20 places to get a damn good beer in the Detroit area

By Metro Times editorial staff on Fri, Mar 17, 2023 at 2:45 pm

There’s something special about unwinding after a long day with a nice cold brew.

The Michigan craft beer scene is still growing, and metro Detroit sports dozens of quality craft brewers. And many bars and restaurants in the area carry local craft beer selections on tap, so you never have to worry about settling for a boring mass-produced brand name. Here are some places to grab a nice cold one in the Detroit area.

Tags:

Scroll down to view images

Eastern Market Brewing Co./Facebook

Eastern Market Brewing Co.

2515 Riopelle St., Detroit; 313-513-2200; easternmarket.beer

Located in the heart of — you guessed it — Eastern Market, this community-centered brewery offers beer on tap and cans to go.

1 of 20

Founders Taproom/Facebook

Founders Taproom

456 Charlotte St., Detroit; 313-335-3440; foundersbrewing.com

Founders Brewing Co. has been a Michigan craft beer staple for over 25 years. The Grand Rapids-based company opened its Detroit taproom in 2017, and offers more than 25 beers on tap.

2 of 20

HopCat/Facebook

HopCat

4265 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-769-8828 | 430 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-744-2544 | hopcat.com

HopCat is a temple dedicated to the art of craft beer, with dozens of taps flowing with beer, cider, mead, even sours, mostly from Michigan.

3 of 20

HopCat/Facebook

Motor City Brewing Works

470 W. Canfield St., Detroit | 19350 Livernois Ave., Detroit | 313-832-2700 | motorcitybeer.com

Home of the Ghettoblaster Ale and its own line of cane sugar sodas, this local brewery puts a fun spin on craft beer.

4 of 20

Jolly Pumpkin Detroit/Facebook

Jolly Pumpkin

441 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313-262-6115 | 419 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-544-6250 | 21931 Michigan Ave., Suite 100, Dearborn; 313-914-2107 | 311 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-913-2730 | jollypumpkin.com

The Jolly Pumpkin’s Belgian-style brews are so good, they’ve even beaten the real thing in international competitions.

5 of 20

Mudgie's/Facebook

Mudgie’s

1413 Brooklyn St., Detroit;313-961-2000; mudgiesdeli.com

Mudgie’s may be one of Detroiters’ go-to spots for sandwiches (including its popular lobster roll) but it’s a craft beer destination as well.

6 of 20

8 Degrees Plato/Facebook

8 Degrees Plato

3409 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-888-9972; 8degreesplato.com

You can’t go wrong with any place that classifies beer as a food group, and with the slogan “Beer is food, drink better food,” 8 Degrees Plato gets beer right.

7 of 20

Atwater Brewery/Facebook

Atwater Brewery

237 Jos Campau Ave., Detroit; 313-877-9205; atwaterbeer.com

Atwater Brewery makes German-style lagers right in the city, with a variety of craft beers on tap.

8 of 20

Woodbridge Pub/Facebook

Woodbridge Pub

5169 Trumbull St., Detroit; 313-462-4754; woodbridgepub.com

Woodbridge is the ultimate neighborhood bar. You can grab a beer and check out some live music while you’re there.

9 of 20

Grand Trunk Pub/Facebook

Grand Trunk Pub

612 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-961-3043; grandtrunk.pub

A historic, high-ceilinged room that used to be a railroad’s ticketing office. The Grand Trunk crew manages to combine Detroit history, scrumptious sandwiches, and a killer beer list.

10 of 20

Ye Olde Tap Room/Facebook

Ye Olde Tap Room

14915 Charlevoix St., Detroit; 313- 824-1030

With more than 280 fine lagers from the world over, all served in the dim, cozy environs of a former speakeasy, Ye Olde Tap Room lives up to its name.

11 of 20

Honest Johns/Facebook

Honest John’s

488 Selden St., Detroit; 313-832-5646; honestjohnsdetroit.com

If you’re looking for a place where the beer is as good as the food, look no further than Honest John’s.

12 of 20

One-Eyed Bettys/Facebook

One-Eyed Betty’s

175 W. Troy St., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneeyedbettys.com

From lagers and pale ales to hard ciders and stouts, One Eyed Betty’s offers a large variety of beer selections right in downtown Ferndale.

13 of 20

Wright & Company/Facebook

Wright & Co

1500 Woodward Ave., floor 2, Detroit; 313-962-7711; wrightdetroit.com

Wright & Co. has a few craft beer offerings, and if you’re feeling hungry, grab something off the menu curated by James Beard Award-winning chef, Marc Djozlija.

14 of 20

Detroit Beer Co./Facebook

Detroit Beer Co.

1529 Broadway St., Detroit; 313-962-1529; detroitbeerco.com

This brewery is two levels and offers a variety of beers on tap just a few steps away from Ford Field and Comerica Park.

15 of 20

Standby/Facebook

Standby

225 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-241-5719; standbydetroit.com

Don’t let the cocktails fool you, Standby offers a few great craft beers as well.

16 of 20

Nain Rouge Brewery/Facebook

Nain Rouge Brewery

644 Selden St., Detroit; 313-638-1695; smithandcodetroit.com

Nain Rouge Brewery, whose name comes from the legendary mythical creature of the same name, serves its locally brewed beers at neighboring Smith & Co.

17 of 20

Google Maps

The Brakeman

22 John R. St., Detroit; thebrakemandetroit.com

The Brakeman is a beer hall that frequently rotates its craft beer selection.

18 of 20

Google Maps

Park Bar

2040 Park Ave., Detroit; 313-962-2933

Park Bar offers a variety of craft beers and cocktails.

19 of 20

Google Maps

Uptown Grille

3100 E. West Maple Rd., Commerce Charter Twp.; 248-960-3344; uptowngrille.com

Sure, you could hit this bar at any time, but on Tuesdays, Uptown Grille offers half-price draft beer and burgers. Go ahead, name a better combo. We’ll wait.

20 of 20