Mi Local Foodbeet: Three Nights; Three Breweries

As luck would have it, I stayed three nights in Marquette, MI last month, and there were three microbreweries within walking distance of my hotel. Marquette, with a population of around 21,000 is located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (U.P.) on Lake Superior. There is apparently a lot of water available for brewing.

Sunday: Blackrocks Brewery on Third Street. This small brewery, established in 2010, is named for the black rock cliff formations on Presque Isle in Lake Superior. I found the staff to be friendly and the beer prices quite reasonable. They appear to be quite popular with over 1,000 mug club members. No food is available for sale, but patrons are welcome to bring in food or have it delivered.

Here’s what was in my flight:
Honey Lavender: slightly sweet with a lavender flavor (no surprise, but tasty).
Municorn: German style; malty.
Phlargh IPA: true to IPA style; crisp and citrusy.
Fuggled UP ESB: fuggle hops; back of the throat spice.

Monday: Marquette Harbor Brewing Co. on Front Street. This brewery is in the historic Vierling Restaurant and has been brewing since 1995. The menu includes pretty typical bar meals; they have a full bar in addition the to the beer.

Here’s what was in my flight:
Black River Falls Cascadian Dark IPA: fruity with a coffee aftertaste.
Blueberry Wheat: sweet; served with fresh blueberries.
Stout: smokey
Blood Orange Hefe-Weizzen: fruity scent.
Honey Citra Imperial IPA: grapefruit zest and blood orange zest added to the boil. At 8.2% ABV, it does not taste as strong as it is.

Tuesday: Ore Dock Brewing Co. on Spring Street. This brewery is named for the giant ore docs located on the Marquette coastline which were originally used for loading ore onto ships. They opened just over a year ago and have already brewed over 930 barrels. They had a lot of wheat beers, which I tend to enjoy. They also stayed true to the Belgian styles – which I actually found to be a refreshing change. Visitors can bring in food if they like. The only food available is free popcorn and pretzels. The beers were a good value. Fun fact about the Ore Dock Brewery: The spent grain is send to two farms and have fed over 100 cows.

Here’s what was in my flight:
Saison: a farmhouse ale; citrusy in a Saison sort of way.
Dreamweaver: smooth amber ale with chamomile and Spanish orange.
Nor Sol Ale: pale summer ale; nice hoppy finish.
Bum’s Beach Wheat: American style wheat; light, yet subtly complex.
O. D. (ore dock) IPA: citrus flavor typical of the Pacific Northwest hops that are in it.