Explore & Enjoy // Food & Drink
Best true to style breweries
Chris Copacia
Hey there! I’m Chris, a 29 year old lifelong metro Detroiter. I would consider myself a beer enthusiast, but on a very modest level. I am also a die-hard Detroit City Football Club supporter and tour guide for Detroit Experience Factory. I have been to every long standing local brewery in the metro area and almost every new brewery as well. Additionally, I’ve tasted traditional, rare and unique beers from across the USA and the world as an enthusiast with other enthusiasts that work in the beer distribution industry. Also, I’ve visited breweries ranging from one of the few traditional Lambic brewing facilities in Belgium to the quaintest hyper local, 21st century craft breweries.
Honestly, I love discussing beer, how the taste is perceived by different people and the overall environment that many breweries present to the public. Beer culture has such variance from country to country, coast to coast and historically. It’s an incredible challenge to capture market share in the new era of craft beer in the USA and it’s easy to allow trends and popularity to overshadow some of the best work being done in this industry here in the states.
1
Kuhnhenn Brewing
Kuhnhenn Brewing - Chicago Road, Warren MI
Kuhnhenn has truly inspired craft brewing regionally between it's abilities to craft incredible traditional European styles, being an early innovator in the bourbon barrel aging category regionally and for encouraging and embracing the home brewing community in the region. This is truly a brewery that can be enjoyed across generations thanks to it's offerings and it's traditional beer hall atmosphere.
2
Brew Detroit
Brew Detroit - Abbott Street, Detroit MI
I'm going to go out on a limb and endanger myself by saying that Brew Detroit makes THE BEST BEER in Detroit proper. They come the closest to brewing traditional styles in a true to style way, yet they offer a great selection of new trendy styles. What their taproom location may lack in frills and aesthetic, it totally makes up for in it's brewing abilities. It's also a great place to go if you're not trying to be in a room of wall to wall people with excessively loud music because they have a ton of space and a great assortment of games such as billiards, darts, shuffle board, etc.
3
Woodward Avenue Brewers
Woodward Avenue Brewers - Woodward Avenue, Ferndale MI
#underrated and understandably so. This brewery was previously known for having really weak beer, but a great social atmosphere. Fast forward to today and they are producing some fantastic takes on styles new and old while still maintaining a great low-key, dimly lit ambiance. The WAB is definitely a sleeper pick.
4
Griffin Claw Brewing Company
Griffin Claw Brewing Company - South Eton Street, Birmingham MI
The most widely distributed on a local scale of my picks, this brewery features a red ale, El Rojo, as one of their flagship beers that has stood the test of time as a local favorite in this style. They're head brewer puts out some fantastic Pilsners that you can only obtain at the taproom, while producing an exceptional profile of barrel aged products throughout the year. If I'm buying a bourbon barrel aged pumpkin beer in the fall or winter, their Bourbon Imperial Screamin' Pumpkin is the only one I'm reaching for.
5
Batch Brewing Company
Batch Brewing Company - Porter Street, Detroit MI
Batch is my feel good pick of the list, largely due to their Feel Good Tap, through which they provide a local non-profit organization with a percentage of the proceeds. Between that great gesture of social activism, they're small batch rotation of interesting and traditional styles of beer and their modern style community seating, Batch is definitely one brewery I'll always recommend stopping by to any beer lovers spending time in the city.
6
Urbanrest Brewing Company
Urbanrest Brewing Company - Wolcott Street, Ferndale MI
This is the only open fermentation brewer in the metro area, so you can imagine the unique flavors coming out of this off the beaten path warehouse brewery. It's easy to miss, but worth finding your way to for a cozy evening filled with fantastic Saison's and a great rotation of food trucks. If you're looking for beer styles that most other breweries won't have on tap, this is place to go.
