extensive setup outside, newly renovated biergarten. I hear it's quite the family joint. I'm planning a brewery tour with a friend next Friday (Bell's, Founders, New Holland), and they're on the list for the trip back.
If I ever get the itch to visit a pub/taproom, Grand River here in Jackson is pretty good. Food's a bit pricey, but they have all manner of drinks on hand, made in house-- even vodka and whiskey. The beer's pretty good, some of them are a little crazy (they have a pretty popular Elvis-themed beer that really does taste like peanut butter and bananas). They just canned beer for distribution for the very first time (Monkey Mouth IPA).
And if you don't want to go that far, Ann Arbor has some kick-ass beer, too. Jolly Pumpkin, especially. Haven't been there in a while, but I think they have Oro de Calabaza on tap. Forget lunch, just bring me a pint of that!
HarborTownBrewing
Well-Known Member
Here's a curveball: Traverse City, MI.
Right on Lake Michigan in an awesome part of the state. There are a lot of breweries in TC, and Shorts is about a 45 min drive just north of TC if you want to venture up there. There is some awesome food as well.
If you are in to wine, there are some good places up there I could recommend if you are interested. There are around 30 wineries within a 1 hr drive - I have about 4 or 5 that I recommend as having great wine.
In terms of beer though, there are about 10 solid breweries up there (http://www.traversecity.com/wineries/microbreweries/), and really great scenery. I've driven a lot of the Midwest, and the roads and scenery in that area are my absolute favorite - driving around windy roads right alongside Lake Michigan.
That's my suggestion; I did the trip recently from Chicago and I was able to make the trip in just a hair over 5 hours.
Right on Lake Michigan in an awesome part of the state. There are a lot of breweries in TC, and Shorts is about a 45 min drive just north of TC if you want to venture up there. There is some awesome food as well.
If you are in to wine, there are some good places up there I could recommend if you are interested. There are around 30 wineries within a 1 hr drive - I have about 4 or 5 that I recommend as having great wine.
In terms of beer though, there are about 10 solid breweries up there (http://www.traversecity.com/wineries/microbreweries/), and really great scenery. I've driven a lot of the Midwest, and the roads and scenery in that area are my absolute favorite - driving around windy roads right alongside Lake Michigan.
That's my suggestion; I did the trip recently from Chicago and I was able to make the trip in just a hair over 5 hours.
My son's been to a lot of the breweries/brewpubs here in NE Ohio. Fatheads has good food as well. But what I liked about Great Lakes is the fact that their old school bar is the very one that Elliot Ness drank at when he was here in Cleveland! Thirsty Dog & Hoppin' Frog in Akron are good as well. Thirsty Dog's Cerberus Belgian-style ale is pretty good too. Many have glasses, both regular & taster-size available with their logo on'em as well. We also have John Christ winery over on Detroit Rd (State route 254) in Avon that has many good wines for sale by the bottle. Not too far from our house.
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