Frankenmuth/Flint Breweries

Jeff, Graham and I recently decided to make a trip out to Frankenmuth to visit some breweries, see our good friend, Eric and do a little shopping at the outlet mall.  We weren't exactly sure how Graham would fare on a longish trip (2+ hours each way) but he did remarkably well.

Frankenmuth Brewery
 After touring around Birch Run outlets, we were HOT and in need of a beverage.  Frankenmuth Brewery is at the end of the main drag in historic Frankenmuth, a tourist trap of a town with a Bavarian Christmas theme.  The outside of the the brewery was certainly no exception, but inside we were pleased by the big spacious interior, which had outdoor patio and upstairs private facility.  The beer selection was decent.  I had the weizen (of course), which was light and refreshing.  Jeff had an IPA (again, of course) which he rates as average, slightly better than New Holland.  I tasted it and thought it was pretty dry and oakey.  I prefer my IPA's more on the floral side.  Looked like a decent menu, but we weren't eating.  Since we were hitting up numerous breweries, we called it good after one.  I was disappointed that their dachshund logo is supposedly being discontinued and therefore not available on pint classes.  See how cute:

Black Forest Brewhaus
On the opposite end of the main drag, next to the giant Christmas mega-store was Black Forest Brewhaus in Sullivan's restaurant.  First impression - this place had a kind of funny smell.  And was in SERIOUS need of a facelift.  The menu had lots of German meats and pizza (why not?) but again, we were only there for the beer.  I had already had my beer for the day (I'm still a limited drinker), so it was water for me.  Jeff had the Lost Sailor IPA which he liked better than Frankenmuth brewing (it's won some sort of award).  I tasted it and I agree - more floral like I like it.  They had a decent selection - maybe 10 beers, some were seasonal.  The beer made up for the lack of ambiance.

Redwood Lodge
We ventured next about 20 minutes south to Flint/Grand Blanc to Redwood Lodge (to meet up with Eric and his son Cameron), which is a mildly upscale restaurant and brewery.  Their beers are much heralded, with giant banners on display as proof.  Needless to say, the beer was darn tasty.  Again, I could only sip from Jeff's, but he was very pleased with their American IPA. At this point, we were getting a little hungry, so we ordered some delightful barbecue pulled pork nachos (which were only going to be a snack, but the portion was SO huge, we ended up skipping dinner that night).  My only complaint - needed more cheese, but the pork was delicious.  A bit pricey, but well worth the beer and food.

The trip was long and a little tiring (especially being a sleep deprived new mom as I was at the time), but the Frankenmuth breweries were better than expected, and Redwood Lodge lived up to all the hype.

West Side Breweries

There are several breweries in Western Michigan (outside of Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo) that we've visited.  It's been a while since we've been to some of these, so the reviews will be brief.

Big Rapids Brewing in the Blue Cow Cafe
We went here before a hockey this past winter.  I was 5 months pregnant, so no beer for me.  It's a lovely little restaurant - slightly upscale, though still relatively reasonably priced (though expensive for a town like Big Rapids).  The food was very tasty - a nice menu.  The waitress gave me an extra large dessert given my status as a mom-to-be.  They had a decent microbrew selection including a handful of their own brews.  Jeff had a great stout (yes I sampled).  What, not an IPA?  They must have been out that night or else Jeff would have tried it...rumor has it that it's pretty good.  It was a very pleasant surprise, especially on a cold January's night.

Odd Side Ales
Conveniently located in downtown Grand Haven, in the renovated piano factory building at the end of Washington Street, this was a great brewery!!  Jeff, Graham and I went last month and were pleasantly surprised.  They had about 16 beers on tap, many of which were some interesting concoctions, including a pineapple IPA, a peach Blonde, a peanut butter cup stout, an apple Pale Ale, and some standards like an Imperial Stout and a delightful Hefeweizen.  We don't always order samplers, but with such interesting selections, I couldn't decide on just one.  It's a nice atmosphere - plenty of tables plus some leather chairs and couches next to a table full of board games.  It looked like they had a patio, as well.  It's not terribly visible form the main drag - you have to know to go into the building.  They had a mug club as well - using ceramic mugs which Jeff and I are just not a fan of.  But it's nice to know that being a mug clubber is an option.  We'll certainly be visiting again.

Old Boys' Brewing
In all fairness, we can't quite remember this place for the beer.  Maybe that's saying something.  It's tucked down off 104 in Spring Lake by the water.  The food is bar fare, but very tasty.  Jeff recalls a good pizza.  What I remember is the dog theme.  There are pictures of patrons' dogs all over the walls.  We didn't have Cooper at the time, but perhaps we should go back with a picture of our hound (and of course to give the beer a second tasting to refresh our memories).

Saugatuck Brewing
It's a little outside of Saugatuck off Blue Star Highway.  They'd probably get better traffic if they were downtown.  But it makes for easier parking that they're not in the thick of things.  Anyways - the beer is pretty good, but expensive.  The times we've been, they're out of half of the beers on their list - usually they only have about 5 on tap.  It seems to be a good venue for live music - it's pretty expansive inside with tons of seating and a good stage.  They have a patio that doesn't offer much in the way of a view, but it does the trick for drinking outside.  I think they have a limited menu (but we've never eaten there).


New Holland Brewing
This is a huge place in downtown Holland (which is lovely, btw).  I like New Holland more than Jeff.  I can't say I've really had a bad beer.  They're most known for Dragon's Milk, an Old Ale and Poet, a stout, both of which have won awards.  Jeff ranks Mad Hatter, their IPA, as middle of the pack.  They have a beer that isn't bottled, and for the life of me I can't remember its name, but I had it at Food Dance in Kalamazoo and it was fantastic.  A really unique, slightly fruity and dark beer.  Certainly worth visiting, especially if you're in Holland.