The Best Breweries in Grand Rapids

The Grand Rapids area has over 80 breweries making it a beer drinker’s Mecca! If the pure number of breweries isn’t enough to entice you that you have to visit, the city also was voted Beer City USA, Best Beer Town, and Best Beer Scene from USA Today and other national polls. Narrowing the list of best breweries in the area was tough, but I managed to drink my way through the city and compile the top 4 breweries below, in ranking order.

Check out my full beer and travel guide for Grand Rapids here!

Speciation Artisan Ales

Speciation is the absolute best stop on the Beer City Ale Trail and my favorite brewery in Michigan! They specialize in Wild Ales and Natural Wines and are the only brewery in the area to do so. Speciation has a unique approach to brewing and you can always expect funky and distinct flavors. Their taproom is located on the popular Wealthy Street in the heart of town.

Arvon Brewing Co.

Arvon is located just south of downtown Grand Rapids on Division Street with a cute and cozy taproom that they opened in 2020. Prior to 2020 they only distributed their beers from their production-only facility in nearby Grandville, and they did not have any options for onsite consumption. Arvon was able to grow their name and flagship beers through this method, but having a taproom has really expanded their beer selection and boosted their popularity. They specialize in Hazy IPAs and Sours, but they do well with every style of beer.

Lost Art Brewhouse

Lost Art opened in 2020 and they are already taking the Grand Rapids area by storm. They are right across the city line in Walker, MI and are putting out some incredible beers! Their different variations of IPAs are definitely their strong suit—whether it’s a single IPA, a Double IPA, or a Milkshake IPA they do it to perfection.

Odd Side Ales

Odd Side is located near Lake Michigan in Grand Haven, Michigan just outside of Grand Rapids. Their large taproom is a popular destination, especially in the summer months. Odd Side makes a wide variety of beers and are best known for Bean Flicker, a coffee blonde. Their Barrel Aged Stouts and Fruited Sours are the best styles they make.

Have you been to Grand Rapids? What do you think are the best breweries in Beer City USA? Let me know in the comments! —Cheers, Alexis

Check out my full beer and travel guide for Grand Rapids here!

My Top Beers in March 2021

March was full of fantastic beers and a trip to Raleigh visiting some amazing breweries and sharing some fantastic beers! You can also tell from my selection here that we’ve finally seen a turn in the weather—this month includes many more fruity and refreshing beers!

In no particular order, here were my top beers in March 2021:

Lunchbox Series Blackberry PB&J from Funguys Brewing in Raleigh, NC

Funguys releases different variants of their Lunchbox Series of Smoothie Style Sour Ales, each that are Peanut Butter and Jelly inspired. This one is brewed with peanut butter, blackberry, and lactose, and truly tastes like you’re biting into an elementary school lunch sandwich. All of their Sours are incredibly delicious so you really can’t go wrong, but this one really exceeded expectations.

Deferred Stimulus from Cerebral Brewing in Denver, CO

Deferred Stimulus is a Double IPA with Galaxy and Cashmere hops coming in at 8.4% ABV. Cerebral makes some of the best Juicy IPAs in the game and this one is no exception! The color is warm and inviting, the smell is fresh and hop-filled, and the flavors are powerful and smooth. I absolutely love getting my hands on Cerebral’s brews and can’t wait to visit them again in the future!

Summer Jam: FrosE Collaboration from Barrel Culture Brewing and Blending in Durham, NC and Kings Brewing in Rancho Cucamonga, CA

This collab is a tiki-drink inspired Fruited Sour Ale with pineapple, mango, coconut, and key lime. At 7% ABV, this is a powerful Sour from two fantastic breweries. It is thiccc, packed with flavor, and super easy to drink. I had this one on tap during our visit to Raleigh and it was so good I also scooped a 4-pack to go!

Abstract Harvest from Heist Brewing and Barrel Arts in Charlotte, NC

Abstract Harvest is a Fruited Berliner Weisse with passionfruit, pink guava, pineapple, and lactose. It is extremely refreshing but super packed full of flavor. At 7.8% ABV it is definitely a boozy brew, but the fruits hide the alcohol and it is super easy-drinking. Pair this with a pizza from Livy’s and you won’t be disappointed!

Self-Reliance: Motueka from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT

This batch of Hill Farmstead’s Farmhouse IPA, Self-Reliance, has hand-selected Motueka hops from Freestyle Farms, their agricultural partner in Upper Moutere, New Zealand. It was conditioned in oak puncheons for 3 months and then bottled since March 13, 2019. This was truly phenomenal and will probably be one of my favorite beers of the year.

Intern Backpack collaboration from Other Half Brewing in New York, NY, Shared Brewing in Maplewood, MO, and Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

Intern Backpack is an Imperial IPA with hand selected Centennial and Nelson Sauvin hops plus Vic Secret and Galaxy hops. This is a true juice bomb coming from three of the best breweries in the country—Other Half, Monkish, and Shared. Shared is by Side Project Brewing and where they create their non-Barrel Aged beers. I look forward to getting to try more of their fantastic creations!

