With winter’s vortices safely tucked away at the poles where they belong, it’s time to shed the parka, slip on the shades and hit a few Traverse City breweries for a celebratory pint. Wedged between the waters of West Grand Traverse Bay and the Boardman River, TC’s proximate local microbreweries offer ale enthusiasts easy Saturday afternoon sipping. Here’s a handful of essential stops.
THE FILLING STATION MICROBREWERY
Filling Station’s Neapolitan style wood-fired pizzas are a tasty bulwark against the beer flood enabled by 18 rotating taps of house-brewed ales. // 642 Railroad Pl., 231.946.8168
MONKEY FIST BREWING COMPANY
Housed in the State Street Marketplace, TC’s bustling food hall, Monkey Fist pushes well-balanced IPA’s like the Pen Hopper. // 331 E. State St., 231.943.2739
RIGHT BRAIN BREWERY
Keep it conservative with RB’s session-worthy Satisfaction ESB or explore the world of avant-garde sour infusions like the Who Gose There Celery Juniper. // 225 E. Sixteenth St., 231.944.1239
SILVER SPRUCE BREWING
Refined, dangerously drinkable ales like the oat pale and Michigan pale make for a chill lingering session in Silver Spruce’s industrial-chic 8th Street environs. // 439 E. Eighth St., 231.252.3552
WORKSHOP BREWING COMPANY
Plunder the swank warehouse district boutiques, refuel with an espresso at BLK MKT then cap your brewery tour on Workshop’s patio with a roasty pint of Pry Bar Nitro Porter. // 221 Garland St., 231.421.8977
Sip, Paddle and Roll to Traverse City Breweries
These outfitters are ready to guide you through the TC suds scene.
BOAT //Â KAYAK BREWERY TOURS
Bask in the perfect synergy of pints, pfd’s and paddles on the Boardman River Kabrew trail.
BOAT + BIKE // PADDLE TC
To cover good ground and even burn a few calories between taprooms, hop on a cruiser or electric assist bike for Paddle TC’s ‘Brewbi’ tour.
BOAT + BIKE // KAYAK, BIKE & BREW
Pedal and paddle along TC’s TART Trail, West Bay and Boardman Lake and River.
BUS // GRAND TRAVERSE TOURS
Load a cooler with provisions and hit up the breweries like a baller in one of Grand Traverse Tours’ tricked out Mercedes Benz shuttles.
Traverse food and drinks editor Tim Tebeau writes from Petoskey. dining@traversemagazine.com // Dave Weidner is a freelance photographer based in Traverse City. dweidnerphoto@gmail.com.