Breweries in the Traverse City scene have been awarded 7th position by USA Today for their excellence in the “Small Town Beer Scene.”
This is one more award added to the growing list of the ever-growing brewery business in Traverse City.
In this cherry capital, you will find quirky beers made from real cherry pies & smoked pig bones to traditional beers, Tart Cherry Ale & Blond Ales. Whatever your established palate taste is, don’t forget to try something quirky but excellent, which you will find in plenty here.
List of 5 Must-Visit Breweries in Traverse City
1. Right Brain Brewery
The Right Brain Brewery is a long-awaited but now fulfilled passion of its founder – Russell Springsteen. He always wanted to mix brewing with his successful trade of hair salons, which he did in 2007 at Traverse City Warehouse District.
His passion for making distinguished and interesting beer is evident through his unique but delicious brews. Well, what can be more unique than brewing beer with actual peanut butter, pies, asparagus, and smoked pig & bones?
Whatever established tastes you might usually try, don’t let it come in the way of getting these four quirky brews.
- Pig Porter, ABV: 6.8% – This rich chocolatey porter is brewed with real smoked Mangalitsa Pig. Also won the Gold Medal for the “Best Experimental Beer” at the Great American Beer Festival in 2011.
- Thai Peanut, ABV: 7.9% – A spicy Brown Ale, one of their flagship beer. Inspired by Pad-Thai dish, which you will find in the taste. It’s a custom blend of real peanut butter, coconut oil, flaked coconut, dry-hopped cilantro, and Thai chili peppers.
- Cherry Pie Whole, ABV: 5.4% – An Amber Ale made with real cherry pies. Its rich, cheery notes will remind you of your grandma’s cherry pie!
- Spear Beer, ABV: 5.3% – This hazy straw-colored Asparagus Ale brewed with real asparagus and the real lemon peel has sweet, nutty, and earthy notes. You will find this beer very refreshing & light.
Some of their flagship beers are:
- CEO Stout, ABV: 5.5% – CEO stands for coffee, espresso & oatmeal; this Coffee Stout is the brewery’s best-seller. Scored 86 at the Beer Advocate, this beer is an excellent combination of roasted espresso beans, dark chocolate, malt, and vanilla beans combined with the creamy feel of oatmeal. Heavy on the espresso side, this beer will tempt you to replace your coffee with it!
- Northern Hawk Owl, ABV: 5.8% – This medium-bodied Amber Ale has notes full of toffee & caramel with earthy hop as an aftertaste.
- Smooth Operator, ABV: 3.8% – This Cream Ale was the winner of “The Best of Show” at the World Expo of Beer 2015. Someone new should craft beer, as it’s very light with a bit of corn sweetness and a slight vanilla flavor. Biscuity malt flavor is a little bit prominent, while hops give it a slight bitterness.
- Cakewalk, ABV: 4.5% – Another good creamy ale-style beer by this brewery. It has a nice balance of vanilla, pale malt, and earthy hop flavors. This extremely light brew is very smooth, crisp, and easy to drink.
2. The Filling Station Microbrewery
They opened the converted train station brewpub in 2012. This one-of-a-kind Traverse City brewery attracts visitors all the time. Their outside patio area is right on the platform, with lots of seating. Also, they have sandboxes, which are perfect for entertaining kids while you enjoy your drinks.
The Filling Station Microbrewery has both indoor & outdoor bars with 20 beers on tap, and flights are served on locomotive trays. They’re also famous for their flatbread pizzas.
The brewery aims to brew classic-styled beer with a local twist. Some of their best brews, which they call ‘tracks,’ are:
- Walla Walla IPA, ABV: 7.0% – This crisp, light-bodied brew has a grassy, floral, and grapefruity aroma with a nice balance between malt & hops.
- Huntington IPA, ABV: 7.1% – Brewed with six different malts, which nicely balance the hop bitterness with the herbaceous nose. It finishes dry with resin & pine flavor.
3. The Workshop Brewing Company
Classic & traditional stuff never goes out of fashion. Whether it’s in the case of music, wardrobe, or craft beer, on this same value, The Workshop Brewing Co. works. They don’t believe if some beers are being made over generations, they get boring or old.
You can get a glimpse of it in their offerings, like Blond Ale, Session IPA, Porter, and Tart Cherry Ale. Also, they have seasonals like Belgian Triple, Marzen Beer, and Nitro IPA to keep it interesting.
They follow their motto: Nature, Community, Craft very closely. They use every possible ingredient organic while brewing. To appreciate the community, which gives them so much, they organize local events three to four times a week. As for craft, they try to produce their best beer in a sustainable way, which means very little waste.
Pair your flights with their mouthwatering, made from scratch Empanadas, and enjoy a relaxed evening in their local friendly and spacious taproom.
4. Brewery Terra Firma
Amongst the whole Traverse City Breweries, Brewery Terra Firma is the only farm-based brewery in Michigan. Spread across 10 acres of farmland, they’re one of the greenest breweries in Traverse City. They put all organic wastes back into the farm and reclaim 230,000 gallons of water through their innovative water capture system.
With 1,000 original beer recipes under their belt, brewery’s president & brewmaster John Niedermaier has created every impressive beer lineup in his brewery.
Some of their best brews are:
- Manitou Amber Ale, ABV: 5.7% – Brewery’s first classic flagship beer. It has a very different aroma and flavor compared to normal Amber Ale, but in an excellent way. With caramel malty, toasted wheat bread, and an herbal hoppy aroma. You will taste caramel and sweet malted grains straight out, then light notes of raisin & dates, ending with a light but lingering bitterness of herbal hops.
- Ancho Chili Dutch Double Chocolate Porter, ABV: 5.3% – Rich Porter brewed with Dutch chocolate, chocolate malt, and ancho chilies.
- Soul Butter Triple IPA, ABV: 8.0% – Brewed with six different hops, but sweet caramel malt kept the bitterness well balanced with strong spicy, floral, and hoppy flavors. It is an appreciated brew by beer lovers.
5. Rare Bird Brewpub
This Traverse City brewery offers its award-winning beers and the best beers from around the world. Apart from beers, they also serve cocktails, wines, and other alcoholic drink options.
These various options, combined with Live Music and delicious food, make Rare Bird Brewpub a perfect place to chill out.
Some of their best brews are – Rare Bird No Pressure – three times winner of the Traverse City Stout Challenge; Her Name Was Amber – an Amber Ale; whip-pour-will Wit – Light Belgian Wit; Schadenfreude Chocolate Milk Stout; craft beers, fresh coast beer and more.
Extra Things to Know
Some Other notable winery companies you can check are North Peak Brewing Company, Middle Coast Brewing Company, and Michigan Breweries Tour.
Maybe you want to know what makes the craft beer scene tick for millions of beer enthusiasts before creating your beers, or maybe you are a traveler already bored visiting the typical places like Big Daylight Candy Factory or Grand Traverse County in General, then it to supercharge your trip with the help of some delicious craft beer with a fun and exciting craft brewing tour.
Whatever your palate demands, you will find it all and some more in these 5 must-visit downtown traverse city. Don’t forget to check these best breweries out on your next visit to Traverse City.
Last Updated on by Namrata123