Soft Parade from Short’s Brewing in Bellaire, MI

Soft Parade was my original favorite craft beer! I grew up in Michigan so Short’s and Soft Parade were everywhere, but now as a North Carolinian I rarely get to revisit this delicious classic. Soft Parade is their flagship Fruit Ale brewed with pureed strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. It is fruity and refreshing but still 7.5% ABV!

Extra Extra Juicy Bits from WeldWerks Brewing in Greeley, CO

Juicy Bits is already a phenomenal beer and one of the best IPAs in the country. Extra Extra Juicy Bits is the Double Dry Hopped Double IPA version of this classic beer with Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops. This is an incredible beer and one of the top IPAs I’ve personally had. Don’t want to take my word for it? This brew won a gold medal at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival in the Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale category.

Check back next month to see my top beers of April!

Cheers -Alexis

My Top Beers in January 2021

Some people choose to do Dry-January, but personally that’s not something that I have ever or probably will ever choose to do.

First, my birthday is in January. Second, I like beer. Third, to me, forcing yourself to not do something is not a healthy option over moderation. Fourth, it’s a global pandemic, we celebrated a new President, and we faced an insurrection on our nation’s capitol.

In summary, I drank some beers in January! Here are my favorites, in no particular order:

CLIMB THE BALLMER PEAK FROM TRILLIUM BREWING IN BOston, MA and Equilibrium Brewery in MIDDLETOWN, NY

The second batch of this Triple IPA loaded with hand selected Citra hops. I love a good collab and EQ teaming up with Trillium was bound to be amazing! I brought this one up Stone Mountain, and although it wasn’t the Ballmer Peak it was a great peak to enjoy such a delicious beer. Check out all my favorite hikes near Charlotte here!

Even More Gummy Saurus from Evil Twin Brewing in New York, New York and Tripping Animals Brewing in Doral, FL

Even More Gummy Saurus is a Fruited Sour with coconut and marshmallow. I did not have high expectations for this beer because I am not a huge coconut fan and I generally like my Fruited Sours to be berry focused, but this one was stellar. Best paired with college basketball watching.

Marvoloso V7 from Commonwealth Brewing Company in Virginia Beach, VA

Wow. This one was an Imperial Chocolate Stout aged on Basil Hayden’s Bourbon and Woodford Reserve Rye barrels and conditioned on marshmallow, coconut, walnuts, cocoa nibs, Tahitian vanilla beans, and Ghirardelli dark chocolate. I enjoyed this adjunct-packed Stout at Carolina Beer Temple, we were lucky enough to visit when they were doing a Commonwealth tap takeover! Their outside patio area is great, I definitely recommend checking them out!

Hommage Bio Frambozen from Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen in Brussels, Belgium

Lambic Life! This is the Season 17|18 Blend Number 60 version Lambic with raspberries, cherries, and local honey. There is nothing that makes you feel quite as boojie as a Lambic basket. This was a special treat for my birthday from a good friend that we enjoyed at The Whale Beer Bar in Asheville. They’ve always got a killer tap list and can/bottle list as well!

Dessert Cart from Mountains Walking Brewery in Bozeman, MT and The Whale Beer Bar in Asheville, NC

Dessert Cart is a Pastry Stout brewed for The Whale's 3rd Anniversary using Mountains Walking’s thick and decadent Pastry Stout base conditioned on toasted coconut, toasted pecans, cocoa nibs and Tahitian vanilla bean. Creamy, thicc, flavorful, and delicious! We enjoyed this can at Salud Beer Shop, one of my favorite spots in Charlotte.

Second Hand Shanty from Vitamin Sea Brewing in Weymouth, MA and Resident Culture Brewing in Charlotte, NC

This is a Triple IPA Double Dry-Hopped with Mosaic, Strata and Michigan Copper. Vitamin Sea and Resident Culture both crush it in the IPA game so it was no surprise that this collaboration was great. I personally preferred Vitamin Sea’s version, but both were absolutely fantastic!

Tune in next month for my February favorites! Cheers -Alexis

My Top Beers in December 2020

December was a month of a lot of beers. We took a beer trip to Richmond, Virginia, we checked out some new local breweries, college basketball and football heated up, and of course the holidays meant less work and more celebrating!

In no particular order, here are the best beers I drank in December 2020:

Squeeze Play by Slowplay Brewing in Rock Hill, SC

We visited Slow Play just south of Charlotte for the first time in December thanks to a collaboration I did with Discover South Carolina. I was absolutely blown away with how delicious the beers were, how friendly the staff was, how great the spacious patio was, and how delicious the food was from the onsite food truck Cibi! Cibi! My favorite beer I had was Squeeze Play, a Hazy IPA with Amarillo, Citra, and Mosaic hops.

