DETROIT, MICHIGAN

In the historic Hartz Building, mainstream downtown venue, DETROIT BEER CO. opened September ’03 and has ties to equally centrist Royal Oak Brewery and Rochester Mills Beer Co. Serving decent Americana cuisine alongside predictable, yet well-rounded, hand-crafted libations, this spacious two-floored space with high tin-tiled ceilings, exposed pipes and prominent brass brewtanks sits across Comerica Ballpark and Detroit Opera House.

A veritable sportsbar with multiple TV’s, Detroit Beer  Co. benefits greatly from its accessible central locale. A front porch area gets set up when weather warms up and a relaxed ambiance suits local businessmen.

Though stylistically underwhelming, each on-site beer had its moments. Farmhouse Pale Ale brought hoppy lemongrass herbage to sweet Belgian yeast sugaring undone by phenol astringency. Local 1529  IPA provided refreshingly clean floral-bound grapefruit and navel orange zest. Detroit Dwarf Altbier maintained a red ale-like citric spicing and caramelized nuttiness over toasted hop bittering. Semi-sweet brown chocolate malting and roasted hazelnut consumed Brokedown Brown.

Belgian yeast affected best offering, Dark Strong Ale, a Belgian-styled strong ale bending grape-soured stewed prune, raisin and black cherry fruiting into coffee-stained burgundy wining.

For dessert, citra-hopped Yeti Barleywine suited stronger tastes with its candi-sugared fruit zest and fusel alcohol burn.

www.detroitbeerco.com  

DETROIT VICINITY, MICHIGAN

Across from Traffic Jam & Snug in same downtown area, cozy MOTOR CITY BREWING WORKS draws the cool underground rock crowd (visited August ’04). Strong 10% alcohol maraschino cherry-sweet juniper-embittered Strong Ale and quince-apricot-soured Courvosier-like Amber Wheat show resplendent craftsmanship. Earthy Ghettoblaster, buttery maple-cola Nut Brown Ale, soft orange-fizzed wheat-backed Pale Ale, and soapy malt-soured mash tun-wafted Lager brought variety.

www.motorcitybeer.com

DETROIT VICINITY, MICHIGAN

Similar to northern Michigan mainstream pub, Frankenmuth Brewery, providing serviceable standard fare, TRAFFIC JAM & SNUG was Detroit’s first brewpub in 1987. Visited August ’04, the 40-year-old bar inside this old brick building shows its age and the wood paneled interior fits blue collar Wayne State University neighborhood.

Award winning cheeses crowd the deli cooler while soups, salads, entrees, and great desserts fill out the menu. Rear brew tanks offered musky corn-soured wheat-imbued citrus-muted Grand Theft Pilsner, gentle raw-grained Steam Beer, softly acidic hop-embittered currant-juniper-sniped 40^th Anniversary Pale Ale, butterscotch-candied whiskey-burnt medicinal-bitten Strong Ale, and carbolic hop-charred coffee-swiped Dry Rye Stout.

www.trafficjamdetroit.com

DETROIT VICINITY, MICHIGAN

August ’04 visit convinced me there are more quality brewpubs within the Motor City’s extended boundaries than any other American city. Arguably the finest, tiny Dragonmead in westerly suburb, Warren, offered 50+ handcrafted on-tap brews, though admirable neighboring competitor Kuhnhenn has brewed nearly as many since opening. Nearby Royal Oak had three reputable brewpubs. Plus, three dependable brewpubs line Detroit’s urban innercity.

In the historic warehouse district along historic Rivertown (across from Windsor, Ontario), high-ceilinged turn-of-the-century brick factory building, ATWATER BLOCK BREWERY, had large glass-enclosed brew tanks behind wood bar serving well rounded beers while kitchen catered garden salads, soups, fish ‘n chips, and sundry appetizers. Seating booths scatter the main dining space and a fireplace dons the left side supper area.

Quaffed brewer Mark Reith’s swanky citric-soured wheat-husked Atwater Kolsch over lunch, buying bottled versions of Atwater Pilsner, Hell Pale Lager, and Dunkel Dark Lager plus Stoney Creek Double Chocolate Ale and superlative Vanilla Porter (reviewed in Beer Index).

www.atwaterbeer.com