Any decent breweries near Frankenmuth?

http://www.mibeer.com/find-mi-beer

 

Frankenmuth Brewery is a nice experience. Steve Buszka is their brewmaster now and he has a solid resume. He was once head brewmaster at Bell's before it was called Bell's. I've had a few of his beers there and they were a noticeable improvement over what they had before his arrival.

The Lager Mill is a nice bottle shop in Frankenmuth and T.Dub's is a pizza joint that has some really good craft beers on tap on occasion. I think they post their taplist online.

 

I stayed up there a year ago and hit a few places, the brewery included. My girlfriend and I wanted to keep it going and asked the staff at Tiffany's (great looking bar, ok selection) if there was any place open late. One place, I believe it was called Main Street. Open til 2, great selection. Loads of MI seasonals. Great place to end the night. As far as other breweries though, not sure that there's anything that close.

 

On the way go to Kuhnhenn which is in Warren just north of Dee-troit.

I grew up in Sagnasty and between the Muth and the Nasty is Stardust Lanes and they have a pretty solid tap list for a bowling alley.

http://stardustfun.com/beer/

 

I'm guessing that you'll be coming into Michigan via Toledo and up Rt. 23, so you'll have some really good places in Ann Arbor (Jolly Pumpkin being the most popular), then just south of Flint you'll have Redwood Lodge which is visible from the highway, thus very convenient. In Frankenmuth, as mentioned above, is Frankenmuth Brewing, and I agree it is a worthy stop. If you do a search of the Places feature here on BA, you'll see a second brewery that is located in Frankenmuth, Black Forest Brewing, but they no longer brew. They have great food and a good tap list, and if you're going to do touristy things, they're located just south of town on the street right behind the largest Christmas store in the world, Bronner's. (An experience unto itself.) Other new breweries along your route are located in Flint and Saginaw, but they are new and no reputation yet developed.

Also along your route (that I assumed), you'll find a brewery in Milan (Original Gravity and been around for a while and a worthy stop), about 10 miles south of Ann Arbor, and new ones in Howell and Brighton, but still somewhat unproven. (I have reviews of these three uploaded in the BA database.)

Enjoy your visit here.

 

Be aware as well that the hotels around Frankenmuth usually double their nightly rates on Fridays and Saturdays. The Lager Mill is worth checking out. Zehnder's and the Bavarian Inn have a few German beers but nothing that you can't get
everywhere - and their food is OK but not fantastic.

 

I would also add that if you've got the time on your way to Frankenmuth, and you are traveling up 23 vs I-75(which makes sense, as it's shorter) consider stopping in Tecumseh, Mi at Tecumseh Brewing. For as young as they are, they are turning out some great beers, and the food is fantastic. I think they're probably about 15 minutes west of Dundee/23. OG in Milan is cool, and tons of places in Ann Arbor too. Not much north of Ann Arbor, other than the aforementioned Redwood in Flint, which is pricey, but not bad. I assume a stop at Frankenmuth Brewery is a given.

 

OG is good. Heard good things about Tecumseh. Salt Springs in Saline had a very good Koelsch and an outstanding Oktoberfest beer last weekend.u

If you say there is nothing between Ann Arbor and Flint, you haven't been up to MI in a while?

Between Ann Arbor and Flint, not too far off of 23.
Witches Hat in South Lyon, there is also a new nano in the same town.
Drought Horse in New Hudson
Becker in Brighton
River's Edge in Milford, just got a Silver at GABF
Fenton Brewery and Winery in Fenton.

The list would double in number if one goes a little farther off 23. Every small town along I-96 will soon have a brewery.

 

I find the best way to check out the most updated taplist for places is to use untappd and check out what people are checking into at that location.

JP
https://untappd.com/venue/5360

Kuhnhenn
https://untappd.com/venue/2731

 

Kuhnhenns definitely serves flights never been to JP's so cannot comment on them.

 

But do they serve growlers?
Kidding. I had a growler of DRIPA at last years 4elf and it was wonderful.

 

On your way out of town, hit up Tony's in Birch Run for breakfast... I promise you won't leave with an empty stomach. Unfortunately, there is not much in terms of bottle shops between Flint and Saginaw. Lager Mill is your best bet in town as previously mentioned. If you have time, Oppermans is about 1/2 hour NW and always worth a visit.

 

Tecumseh Brewing is very 4ward, good brews. Danleys Country House has eleven pretty solid taps that rotate often and OG in Milan is pretty tasty too.