Lake Monster Brewing

 

 

20191214

 

Nice place in off Vandalia/I-94 tucked between a parking lot and an Arts/Marketing Bldg. Brew pub is in a restored brick building with high ceilings very urban feel and the tanks/ brewery visible , a nice outdoor seating area with a food truck parked nearby. Not alot on tap 6 or so with one cask. They offer flights or single 4oz pours,service was nice selection just ok. a nice place to visit,not a destination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stopped at this place in fall for an event that brought in a large amount of people. The taproom was really nice and inviting. Lots of seating and has a large patio. It looks like they frequently have food trucks as well. Their beer is quite solid. Their beers hit the typical varieties, but play it pretty safe. Nothing is over the top, but nothing is flawed by any means.

 

 

really awesome operation right here, they have restored a neat old brick building and made a beautiful brewery. tons of capacity here, some outside seating and then a spacious inside area with a four sided bar right in the center and the brewery tucked way in the back, tables surrounding the bar, dim lighting, a robust beer menu, and some incredible service. i was treated to full size sample pours from top to bottom pretty much, and the girl back there pouring them knew a lot about the beers, my glass was never empty in here. some were better than others, the berliner and the sour brown were not real impressive, but all of the darker ones i had were great. the vibe in here though is what makes it, really a cool flavor to the space, and with the diversity of the beer list, there is assuredly something for every palate. everything was really affordable, i always love a brewery that doesnt overprice or overvalue their product, something cool and humbling about that. its in a bit of a weird part of town, up and coming to put it nicely, but its worth the trip. i had a blast here.

Thought their Belgian-style wheat and IPA were some of the better beers I've had lately. If you like a true Belgian wheat, this is a good place. I'm more of a fan of traditional type brews, and this place currently has traditional.

 

New location opened December 2015 just a short jaunt from the U of M campus. It has a ton of free parking, but it is a component of an office complex and so the lot fills up very fast. They will have paved patio outdoor seating, but it was still chilly when we visited so wasn't an option.

This is yet another reclaimed industrial space, but it is done pretty well. Huge vaulted steel ceiling, exposed brick and steel beams, brewing equipment visible in the back half of the deep space, and blue mood lighting around the U-shaped bar and back along the gleaming steel vats.

Five or six taps and a cask offering make for a very limited selection, comprised mostly of their year-round stuff. The beer is slightly above average, all to style and a focus on being approachable.

They have tons of events here, food trucks and lots of yoga. Very family friendly, they even do kid-centric events occasionally. They sell glass and a bunch of cool swag here, and they will fill other brands' growlers (64oz. only I think?).

This is a pretty neat place - worth checking out, especially if you've never had their brews in bottles or elsewhere.

 

 

Cool space. Huge U- shape bar surrounded by cozier tables. I like hanging out with the tanks and equipment in sight- but still plenty of seating and high ceilings. The summer should have outdoor patio area.
Very fast and friendly service.
Wish the beer was just a step higher - maybe taking a risk on one of their 5-6 taplines.

 

 

 

 

 

Visited just once Dec. '15 on a Sunday. Not particularly busy. I believe there were six beers on tap. Food truck was there; they seem to have a different food truck most days of the week according to their social media. Family-friendly; there was a family with their children playing while I was there. Very large, open space. Nice courtyard area - I'm sure there will be many outdoor events in the warmer months. Staff seemed friendly enough. Pretty laid-back vibe. There were a few TVs with the football game on (with no sound). Overall: Solid. I will return.