Brewery Review - Cheboygan Brewing Co.

Cheboygan Brewing Co. Part 1 of 2

Every year I travel with my family “Up North” to Cheboygan, MI. I love Cheboygan Brewing Co., it’s the perfect place to unwind. In year’s past we would run to the local Walmart as soon as we arrived to load up on all the steaks, chips and dip we needed for the week. My wife’s goal was to avoid shopping, I wanted to avoid people (‘cept for my family of course). Then a few years ago a local brewery opened up and everything changed ….

The Cheboygan Brewing Co. took it’s name from a brewery that was based in Cheboygan back when the lumber trade ruled northern Michigan. Weird thing for me, I had an artifact from the original brewery in the family cabin that I had been tripping over for years. We used it to store toys!

The Brewery is a fun destination. You walk right into a mini-museum that celebrates the heritage of the original brewery. Then spin on your heels and the staff is at the ready to hand out samples. Take your pick of 4 beers and walk outside to live music or up the deck. The deck is my preference as it features rocking chairs and I pretend to be an old man. Perfect to watch the passing traffic out front.

If you’re lucky you’ll catch the local food truck out front like I did. They grill hotdogs, hamburgers and play some wicked air guitar. If you see them, remind them I told them to play more 80′s music.

Meet the Beers:

Light House Amber – An altbier style that I wasn’t sure I liked the first time I tried it. Now I love it, slightly malty with a moderate bitter finish. 6% ABV

Blood Orange Honey – Not my style but I like this one too (there’s a trend here). It’s a wheat beer with tangy orange and some honey. This knocks Oberon out of the water with it’s complexity. 5.7% ABV

La Cerveza – A Mexican style beer made for lazy hot summers. Light in flavor with just enough malt to be interesting – a difficult balance. 4.0% ABV

IPA #11 – Mike the brewmaster named this in honor of his firefighter family. Nice balance, well hopped and a refreshing finish. This is one my current fav – well done. 5.7% ABV

Summary: There’s no food but they hand out free popcorn and don’t forget that food truck. There’s also a limited selection of beers but I guarantee you’re gonna find a favorite. I’m always pleasantly surprised at how reasonable their growler refills are (currently $11). When I go, I’m a sucker for their hats, shirts and stuff. This year I grabbed (paid for didn’t steal mind you) a bullet bottle opener.