I have a short business trip to Grand Rapids in early September. I'm staying at the Embassy Suites downtown and I have an event at the City Built Brewery so I'm already checking that out. I'm looking to hit a nearby bottle shop to try to grab some things I don't normally have access to back in St. Louis. Any advice on a decent bottle shop nearby? I may also try to hit Founders if I have enough time and they have something interesting I can't get back home and it's canned or bottled. Looks like they have a few things right now that are intriguing, but they might just be on draft. I also have a pumpkin beer tasting with some buddies every year and anything other than Ichabod would be a good addition if I can score it at a local shop. I've had some others from Michigan, but I already had a buddy grab some when he was in South Haven the other week.
Hope Grand Rapids treats you well! Not a ton of great bottle shops near downtown but Siciliano’s is probably your best bet. https://www.sicilianosmkt.com/ Besides that, Arvon will be relatively close to you. I think their hoppy beers are really good (not so much their stouts & barley wines, imo) and prefer them to Founders but I understand the nostalgia of hitting up a legend. City Built’s great so I’m confident you’ll enjoy your stop there. Feel free to hit me up if you have any questions. Cheers! -Kevin
Depending on how much time you have for bottle shops, there are a few that offer a nice range of locals. As Kevin stated, Arvon is downtown and definitely worth checking out, and I really enjoy their barrel aged stouts. Founders is the “Mother Ship” - definitely want to stop by if not grab a beer or two. Worth the time. Knickerbocker is New Holland’s downtown taproom and is a good place to try. Beyond that, what kind of beer do you like? There’s a number of other options if you’re looking for something outside the mainstream.
I know Founders will fill 32 ounce crowlers in their taproom. And I'm pretty sure they fill 16 ounce cans as well. Arvon makes great IPAs and stouts. The stouts are very big and sweet. If you like your stouts that way, you definitely want to check out Arvon. You will enjoy your visit to City Built. They are solid with everything they make. Brewery Vivant is pretty close to downtown GR if you are into farmhouse/saison/belgian style beers. There really isn't any good bottle shops near downtown GR. But if you are up for a 10 to 15 minute drive, Siciliano's, Rishi's, Horrock's, D. Schuler's and Total Wine are great options.
If you're into sours/wild ales, Speciation Artisan Ales is the place to go. They can/bottle some of their stuff for distro but it's likely that you'll find a greater selection at the brewery (near downtown). They're a bit pricey, so be forewarned, but they are excellent beers. For a pumpkin ale suggestion, I think I saw that Short's version is in the process of being released but I don't know if it's out in the wild yet. I'm not a fan of pumpkin ales, so this isn't an endorsement.
Neither are from Grand Rapids, but I’m a fan of Avery Rumpkin (when I can find it!), and Southern Tier Pumpking.
Just saw many (too many in my opinion) at Total Wine on 28th Street. Hope you find all that you want!
