We had checked out. Our road trip took us through along the entire north shore of Lake Superior. Through Ontario, into the upper peninsula of Michigan, and then the heart of Wisconsin. We’d been going downhill the past couple of days, putting miles behind us in our quest to return home. Eau Claire was our final night and The Brewing Projekt was a “bucket list” brewery that we had to visit.
Continue Reading…Hereford & Hops Restaurant And Brewpub
October 21, 2019
I had little frame of reference for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My mind’s eye pictured rugged wilderness, small mining towns, and wild “yoopers” keeping vigil. What I saw was more akin to northern Minnesota and Wisconsin than I anticipated. While searching for a place to spend the final evening of our road trip my eyes rested on the city of Escanaba. Driving to the – possibly haunted – House of Ludington hotel was an echo into the past. One of those echoes was the Hereford & Hops Restaurant And Brewpub.
Continue Reading…Mackinaw Trail Brewing Company
October 17, 2019
There is no better pit stop than a craft brewery. We’d been driving for hours after departing Sault Ste. Marie and were about to touch Lake Michigan. After that, we’d plunge into the interior of Wisconsin. The stars aligned when we drove into Manistique, Michigan and spotted a small spit of land housing the Mackinaw Trail Brewing Company.
Continue Reading…Northern Superior Brewing Company
October 7, 2019
We strapped our daughter into the car and climbed into the front seats. “What now?” I asked. Our visit to OutSpoken was shorter than we expected and I wasn’t ready to wind down at the hotel. “The other brewery I guess.” my wife responded. My arm needs no twisting, onward to Northern Superior Brewing Company.
Continue Reading…OutSpoken Brewing
October 3, 2019
We were on the last leg of our road trip. We entered Canada near Thunder Bay, and we planned to exit into Michigan through Sault Ste. Marie. Ontario was magnificent and the Trans-Canada Highway was one of the best drives we’ve ever taken. Forest, rivers, lakes, cliffs, and hundreds of miles of smooth traffic-free highway. It wasn’t time to say goodbye; Ontario deserved one last night. We pulled up to OutSpoken Brewing to begin our farewell.
Continue Reading…Sleeping Giant Brewing Company
October 1, 2019
We love the north shore of Lake Superior. My wife and I both went to college in Duluth and several times a year we return for a recharge. We’ve been to every state park and also completed a thru-hike of the rugged Superior Hiking Trail. Earlier this year emergency car repairs derailed a trip to Europe. Instead, we shifted gears beyond Minnesota into Ontario. Our first night would be in Thunder Bay. That meant scheduling a stop at Sleeping Giant Brewing Company.
Continue Reading…Lupulin Brewing Company
September 26, 2019
I’ve written about craft beer for four years. That’s about as long as I’ve been drinking it. I don’t remember a lot of beers from the first couple of years. My palate wasn’t developed, most beers tasted similar, and I had a hard time differentiating good beer from bad. One of the pursuits we attempted in those early days was to complete the Northern Ale Guide. When there is a t-shirt at stake, I’ll do anything. I recall bouncing around the state on a cold December weekend trying to get the last few stamps in the book. There was one brewery that we visited that didn’t make much of an impression. This summer I wanted to see how my tastes have changed after four years in the hobby. On a drizzly summer afternoon I pulled into the parking lot of Lupulin Brewing Company to see what I had missed.
Continue Reading…Ashby Brewing Company
September 23, 2019
There is something intriguing about a small town brewery. It summons the past, a time when breweries dotted the country. When locals would gather in the park after Sunday mass and enjoy a refreshing mug of the area’s lager with friends and family. When I hear that a brewery has opened in a town with a population of less than 500, I can’t help myself. It’s even more appealing when they are only open for a handful of hours a week. Ashby Brewing Company is the latest nano-brewery to provoke a visit.
Continue Reading…Brickfield Brewing
September 21, 2019
It’s a long drive to my sister’s cabin in Hayward. Our usual strategy is to break up the drive by visiting the Drive In in Taylor’s Falls. It’s nearly halfway but, more importantly, they have cheese curds. My sister says they stop at the location in Grantsburg on their way home. In August we put the town on our agenda. No food for us though, our trip was for craft beer at Brickfield Brewing.
Continue Reading…Birch’s on the Lake
September 17, 2019
I’m too young to understand the “supper club.” A concept interwoven into the fabric of the Midwest, these establishments have long sought their place in the modern era. By the time I was old enough to remember, these previously revered restaurants had become an odd blend of classy and kitsch. A vestige of the past. The craft beer industry is suited to blending the old and the new. Enter Birch’s on the Lake.
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