Starve Exhibit D from The Veil Brewing in Richmond, VA

We were incredibly lucky that Rebecca and Daniel from @WanderingHops shared this amazing Stout with us when we stayed with them on our beer trip to Richmond! Starve Exhibit D is an Imperial Stout aged 18 months in Bourbon and Brandy barrels with honey, vanilla, and marshmallows. It was thicc, Bourbon-y, and packed with flavor! If you’re not already following @wanderinghops on Instagram get on it! They drink delicious beers and take incredible trips!

Blackberry, Banana, Cream Cheese, French Toast JREAM from Burley Oak Brewing Company in Berlin, MD

This is a Fruited Sour with lactose conditioned on blackberry, banana, cream cheese, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and brown sugar—it is absolutely phenomenal! This is by far the best JREAM I have had from Burley Oak and one of my top Sours I have had in a long time! I can’t wait to make it to their brewery someday, hopefully in 2021!

Everything at The Answer Brewpub in Richmond, VA

Okay okay this is cheating I know, but honestly everything I had at The Answer was SO good! My flight included the following beers, from left to right in the photo: Hoptone Galaxy Anniversary edition of the Hoptone IPA series featuring CY 2020 Galaxy Hops; Quadrupole Mother of Berries Joose with Boysenberries, Loganberries, Blackberries, and Raspberries; Quadruple Mother Pulka Joose with Red Raspberries, Redcurrant, Strawberries, toasted Marshmallow, and vanilla; Sleep Paralysis @smoothambler Barrel Imperial Stout with Peanut Butter and Oreos. Check out my Richmond recommendations here, but if you can only make one stop in RVA I would highly recommend The Answer!

Grandma’s Apple Pie Gose from Westbrook Brewing in Mt. Pleasant, SC

This is a Gose with apple puree, vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt, coriander, and lactose. At just 4% ABV, it is the perfect dessert beer without being too heavy. It tastes just like apple pie and is super yummy!

Heavy Mettle Collab brew from The Veil Brewing in Richmond, VA and Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA

Heavy Mettle is an Imperial IPA with Galaxy and Amarillo hops from Trillium Brewing, but thanks to the Freaky Friday beer collab initiative going around The Veil brewed this version! It was super juicy and I absolutely loved it, which is no surprise given my love for Galaxy hops. We paired this brew with pretzels from Eastern Standard Provisions—I definitely recommend checking them out! I got a box at my doorstep courtesy of my mom filled with pretzels and mustards accompanied by easy to follow directions on how to heat them in the oven and they were super good!

Tune in next month to see what my first favorites of 2021 will be! Cheers! -Alexis

My Top 5 Beers in November 2020

I’ve found that posting my beers on Instagram doesn’t give me the ability to be reflective and really dig into which are truly exceptional, so welcome to my first roundup of favorites! Each month I will do a blog post on which beers were above and beyond the best. Most of the time I will pick 5, sometimes it might be less, sometimes more.

In no particular order, here were my favorite beers I drank in November 2020:

From Downtown by J. Wakefield Brewing in Miami, FL.

This is a Double Dry Hopped Double New England Style IPA with Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, Pacific Sunrise and Riwaka hops. We were lucky enough to get a four pack of this banger and thoroughly enjoyed each one! I visited J. Wakefield a couple of years ago and loved i! As I’ve tried more of their brews over time I continue to be more and more impressed.

Switchblade No. 21 at Workshop Brewing in Traverse City, MI.

This Hazy Double IPA is made with Kveik yeast and is dry hopped with experimental hop variety HBC-472. This was a truly delightful brew, the Kveik yeast made it not your typical Hazy IPA. I highly recommend a visit to Workshop if you are in Northern Michigan! Check out my Traverse City guide here!

Blueberry Cobbler Berliner from WeldWerks Brewing Co. at Forestry Camp in Asheville, NC.

This is a Sour Wheat Ale brewed with vanilla, milk sugar, graham cracker and nearly 1500lbs of blueberry puree. WeldWerks is based in Greely, Colorado and is most known for their IPAs, but this Sour was truly impeccable! Forestry Camp is from the team at Burial Beer Co. and is one of my favorite places ever, truly.

The Only Trail From Nowhere at Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, NC.

This Imperial Stout is made with pecan, peanut, cashew, hazelnut, banana, and coconut. Burial does no wrong, and this Stout is no exception. I had 8 different Burial beers this month so it was hard to choose a favorite but this one was just packed with flavor! I always love getting to visit Burial, check out my full guide to Asheville here!

Anna by Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT.

This is a Farmhouse Ale brewed with Vermont wildflower honey. This was my third time having a bottle of Anna and every time I do I love it a little more! Hill Farmstead always puts out incredible Farmhouse Ales and Saisons, this one is a little extra special with the honey addition.

Tune in next month to see what my favorites of December 2020 will be!