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| White Flame Brewing, Hudsonville |
This post is another update to my series of entries about Michigan beer. Basically, I'm listing places we visited on vacation this July and August (2025) along with prior visits to Michigan brewpubs. This is one instance where Google Timeline information is helpful.
The vacation was fun, though imperfect. It was really hot in the south in late July -- we went to a movie in a shopping mall on a Sunday afternoon to beat the heat. We saw Eddington, which I will mention in my December movie entry -- but you can read about it now on my letterboxd page. Later during the trip, once we went upstate to Traverse City, the entire area got hit by wildfire smoke from Canada. It was disappointing and limited our outdoor activites somewhat.
In any case, regarding the brewery listings, I'm not including stops where I didn't have at least one drink -- sometimes we decide a place is not for us, or I merely shop for beer. On the way home this summer I bought some beer at Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids.
Given that Michigan has over 400 breweries, my personal list includes only about 6% of the total! I could move to Michigan and have a difficult time sampling all of them.
2025 (1 new; 25 total) (new ones in bold)
Big Lake Brewing, Holland
White Flame Brewing, Hudsonville
Loco Boys Brewing, Traverse City
Jolly Pumpkin Brewing, Traverse City
Rare Bird Brewpub, Traverse City
Founders Brewing, Grand Rapids
We dined at all these spots and had the best meals in Traverse City establishments and at Founders. I doubt we would return to White Flame.
Most of the other dining spots we hit were also beer friendly: Hops at 84 East in Holland, Hopcat Holland, 7 Monks TC, etc.
2024 (5 new; 24 total)
Latitude 42°, Kalamazoo (April trip)
Big Lake Brewing, Holland
Brass Ring Brewing, Grand Rapids
Two Guys Brewing, Grand Rapids
Short's Brewing, Elk Rapids location
Filling Station Brewing, Traverse City
Workshop Brewing, Traverse City
Infinity Brewing, Traverse City (September)
Jolly Pumpkin Brewing, Traverse City (September)
Loco Boys Brewing, Traverse City (September)
We dined at all of these except Short's, where I mainly wanted to try the new Payne Pils. Latitude 42 and Brass Ring had the best food though we liked our meals at Big Lake and Workshop. The wait and service at Filling Station had us questioning our choice.
Incidentally, we've now also visited beer friendly HopCat locations in Grand Rapids (2 different locations), Ann Arbor, Detroit, Holland, Kalamazoo, and Louisville (sadly now closed permanently).
October Update: The food was OK to good at both Infinity and Jolly Pumpkin, but Loco Boys was closer to very good/exceptional. They serve Mexican food!
2023 (1 new; 19 total)
Griffin Claw, Rochester Hills near Detroit
Brewery Vivant, Grand Rapids
Founders, Grand Rapids
Brewery Vivant may have the best brewpub food we've found in Michigan.
2022 (4 new; 18 total)
Odd Side Ales, Grand Haven
Unruly Brewing, Muskegon
Rare Bird Brewing, Traverse City
Cherry Republic Brewing Company & Public House, Glen Arbor
Founders, Grand Rapids
We dined at all of those places, though at Odd Side we had to order takeout from a nearby restaurant. They don't have food.
2021 (2 new; 14 total)
Big Lake Brewing, Holland
Guardian Brewing, Saugatuck (closed/moved to Indiana)
Brewery Vivant, Grand Rapids
We also dined at all of these.
2019 (2 new; 12 total)
New Holland Brewing, Holland
Big Lake Brewing, Holland
Clam Lake Beer Company, Cadillac (2)
Filling Station, Traverse City
Workshop Brewing, Traverse City
MiddleCoast Brewing, Traverse City (was called Monkey Fist at the time)
We did not dine at Big Lake or MiddleCoast, but both have food (I think).
2018 (2 new; 10 total)
Workshop Brewing, Traverse City
Clam Lake Beer Company, Cadillac
Filling Station, Traverse City
We dined at these.
2017
I was on antibiotics that trip and did not visit any brewpubs and avoided alcohol.
2016 (2 new; 8 total)
Saugatuck Brewing, Saugatuck
Filling Station, Traverse City
2015 (2 new ones, 6 total)
Short's Brewing, Bellaire
Rare Bird, Traverse City
We dined at these.
Older trips: (at least 4 visited, from memory)
New Holland Brewing, Holland
Mackinaw Brewing, Traverse City
North Peak, Traverse City
Jolly Pumpkin, Traverse City
We did not dine at Jolly Pumpkin, but they have food -- and various other locations across the state.
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