586. Nain Rouge Brewery – October 8, 2022 – Detroit, MI

Nain Rouge Brewery, serving up sinfully good beer!

I discovered the Detroit-based brewery during birthday celebrations for moi last month. Friends ordered its beer during dinner at Smith & Co., and we noticed the brewery was right across the way. So we popped over for a round of drinks after, before continuing on to Willis Show Bar.

It turns out that Smith & Co. is the only restaurant to serve Nain Rouge’s wares. The brewery also works with Eastern Michigan University’s brewing school, according to its website, aiming to “help promote diversity in the beer industry.”

What an awesome partnership! Obviously, Nain Rouge Brewery’s character is nothing like its namesake’s, that legendary creature who is said to cause mayhem in the D. Nain Rouge the brewery was, in my experience, a welcoming place devoid of drama – a chill space to enjoy pre-show drinks. But the “red dwarf,” as its name translates, has left its imprint on the brewery – in the form of its devilishly delicious beer.

Nain Rouge’s current tap list boast a range of choices, from an amber lager to a coffee stout to a honey- and hibiscus-infused wheat beer. There are three kinds of IPAs, a kölsch, a pilsner – even an Oktoberfest selection. I went for the Wisehead Chocolate Vanilla Porter, and it was right up my alley: rich, tasty, smooth.

Maybe that’s how Nain Rouge the imp is able to sneak in and cause a ruckus: by being as smooth as Nain Rouge the brewery’s beers. Maybe Nain Rouge Brewery has more in common with its namesake than I initially thought!

666 Selden St.

Detroit, MI 48201

www.nainrougebrewery.com

522. River’s Edge Brewing Company – August 14, 2021 – Milford, MI

Dining on River’s Edge Brewing Company’s patio was a deliciously relaxing way to end a busy day.

The locally-owned brewery in downtown Milford showcases a selection of house-made beers. These include its PSAle (an IPA described on its menu as “Pineapple. Citrus. Hoppy.”) and a stout named Fritter Frank, whose flavor profile includes autumn-esque elements (coffee, donuts, cider, and cinnamon). Several hard ciders from Northville Winery & Brewing Company are also offered.

I enjoyed one of those ciders during my time at River’s Edge: the Blue River. A smooth, not-too-sweet mix of blueberry and apple, it went down easy. It was summer in a glass!

I also had an excellent Greek salad at River’s Edge. It was a fresh and flavorful medley of mixed greens, seasoned chicken, pickled red onion, yellow pepper rings, olives, tomato, cucumber, feta, and a zesty house-made vinaigrette. The brewery’s food offerings include hearty sausages, wraps, and sandwiches – the perfect accompaniments to ice-cold brews. Pop-up menus offered by outside entities such as Barlow’s Gourmet BBQ and Burger Burger are regular occurrences, as well.

125 S. Main St., Ste. 400

Milford, MI 48381

www.riversedgebrew.com

487. HomeGrown Brewing Company – November 8, 2020 – Oxford, MI

Sitting in the sun at a picnic table, sipping a cider, enjoying the presence of friends – that’s an experience I don’t take for granted during this pandemic! That dream of an experience came to life a couple of weekends ago thanks to a fortuitous collision of fate: that of unseasonably warm weather and a visit to HomeGrown Brewing Company.

How can an establishment that has a mural of smiling, beer-swigging trees flanking the phrases, “Grow together not apart” and “Now go . . . drink beer & say nice stuff” be anything but delightful? I certainly had a delightful time at this Oxford-based brewery, which serves a line of house-made beers (including an amber ale, IPA, and Belgian whitbier) augmented by rotating taps of what its website refers to as “an ever-changing list of seasonal and experimental brews,” plus signature cocktails, wine, and cider.

That cider I sipped at HomeGrown in my very own dream-come-to-life moment? It’s called Wildflower and is made by Fourth Coast Ciderworks in Lake Orion. Kudos to HomeGrown for curating such a wonderful cider! It has this honeyed semi-sweetness that I just loved.

