Michigan Breweries/Stores (2021)

I enjoyed Tunnel Vision Brewing at Pond Hill Farm in Harbor Springs. Haven't been to Burnt Marshmallow. I believe you need a reservation and you get a set allotment of time which really doesn't suit my style.

If you've never been there (and even if you have), Short's in Bellaire is an hour away. I love me some Short's.

 

Pond Hill Farm

Was there pre pandemic (never thought I'd have to say that), so I'm guessing late summer 2019. Between Petoskey and Beards I spend more time at Petoskey when in the area. Beards has a great view out over Little Traverse Bay. Last time I was there everything needed to be ordered and paid for through your phone due to staffing issues.

 

Not sure it was called Tunnel Vision when I was there, but the place was definitely not a brewery first kinda joint. That said there was definitely a brewery on site with beer that was brewed well and to style. Just other stuff going on there as well.

Here is another place in Petoskey worth checking out that I forgot about briefly. Not a brewery but lots of Michigan beverages and several high end food trucks. Nice vibe to the place.

The Backlot Petoskey | Beer Garden | Food Trucks

 

Not positive but pretty sure they don't. My son and his wife are in the Mackinaw City area. Whenever we're up there we head to Petoskey and generally pass on closer options in Mackinaw City or Cheboygan. Enjoy your trip. If you hit up Tunnel Vision shoot us your thoughts.

 

If you've looked at the Places feature for Petoskey then you're aware of the 4 breweries there. I've been to three of them (not Burnt Marshmallow), although Beards has moved to a new location since I visited them. Not listed in the BA Places but is also in Petoskey is a location of Schmohz Brewery from Grand Rapids. It's supposedly inside a Mancino's Restaurant. Schmohz doesn't make very good beer from my experience that goes way back (maybe things have changed?), so I wouldn't spend time looking for them.

Nearby in Charlevoix is Lake Charlevoix Brewing. I liked them when I stopped there 4-5 years ago. As touristy at that town is, and the brewery is smallish, don't try going there when you think it's peak hours. I think I recently read about another brewery in Charlevoix but I don't recall where I picked up on that. You can try googling it if you're interested.

Also nearby to Petoskey are Boyne City with Stiggs Brewing (I haven't been there) which is listed here on BA under places, and over close to I-75 in Indian River is Burt Lake Brewing. This brewery is not in the BA Places, and I have not been there to give you any more info about them.

Tunnel Vision/Pond Hill Farm was mentioned above. It's definitely a different kind of place what with the ingredients that they put in their beers and food. It's definitely a farm-to-table place.

Short's was also mentioned above, and they are definitely worth a visit. Besides the main location in Bellaire, they have a production brewery with a taproom in Elk Rapids. I haven't been to it, but it likely doesn't have the same vibe of the Bellaire pub. Try to work it into your itinerary on your trip home. (Check on social media their COVID restrictions. They were very strict on having a reservation last year, even during mid-afternoon when you'd think things would be slow, like when I was there. But I knew ahead of time and had a time reserved.)

Have a nice trip.

 

Burnt Marshmellow was "OK", it's a decent enough space outside, but they have a lot of rules. Like they even have a sign up telling you how they want you to park. Beer was ok, nothing stood out either way, but totally drinkable. We weren't too impressed with our first visit, but we would probably give them another chance if we were in the area.

 

A local TV news report over the weekend said that Olde Peninsula Brewing in downtown Kalamazoo has closed.

Also, before anyone makes plans to visit Cognito Brewing in Bangor, call ahead. I don't think they ever reopened after closing for the pandemic.

 

We also went to Petosky Brewing and it was decent enough. Again I'd go back if I were in the area again.
Overall I kinda wasn't a fan of that area, so it's gonna cast the breweries in a negative light, so keep that in mind too.
One place that's a bit west of Petosky is Bier's Inwood Brewery. Nice vibe, cool space, beer was good.

 

Not really sure why I didn't care for it much, other than it (and Charlevoix) are very touristy and seem fake/shallow/pretentious. I just got a vibe that I wasn't digging. But it might have been all in my head. We had also visited a couple dispensaries that trip, so.....
Probably why I should give them another chance.

 

The few times that I went there, the beers were pretty much average, so that didn't help. But, yes, COVID started the process and the inability to hire employees to get things going again was also a factor. I don't know if they sold beer and food curbside over the past year, or if they closed completely and now just decided to remain closed permanently.

 

I just saw a TV ad for a Total Wine store in Grand Rapids. Our first Total Wine store in Michigan. It's on 28th Street East. That will probably hurt the other stores nearby.