Aloha, Just moved from Portland, OR to Ann Arbor and I am looking for suggestions on where to buy/drink beer, favorite breweries, and festivals. I am excited to try all the area has to offer! Mahalo! Darius
HOMES is the only brewery I’ve had beer from in that area, and it was pretty tasty. They also make Smooj, which are really good, if you are into the smoothie seltzer’s.
If you haven't searched the BA database yet, here's a link: https://www.beeradvocate.com/place/list/?start=0&&city=Ann+arbor&brewery=Y&bar=Y&eatery=Y&sort=name. Ashley's is the bar/eatery that gets the most talk in these forums, and HOMES is the brewery that fills that bill. Bill's Beer Garden seems popular too. I like Jolly Pumpkin, but the JP beers are frequently outnumbered by North Peak beers, a sister brewery. Great pizza and other food at JP. You likely will see a greater variety of JP beers if you go to the brewery's taproom in Dexter, only about 10-15 miles west of AA. Welcome to Michigan, the Great Beer State.
Thanks! I find the database useful, but it is helpful to have a narrative overview. I also trying to figure out which stores carry the best selections of locals and regionals….
Okay, I didn't ask for stores in the search that I did, but if you think it would be of value it's easy to do in the places feature. I've always felt that reading reviews is helpful for breweries, bars or eateries, but less so for stores.
Arbor Farms Market on Stadium (near Wolverine and HOMES) has the best take home selection in the area - in my opinion. They carry great local (Mothfire, Edelbrau) and regional (Arvon, Ferndale Project, Eastern Market, etc.) options. Plum Market (just north off Stadium) also has a decent selection. Welcome to AA!