While I didn’t eat at HomeGrown, I’ve deduced via the food menu on its website that it’s serving up some pretty decadent dishes. There are salads such as the Burrata Caprese and the Roasted Cauliflower rocking fried shallots and feta cheese crème; hearty burgers and sandwiches; unaverage appetizers (see the wings with a brown-ale-infused buffalo sauce and a gorgonzola crème spread!); and entrees with the power to, via their menu descriptions alone, make my mouth water (here’s looking at you, HGBC Mac & Cheese, with your melding of beer cheese and white cheddar mornay sauce!). And HomeGrown’s dedication to using culinary ingredients obtained from Michigan farms and vendors certainly speaks to me and 100 Places in the D’s mission.

It’s looking like a revisit to HomeGrown Brewing is in order: for me to pair one of its craft brews with one of its dishes to create a dream of a dining experience – an experience I hope will again become a mainstay of my life one day.

28 N. Washington St.

Oxford, MI 48371

www.homegrownbrewco.com

486. Gravel Capital Brewing – November 8, 2020 – Oxford, MI

Two weekends ago felt like a last hurrah of summer-like weather – an incredibly fortuitous last hurrah for me, as I ran a 5K that day: one that started and ended at Gravel Capital Brewing in downtown Oxford!

In case you thought in-person 5Ks weren’t a thing in COVID times, they still are – at least according to the Michigan chapter of the Brewery Running Series, which has been putting on small – and, in my opinion, safe-feeling – 5Ks, complete with pandemic protocol such as masks required for check-in and a start-running-when-you’re-ready race model (to avoid runners congregating in crowds).

What a wonderful experience it was, to be outdoors on this unseasonably warm, sunny November day with my friends and their baby, toasting the completion of our run along the gorgeous Polly Ann Trail on Gravel Capital’s patio.

A pint was included with our 5K entrance ticket. I ordered the Rocky Rye and quite enjoyed what the brewery’s website describes as its “light fruity undertones.” Other brews currently on Gravel Capital’s menu include its Muskrat Love lager, Road Trip 2569 IPA, and Holy Hefa, described as a “Hefeweizen wheat beer with signature clove and banana character.” Several varietals of wine are also offered.

While I didn’t spend much time inside Gravel Capital – or GravCap, as it’s also called – I appreciated the rustic, laid-back ambiance evoked by elements such as the bar counter laid with knotty planks and the wall patterned with wooden circles appearing to be repurposed end caps of cable spools.

Not only was GravCap the site of a dashing-and-drinking extravaganza that day, it also hosted a mobile restaurant. Ziffel’s Food Truck served Bavarian fare such as bratwurst, schnitzel, and spaetzle. I thoroughly enjoyed one of its schnitzel sandwiches with its crispy-breaded pork topped with house-made cabbage slaw and spicy mayo, nestled in a pretzel bun and served with fries.

Interested in checking out the Michigan Brewery Running Series’ upcoming events? You can do so here: www.breweryrunningseries.com/michigan. As of the time of this writing, one more 5K is on the docket for 2020: the Polar Run, starting and ending at the Rochester Mills Production Facility in Auburn Hills on December 5. 2021 races are to be announced soon! I look forward to participating in another event with this awesome group that champions awesome local breweries such as Gravel Capital Brewing!

14 N. Washington St.

Oxford, MI 48371

www.gravcapbrewing.com

342. Baffin Brewing Company – June 23, 2018 – Saint Clair Shores, MI

It’s time to recount leg two of my recent Saint Clair Shores-based brewery tour! Readers of 100 Places in the D, welcome Baffin Brewing Company to the blog!

This brewery tour was admittedly more of a jaunt: a friend and I visited Jamex Brewing Company for the first time and then continued with Baffin Brewing Company on Jefferson Avenue north of 10 Mile Road. But it’s summer, the season for grand adventures, so why not envision a two-brewery-tour as an epic production? When visiting such delightful brewhouses as these two, it’s not hard to do!

Baffin came onto my radar after frequently passing it during my travels around Saint Clair Shores. I’d assumed it had opened within the last year because that’s when I started to notice it and was surprised to recently discover that it opened in early 2015 (Wow, how did I miss that???).

It was obvious that the general Metro-Detroit population had been hip to Baffin for longer than I had: the place was PACKED during the Saturday evening of my visit. It was standing-room-only for us initially.

