Heading to Grand Rapids, MI

HopCat and Founders are absolute musts.

 

Brewery Vivant is an excellent stop!

 

You can't skip Founders if you haven't been and are from out of town. I've only been twice, but have hit it up both times the past couple years on the annual trek with my family up to Traverse City. I think the food is overrated (I'd prefer some bar/pub food like burgers, etc. instead of just sandwiches), but they have great beers and I've been able to take my kids with me without problem. And to that last comment, both times were a Saturday leading into the evening time, so it was trending more towards the "going out" crowd, but it was still cool.

I'd really like to get to Vivant as well sometime since I tend to dig the Belgian styles they focus on.

 

Vivant has great food, and currently a great selection of cans, as well as Paris, a wine barrel aged sour.

 

I'll echo the places mentioned above. Brewery Vivant's beers are Belgian inspired (along with some sours), but the beers are not very Belgian-y in my way of thinking. Great food and great vibe there too! Founders is self-explanatory. HopCat is a great beer bar that also brews a couple beers, but they are more renowned for their guest tap list and bottles (as well as their crack fries).

 

The Mitten has pretty good beer, and pizza.

 

Greyline brewing has better beer than the mitten! May be better to skip mitten and go there, unless you want pizza. Pizza good, beer...meh. Greyline has a decent patio too!

 

Founders, Vivant, Perrin and HopCat are all musts.

 

Out of Perrin & Vivant, which did you prefer?

I'll be up there in a few weeks but it's not a beer-centric trip; I'll probably only be able to pull off one stop. I've already been to Founders & Hop Cat, so I'd like to try something new...

 

How was Crankers? I usually stop in Big Rapids once a year, but have never been there.

 

I stopped at the Cranker's Grand Rapids location a few months ago and was very pleasantly surprised. I had visited the main location in Big Rapids a few years ago and thought the beers were mostly just average, so I think things have improved quite a bit with this brewery.

 

Lots of good choices, but for a couple of unknown spots I love what they are doing very quietly at Railtown and also the newest spot in GR Creston.

 

I'm heading up to Grand Rapids the first weekend of November and considering visiting Bells, Dark Horse, Transient, and potentially New Holland besides the other recommendations of Vivant and Founders. Is it worth visiting New Holland? I'm only familiar with their BA stouts and we got the Coconut Rum Dragon's Milk already out in San Diego. I also can't find much info online for what they would have on tap.

Dark Horse is also a ways out of the way but I'm considering it since they don't distribute out to California. Is it worth hitting Bells if I'm not expecting to be into their more malt forward style of IPA? I'm more into west coast and NE style IPAs, thus the potential drive out to Transient.

 

New Holland does have a tequila barrel dragon milk tapping soon (later this week? i can't remember) but it will be at both locations. If you'll already going to be in GR I'd say to go to the new GR location. I haven't been but it's all fresh and new, and I imagine would have the same stuff.

If it was the summer season i'd say hit new holland, oddsides and the coast towns, but it's not...

Bell's has a lot of pub only offerings on tap usually.

Also, amazing that you have the coconut rum dragon's milk already, as right here in mid michigan, we don't...

 

You can see what is on tap with the Cafe tap cam.
https://www.bellsbeer.com/eccentric-cafe
Oracle is one bitter DIPA. Roundhouse is nice. Kalamazoo IPA is less malty, but not on tap now.