I'm going to be up in Detroit visiting at the end of the month and staying downtown by the Renaissance Center. I'm looking for some good places within walking distance (trying to avoid cabbing if we can) where we can try any local or regional craft beers. Any suggestions? Last time we hit up Detroit Beer Company which is good and we'll probably go back but I could use other suggestions. Even if its just a restaurant or bar with a good tap selection, that would work. Hell, even a good downtown liquor store to pick up some bottles is fine too. Thanks!
Hit up Grand Trunk (it's a bar). It's a short walk from the RenCen and they always have great MI beer on tap. Food is decent too.
Definitely get to Slows; phenomenal BBQ and plenty of craft beer on tap. Also, it's not within walking distance, but I'd recommend checking out Atwater Brewery. http://slowsbarbq.com/ontap http://www.atwaterbeer.com/
What everyone else has said, definitely Grand Trunk. However, if you go to Slow's and want to check out somewhere else, you could also walk across the street to the Mercury Bar and/or walk a block to Sugar House, a "craft-cocktail" place that makes slightly pricey but delicious drinks. If you're heading over to Roast, which I'd highly recommend for food especially, I would also walk over to Cliff Bell's, a historic jazz cafe with pretty decent drink selection, or you could hit up Rub Pub BBQ, which has a bunch of local taps and eh food. I would also recommend Atwater which is kinda cool to drink inside the brewery itself but that would be a long, and probably dangerous walk.
If you pick up the 25 bus outside the Ren Cen it drops you off right in front of Green Dot Stables. (or it's a 2 mile walk across Wayne State's campus) They have a great selection of local beer and food. http://greendotstables.com/ . You can watch soccer at noon!