We approached the bar, preparing to wait for one of the bartenders to notice us, and were pleasantly surprised when a staff member roaming the floor approached us to collect our drink orders. The promptness of being greeted and the convenience of not having to vie for the busy bartenders’ attention made an instant positive impression on me. Well played, Baffin!

I wanted to order a flight so I could sample four of Baffin’s brews, but I was worried about having to juggle the flight paddle whilst standing sans tabletop. The bartender convinced me that I simply had to hold the wooden paddle with the glasses hanging off of it level with one hand so I could select and sample with the other. Sold!

I scanned Baffin’s bar-side menu chalked with its current offerings and decided to try the Mango Unchained IPA, Citra Unchained IPA, Porter De Rosey (a porter infused with rose hips) and James Van Der Kriek (a Belgian brewed with cherry and honey). Then I balanced that flight paddle as carefully as I could and started sampling.

As the sipping and savoring of the brews ensued, I quickly discovered that I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED all of them! All four incorporated fruit and were incredibly drinkable. The Porter De Rosey, that rich, smooth brew infused with the floral flavor of the rose hips, was especially compelling to me.

(BTW, I’m loving Baffin’s beer titles that play off of celebrity names – here’s looking at you, Porter De Rosey, James Van Der Kriek, and Barley Rae Jepsen!)

Eventually, my friend and I no longer had to stand and juggle our beers, because some kind souls who were perched around a barrel fashioned as a table got up to leave and encouraged us to grab it. We sat down, and it was then that we fixated on another one of Baffin’s selling points: the free popcorn.

FREE POPCORN!!! If I wasn’t already in love with Baffin at this point, I most certainly was after discovering the cart of complimentary kernels from which you can serve yourself basketfuls (popcorn is kind of LIFE to me).

Summing up this visit, I can confidently declare: Baffin Brewing Company, leg two of my Saint Clair Shores-based brewery tour, you are AWESOMENESS with your friendly service and your flavorful brews and that sweet, sweet free popcorn. I can’t wait to revisit you!

25113 Jefferson Ave.

St. Clair Shores, MI 48081

www.baffinbrewing.com

341. Jamex Brewing Company – June 23, 2018 – Saint Clair Shores, MI

East Side brewery tour! That’s what one Saturday in late June was for me and my pal Jaclyn after a spontaneous drop-in to Josef’s European Pastry Shop of Grosse Pointe Woods.

I should clarify: this East Side brewery tour was specifically a Saint Clair Shores-based brewery tour. Jamex Brewing Company on Harper Avenue south of Nine Mile Road was our starting point.

The place was hopping with a late-afternoon crowd, including several canines (because Jamex allows dogs!). I immediately dug its welcoming vibe and décor (industrial-chic, with a most stunning turquoise-and-copper-mottled bar counter. Can I get that counter installed in my kitchen, please???).

The female bartender who served us was friendly and conversational, explaining the brewery’s background (it was opened last year by a husband-and-wife entrepreneurial duo who love beer), how often new brews are developed and rotated in (fairly regularly; new recipes are constantly in the works), and how public reception has been (overwhelmingly positive).

As we sat and chatted with her, I tried flight-sized sampler glasses of three of Jamex’s wares: the Joe Blonde (described on the chalkboard menu posted above the bar as a “blonde coffee cream ale”), Bubbalicious IPA, and Harvey Milk dark beer. I enjoyed all of them, especially the Bubbalicious with its fruity flavor and the Harvey Milk with its creamy, stout-esque consistency and hint of sweetness.

My conclusion from leg one of the Saint Clair Shores brewery tour: Jamex is definitely worth a revisit! In perusing its website today, I got excited to see all three beers I tried last month advertised as still on tap. I’d love to go back and savor those or the Lemon Drop brew (intriguing!) currently labeled as “on deck.”

21721 Harper Ave.

St. Clair Shores, MI 48080

www.jamexbrewing.com

330. Founders Brewing Company – May 19, 2018 – Detroit, MI

May 19, 2018 heralded in what were for me two historic events: the wedding of Great Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (~SWOON~) and my first visit to Grand Rapids-based Founders Brewing Company’s Detroit taproom (NEW-PLACE TIME = ~DOUBLE SWOON!!!!~).

