Portage Brewing Company

A great place to drop in and enjoy a beer or two when you’re up in lake country. Friendly and comfortable and lively set-up, at least in the summer, with a mix of locals and lake house types and tourists just passing through. Beers are solid, lineup isn’t too diverse but for the area and size it is more than reasonable. Occasionally, I’ve had a really great beer from these guys.

Beautiful north country taproom with a decent selection and variety of brews. Stopped in on a relatively busy Tuesday afternoon and had three different beers: pilsner, a pale ale and a DIPA. All were well made. Service was very good and friendly. Would go back again if in the area.

 

This was a terrific spot; friendly people, great beer, and a beautiful wood interior. Unfortunately a fire gutted the place, January 2019. I am really hoping that they make a come back.

There is a Gofundme page to support rebuilding, if anyone is so inclined.

 

Portage is a bit of a sleeper - due to location, it's a bit shocking that the quality of beer is so high. When I last visited, there were two IPAs on tap, a table beer (and a jalapeño infused variant), a golden ale, and a coconut coffee stout - a pretty decent selection for a brewery that is, at a minimum, 1.5 hours away from a major city.

I'll also add that I was pleased by the atmosphere - Portage boasts a vibrant clientele of tourists, locals, fishermen, bikers, and so on. The brewery has a very nice patio area (too warm and sunny for me), and a nice section of picnic tables indoors. Plenty of boardgames make it a friendly atmosphere for tourists, families, and beer enthusiasts. There were plenty of children in evidence, but plenty of adults as well.

The beer is very decent - nothing earth-shattering, but the IPAs caught me by surprise, and the coffee-coconut stout was clean, roasty, and delicious for a non-barrel aged beer. Well done! I'd place Portage in my #1 spot in the area, just ahead of Jack Pine, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. Cheers, Portage!