Your Craft Crawl
Cruise Your Favorite Local Crafters
By Mike Lerchenfeldt / Photography by Mike Ferdinande
Have you ever gone on a Pub Crawl? Well, the folks here at Local POUR are all about crawls, but we call them CRAFT CRAWLS. In our second edition, we thought it best to feature a Woodward Cruise Craft Crawl to celebrate our classic automotive culture!
Brown Iron Brewhouse
30955 Woodward Avenue
The Brown Iron Brewhouse in Royal Oak is not only a beer hall and brewery, it is a fresh food mecca where customers can enjoy delicious menu items such as pulled pork or “beer-can” chicken. Typically, they are flowing with more than 60 taps of all-American brewed beer, including their own handcrafted brews. Head Brewer Ryan Shafer, created their popular Big Hefe Hefeweizen that offers the traditional clove and fruity esters. This refreshing, German-styled wheat beer has a 6.8 percent ABV and is dry-hopped with Citra and Motueka Hops. For summer, Ryan takes the Big Hefe and adds entire groves worth of fresh mango puree.
Michigan By The Bottle
29932 Woodward Avenue
In 2009, Shannon and Cortney Casey, husband/wife team, founded the website MichiganByTh e- Bottle.com and opened their tasting rooms a few years later. As a result of the website’s popularity, they ended up partnering with several, highly acclaimed Michigan wineries in order to assist with tasting flight of three different pours, which includes a bottle credit. You can also snack on “Flight Bites,” which feature different Michigan cheeses to go with your wine.
Brooks Brewing South
22925 Woodward Avenue
South on Woodward Avenue, this taproom features several wines, meads, and more than 20 signature craft beers on tap daily at a price that is hard to ignore due to their “Flat Rate Sipping” system. Brooks Brewing South will be celebrating three years at their location in downtown Ferndale this summer. One of our favorite summer choices is the Brooks Kap ‘N Krunk. This experimental beer has a 4.3 percent ABV with flavors of vanilla and pecan. Or try the Brooks Husky Stout. Head Brewer, Cary Brooks Jr., brewed this 6.4 percent ABV American Stout with English ale yeast to bring the robust malt character of this beer to the forefront, balancing the presences of caramel, chocolate and coffee.
Traverse City Whiskey Company
22812 Woodward Avenue
Traverse City Whiskey Company is a must try. Beginning as a humble idea in 2011, the brand has grown beyond the founders’ wildest dreams and is now known as the “Whiskey of the North.” For those looking for something new to sip, “The Outpost” whiskey bar is the place to go. Be sure to try their Michigan Mule made with their XXX Straight Bourbon, fresh lime juice and ginger beer. It is a refreshingly sweet and citrusy cocktail for non-whiskey and whiskey lovers alike. The XXX Straight Bourbon is their original recipe with a bold nose, fruit aroma, and hints of caramel and vanilla. You can even try a flight of the whole Traverse City Whiskey Company line, too. The Outpost has a cool vibe and has quickly become a local favorite. “People today want to see how their products are made and where they come from,” said Rupp. “It’s a cool thing when I say we have thousands of regulars we know. People have a local brewery, well, now they have a local distillery.”