The historic nature of that second event is certainly debatable. But awesome ambiance, supremely delicious brews and food, and its own parking lot (a gem of a quality for a city-based establishment) made my visit to the Cass Corridor-area taproom as memorable for me as that royal wedding in my other favorite city in the world (Detroit will ALWAYS be my Number 1, but London definitely has a piece of my heart!).

That aforementioned ambiance: it’s perfect as we launch into summer. Founders’ large, airy taproom has an outdoor patio, plus garage doors that roll up and allow those inside to take part in the open-air concept. Industrial design touches such as exposed ductwork, utilitarian lighting, and counter fronts covered in sheet metal give the place an unpretentious, laid-back vibe.

Beer aficionados will love Founders’ extensive menu of its craft brews. I’m definitely no beer expert, but all of the IPAs and porters and stouts and such with their varying flavor profiles and alcohol-by-volume percentage points (currently ranging from 4.4 to a whopping 14.2) sounded pretty darn good to me. I settled on a pint of the Apricot Wheat, which I found to be a robust version of a fruit-infused beer that was not overly sweet.

I dug Founders’ food menu, too. It was packed with a variety of ridiculously-delish-sounding sandwiches, snacks, and entrée salads. I ordered the ‘Nam Nom Nom sandwich, described on the menu as “bourbon barrel-smoked pulled pork, pickles, carrots, red onions, sriracha, and cilantro-lime aioli on a telera roll.”

This sandwich with a tongue-twister of a name was HUGE – which meant I got full off of half of it and got to take the remaining half home to enjoy later.

And this was a more than leftover-worthy sandwich; it was supremely delicious with its tender shredded pork, crusty bread, crunchy pickles, and spicy sriracha. This was bar food at its best: rich, flavorful, filling goodness to soak up those brawny craft brews.

Ah, Detroit in the summer, with all of the possibility it brings – it thrills me as much as the grandest of weddings! Given all of its amazingly positive attributes, Founders Brewing Company can certainly be deemed a quality addition to the city’s restaurant/brewery scene, regardless of the time of year it’s visited. But man, does it promise to do summer well with that open-air seating and selection of fair-weather-suited brews!

456 Charlotte St.

Detroit, MI 48201

www.foundersbrewing.com/brewery/detroit

293. Eastern Market Brewing Company – November 17, 2017 – Detroit, MI

Last Friday night was especially fun because (as I mentioned in my last post) I spent it downtown! Friends and I enjoyed a night out in Eastern Market, which I quickly realized is more loaded with restaurants and bars than I’d thought it to be. Our first stop? The recently opened Eastern Market Brewing Company.

Right away I loved the ambiance of this craft brewery established inside of a former meat-packing facility, from the exposed bricks and bare-lightbulb lighting to succulents in vintage cans studding the long pinewood tables to the hooks left as remnants from the building’s past festooned all over the walls. Wooden plant boxes crammed with lively greenery hang from one wall; a large mural of the brewery’s logo, a frolicking elephant wielding an EMBC banner with its trunk, emblazons another.

The menu contained an expansive selection of 15 brews on the night of my visit, from which I ordered four to populate a sampler flight: the Maize Cream Ale (a light-bodied beer infused with corn), Coffee Stout, Pumpkin Hefe, and Nitro Pumpkin (which led me to learn that nitro beers incorporate actual nitrogen – interesting!). All of the beers were good, but I especially enjoyed the Pumpkin Hefe – a.k.a a Hefeweizen (wheat beer) with a pronounced pumpkin flavor, subtle sweetness, and an irresistible hint of nutmeg. What a perfect brew to sip whilst huddled away from the chilly fall night in a cozy, convivial environs!

Worth noting: Eastern Market Brewing Company doesn’t have a kitchen-backed food menu, but snacks are available for purchase (I’m not positive what kind, but it did look like bags of popcorn were on display), and you can bring in outside food, as well.

