Your Craft Crawl
By Alexis Bohlinger
As we approach warmer temperatures and spring blooms, one thing comes to mind – enjoying a crisp, cold beverage at one of our beloved local pubs. Along the scenic route of the St. Clair River and Anchor Bay and into downtown New Baltimore, a collection of breweries, distilleries, and wineries await exploration. All with unique atmospheres and flavors of their own, there are sure to be good times and good sips awaiting.
Arctic Circle Brewery
27663 23 Mile Road, Chesterfield
We suggest starting your venture at Arctic Circle Brewing at the corner of 23 Mile and Gratiot in Chesterfield. The brewery opened its doors on July 1st, 2021, welcoming patrons to a chill atmosphere where families, including furry friends, gather on lazy Saturday afternoons.
Deven Sills and Eric Lehman, the dynamic duo behind Arctic Circle Brewery, began their passion for brewing after yearly guys’ trips each planned around beer, baseball and good food. As their passion deepened, they found themselves frequenting Cap N Cork Home Brew Supply, where owner Andy became a mentor, imparting invaluable brewing knowledge and expertise. Today at Arctic Circle, innovation thrives with weekly beta tests on Thursdays, introducing new flavors and styles, with a special emphasis on sours, ciders, seltzers, and wines. Looking ahead, they aim to broaden their offerings to include mead and even a new soda, all crafted in-house to expand horizons and offer an array of options for every palate.
Tombstone Brewery
47240 Jefferson, Chesterfield
From 23 Mile Road you can easily head to Jefferson and you will find our next brewery, also sporting intriguing beer names to represent their unique atmosphere. Tombstone Brewery, which opened this past year, carries a variety of brews, a few being The Reaper 6.1 percent Marzen, RIP Northwest Ale, Nights in White Satin Belgium White, along with ciders and wine. This family-owned establishment hosts weekly events like Trivia Tuesday and looks forward to warmer weather and their outdoor biergarten with live music and corn hole tournaments and eventually axe throwing. Sign up for a sign-making class, yoga, trivia or come for dinner and enjoy your favorite food truck.
Tashmoo Distilling Company
51043 Washington Street New Baltimore
For more of a cocktail bar vibe, head up Jefferson a few more miles to Tashmoo Distilling Company in New Baltimore. The newest spot for locally distilled spirits and craft cocktails, Tashmoo distills their own “Blue Water” vodka and gin, “Gull Island” aged rum and “Grande Pointe” bourbon rye American whiskey. They will also be making tequila later this year.
“We are like a small-town pub but with amazing, fresh cock- tails,” said Mixologist Mandi Lydon. “We pride ourselves on making all of our own liqueur and juices in-house so that customers are not drinking all of the artificial sugar and getting a headache in the morning.” Check out their patio and bring your four-legged friends too.
War Water Brewery
201 N. Riverside Avenue, St. Clair
Don’t end your tour yet, plan to head north on your crawl along the water – right up to the river – and you will find War Water Brewery which has a full kitchen and beautiful views of the St. Clair River. There they host a variety of events throughout the week like their Yoga and Brew on Fridays, as well as live music every weekend all summer long.
Celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, this place is a community destination in the heart of St. Clair where all the fun is. The atmosphere is just as good as the beer on tap!