Best Fall Craft Beers In Detroit
Photo Credit: Michael Ferro
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Atwater Brewery
237 Joseph Campau St.
Detroit, MI 48207
(313) 877-9205
www.atwaterbeer.comThe Atwater Brewery in Detroit is one of the Motor City's best in-city breweries, with a great location and incredible number of beers on tap, including their own special seasonal brews for fall. One of the top-rated beers at the Atwater Brewery is their Pumpkin Spice Latte beer, which is an ale and amore lighter brew. The Pumpkin Spice Latte ale has only a 6.8% ABV, so it shouldn't knock you flat if you have more than one. The beer is brewed with a mix of vanilla, pumpkin, cinnamon nutmeg and coffee, for an added kick. With flavors so phenomenal, you'll probably want to have at least a second.
Dragonmead Brewery
14600 E 11 Mile Road
Warren, MI 48089
(586) 776-9428
www.dragonmead.comLocated just on the outskirts of Detroit's city limits, in the industrial suburb of Warren, the Dragonmead Brewery has been turning heads now for plenty over a decade, thanks in large part to their bold flavors and small business attitude. Many of their beers are some of the state's darkest and have the highest alcohol content around, so these beers are certainly not for the novice drinker or the faint of heart. For instance, their Sin Eater Belgian Dark with a 11% ABV is a Belgian strong dark ale which also has been rated one of their finest as a great fall beer. Many of the beers here can be purchased and brought back home, and considering their high alcohol content, that might be a wise decision.
Photo Credit: Michael Ferro
The Figjam
Arbor Brewing Company
114 E Washington St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 213-1393
www.arborbrewing.comCelebrating their 20th anniversary in 2015, the Arbor Brewing Company is one of Metro Detroit's most well-loved craft brewers due in large part to the sheer size and variety of their offerings. This Ann Arbor favorite has been using locally-sourced ingredients for their craft beers for two decades, and plenty of socially-conscious Ann Arborites love them for it. One of their most popular fall and winter craft beers is the Figjam, which is certainly a very heady brew at 11.5% ABV, though many who've enjoyed it claim it has the smooth taste of a much lighter beer, with plenty of flavor notes of fruit and jam to put you in that cool weather mood.
Detroit Beer Company
1529 Broadway St.
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 962-1529
www.detroitbeerco.comThis downtown Detroit brewery is a local hot spot for pre-game drinks before the Tigers, Lions or Red Wings games, as well as a great place to catch one last beer for the night (especially if you need it after your team's loss). The Detroit Beer Company has a decent number of seasonal offerings at any one time, many of which are brewed right on location in the heart of the Motor City. A perfect fall beer to try is their Grand River Red, an American-style red lager that's only 5.5% ABV and light enough to enjoy a few with friends and family, though not light on fall flavors with delicious caramel and chocolate notes.
Motor City Brewing Works
470 W Canfield St.
Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 832-2700
www.motorcitybeer.comSince they first got their start in the craft beer business in 1994, the Motor City Brewing Works has been a small, but very respectable operation. In those 20 years since and as craft beer has become all the rage, this company has maintained all of their small-time charm while competing with the much larger Detroit brewers, as well. One of their top fall beers is the Oktoberfest beer, which is a traditional-style Marzen beer that has a red color, smooth finish and spicy hob flavor. Brewed only from late September through November, and only in small batches, it's a good idea to stop by now and get some, rather than have to wait until next year to try it out.
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