2515 Riopelle St.

Detroit, MI 48207

www.easternmarket.beer

257. Urbanrest Brewing Company – July 7, 2017 – Ferndale, MI

Nestled in a residential-ish area about a half-mile north of downtown Ferndale is Urbanrest Brewing Company, a brewery that opened a few months ago. I visited it only about a week after it opened to sip some TGIF- themed brews with a few friends.

Housed in what looks to be a former industrial building, the interior of Urbanrest emanates those chill, industrial-chic vibes that so many recently-opened Detroit-area restaurants have got going on (Phoenix-rising-from-the-ashes-brandishing-reclaimed-wood-and-exposed-ductwork is kind of our thing around here. I dig it.). It’s welcoming and homey, with flowers in glass-bottle vases on the tables, a cluster of comfy chairs here, a pool table there. And board games! Board games and beer are pretty much a match made in heaven, in my opinion.

During my visit, I tried a sampler of the pale ale, porter, and saison that were on the menu at the time; all of them were delicious. I’m obviously sorely lacking on details as to how they tasted (this visit being two months ago and my knowledge of beer being rudimentary). But I can confidently share that the place garnered my beer connoisseur friend’s seal of approval – and she knows her stuffs.

I need to go back to Urbanrest and try some of its kombucha. I’m no kombucha expert, either (I’ve drank it once in my life), but the Jasmine Jun Kombucha, described on the menu on Urbanrest’s website as “Jasmine green tea fermented with local wildflower honey,” sounds phenomenal. And at only .5% alcohol by volume, it’s a great choice if you’re looking to keep it sober-ish, because you’d have to drink like a dozen of those to match the alcohol content in one of Urbanrest’s beers (helpful tidbit to know, right?).

Urbanrest doesn’t have a full food menu, but it offers some charcuterie boards, and its website says that food trucks regularly come through, and who doesn’t love the whimsy of ordering from a food truck?

Worth noting: the Urbanrest taproom is only open Thursdays through Sundays (check its website for hours).

2615 Wolcott Ave.

Ferndale, MI 48220

www.urbanrest.com

238. Fillmore 13 – March 24, 2017 – Pontiac, MI

Hey guys! I’m so glad to be back on the blog with a post here today – finally! The last few weeks were a little cray-cray-ba-nay-nay as I helped to plan and throw a dear friend’s shower and caught up on life stuffs. I like to remind myself that a busy life is a good life but am glad things have calmed down a bit so I can get on here and share with you the awesome places I’ve visited over the last few weeks, such as the recently opened Fillmore 13 Brewery in downtown Pontiac.

So can I say that I’m kind of obsessed with downtown Pontiac right now? It’s really looking awesome! Not only is there a Slow’s To-Go down there and the excellent Exferimentation Brewing Company, there’s this great new brewery called Fillmore 13. I am loving its down-to-earth, industrial-chic vibes, welcoming demeanor, and delicious craft brews and grub.

During my Friday happy hour visit (which is obvi the best time of the week EVER to visit a bar – TGIF-style!), the friendly, attentive bartender let my friend and I try a few of the beers before we made our choices. I settled on a four-sampler paddle of the chocolate stout, apricot Belgian ale, hazelnut porter, and saison pale ale. I loved them all, especially the apricot (a refreshing, perfect-for-warm-weather brew!) and the hazelnut.

Food-wise, I got the BBQ Sidewinder Nachos, which are basically the epitome of drinking eats. They’re these crispy potato wedges cut in this curlicue-type shape and doused in beer-infused nacho cheese, sour cream, green onions, and glorious barbecued pulled pork – YESSSSSS.  That is happiness balm for the stomach and spirit right there.

What I like about Fillmore 13’s food menu is that they’ve got the typical bar fare such as those Sidewinder Nachos and chicken wings and pretzels and cheese plus more sophisticated offerings. Most bars don’t have, say, an artisan cheese platter; a charcuterie tray; a pizza topped with prosciutto, goat cheese, and arugula; or sandwiches named Turkey Brie. But Fillmore 13 does. And I love that. Because I adore a luscious, straight-up dive-bar sandwich, but I also love a pulled pork topped with green-apple coleslaw and nestled on a brioche bun. There’s enough room in the world for all the choices, right?

7 N. Saginaw St.

Pontiac, MI 48342

www.fillmore13brewery.com