Your Craft Crawl
By Tracey Moro / Photograpy by Mike Ferdinande
Great Baraboo Brewing Company – 35905 Utica, Clinton Township
As the oldest brewery on the Eastside, Great Baraboo Brewing Company opened in 1995 by owners and brothers Steve and Harry Kourelis. Not only a brewery but also a full menu restaurant, this first stop of your craft crawl can get your tummy full as well with something from their menu, along with a flight of six choices to get your evening started. They usually have ten beers on tap along with some guest taps giving other local Michigan brands some lovin. Brewmaster Chad Benigini keeps things hopping. With handcrafted brews including their popular Shark Tooth Bay Golden Ale or flavored with tangerine, Tangerine Gold. Our favorite choice for fall would be the Hefen-Weizguy Hefeweizen with aromas of banana and clove. This German styled wheat beer has 5.5% ABV and hints of tart citrus and honey.
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company – 5919 Chicago Road, Warren
From the Baraboo, you can go west or east – to either location of Kuhnhenn Brewing Company. If you’re sticking with the 90s crawl concept, head to their original location on Chicago Road in historic downtown Warren. In 1998 the Kuhnhenn brothers, Eric and Bret, began Kuhnhenn Brewing Company opening their doors in Warren a few years later. Brewing everything onsite in Warren lasted until a few years ago when they opened a production facility in Detroit.
They are brewing about 186 gallons a day of their award-winning crafts. Yes, you may have heard their brand at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup. They are super proud of their brewer and mead maker extraordinaire, Frank Retell, who continues to bring home awards internationally. You can find their brews at many restaurants and bars throughout Michigan and beyond. At either location you will not only find beer but handcraft ed wine and mead. They make a mean root beer as well.
Royal Oak Brewery – 215 E 4th Street, Royal Oak
Oakland County’s oldest brewery matches Macomb’s oldest (Great Baraboo) in age – both turned 26 years old here in 2021. Royal Oak Brewery also has a full menu and has become a fabulous destination for those looking for a great meal and a great craft brew. Located in downtown Royal Oak, its just a short ride down I-696. Like most breweries, the brewing operation is often close enough to see and Royal Oaks custom designed 14-barrel brewhouse can be seen right behind the bar. They serve just less than ten beers on tap daily, along with a few guest taps. Watch for the Stone Clover Stout coming soon. Brewer, Pauly, from the Detroit Irish rock band Stone Clover brewed this bigger-than-average milk stout with lactose to give it more body and sweetness, balancing the roasty, chocolaty character. It needs just one word to describe – strength. You’ll also want to get with their 26th Anniversary German Pilsner.
Dragonmead Microbrewery – 14600 E 11 Mile Road, Warren
Sticking with our older crafts – Dragonmead Microbrewery is a must try and it’s conveniently located on the service drive off I-696 in Warren – a straight shot from Royal Oak. Yes, they do have a second location that recently opened in St. Clair Shores named Dragon’s Landing and it too, has all their handcrafted brews. But we are sticking to the 90s theme suggesting the Warren location. Opened in 1997, Dragonmead began with only eight beers and currently offers more than 40 different styles of beer on tap, along with mead, cider, seltzers and wine. For those looking for the darker beers, Dragonmead is the place to go. Be sure to try their Willys Chocolate Stout. With 6% ABV this stout is rich with a full body flavor but the chocolate takes this beer over the top. The Sir Williams ESB with English-style bitter is a robust bitter beer with a good balance of hops and malt, perfect for colder nights. There’s also the Reverend Freds Oatmeal Stout and Woody’s Perfect Porter, which also has caramel and chocolate sweetness.