Frankenmuth Brewery
Great Lakes Bay
Breweries +
Taprooms
Frankenmuth

Warm up with pints of hearty craft brew at the historic Frankenmuth Brewery. Take a tour of Michigan's oldest microbrewery and relax riverside from the enclosed patio with floor-to-ceiling windows — or out on the deck! Belly up at the bar for a flight of seasonal and special release brews or order up a pour of Doxie Wein!

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Oracle Brewing | @oraclebeer

Oracle Brewing Company: Taste the heart of historic Old Town Saginaw and unforgettable artisan brews at Oracle Brewing Company. Unwind in a laid-back atmosphere and order pints, flights, and growlers of flavors including C-Beans, a chocolate coffee stout. You’ll find that unique beer is on the menu here and delivery from nearby restaurants is welcome!

The Maple Grille Restaurant & Microbrewery
: Pair a pint or two with seasonal, ever-changing menu items at farm-to-table Maple Grille Restaurant & Microbrewery. Tempt your taste buds with fresh, locally sourced meats and produce while you sip wood-fired craft brews like Caramel Apple Ale, Smoked Porter, or Maple Oatmeal Stout.

Midland Brewing Company | @sippinwiththemitten

Midland Brewing Company: Don your flannel and pull up a stool at Midland Brewing Company, where the brews are cold and the region’s lumbering roots run deep. Sink your teeth into pub fare portions “fit for a lumberjack,” and pair your burger, beer-battered fries, or smoked wings with signature ales, wheats, or IPAs.

Tri-City Brewing Company: Bring take-out right in to enjoy with your favorite suds at Tri-City Brewing Company! Take your pick of 30 draft selections, many fashioned after local icons, and find faves like Hell’s Half Mile Lager, U.S.S. Edson German Pilsner, and Brownhoist Nut Brown Ale. Plan your sipping session around special events including food truck visits and trivia nights!

Loggers Brewing Company
: Polish up your trivia skills and polish off a box of street tacos, or another favorite from rotating food trucks at Loggers Brewing Company! Kick back in a cozy neighborhood — inside this brewery that was once a church, or out on the back patio — and enjoy live music while sipping one of 15 brews on tap. Sample stouts to IPAs, or tip back a hard seltzer or flight of fruit wine!

MI Element Grains & Grounds: Gather with friends for a craft brew (or locally roasted Creation Coffee) at MI Element Grains & Grounds. Smell the fresh baked goods (and surely take some home), and stay awhile to savor four beers on draft, live music events, book signings, and more.

Whichcraft Taproom: Cozy up at Whichcraft Taproom, where the beverages have stories to tell! Select from more than 80 Michigan-made craft beers, meads, and hard ciders, all produced by passionate artisans. Sample down-to-earth wines crafted by a handful of Michigan wineries, and enjoy a signature cocktail. Pair your faves with tasty bites like warm Bavarian Soft Pretzels, served with IPA mustard & house-made beer cheese sauce.

Woody’s Draught House
: With over 100 beers on tap, head to Woody’s Draught House for an evening of entertainment, pizza, and brews! Choose flavors like Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout or Grand Armory Nutter Your Business to drink with your pizza, made-to-order. Listen to the DJ or plan for a weekend hang with live music — and test your knowledge on Trivia Nights!

Tavern 101: Bring your appetite for all-things-beer to Tavern 101, a beer-forward restaurant where most everything is about the brew — even the menu! Think beer-battered cheese curds, waffle fries and pretzel bites served with beer cheese, and many other options made with beer as a main ingredient. Relax with 54 beers on tap and a large selection of wines and cocktails, and be ready for regular Trivia Nights and live music!

The Taproom at Stardust
: Tucked inside a bowling alley and entertainment center, explore an unexpected mecca of craft beer, The Taproom at Stardust. With 41 taps of Michigan craft beer from stouts to IPAs, order a flight to taste a few — and fill up a growler or firkin to enjoy at home!

Michigan on Main Bar & Grill | @bavarianinn

Michigan on Main Bar & Grill: Encounter the largest selection of German beers in the state, alongside 17 Michigan craft brews on tap, at Michigan on Main Bar & Grill at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant. Feast on locally sourced food, savor German favorites, and celebrate the bounty of the great “mitten” state!

Zehnder’s Tap Room: Enjoy 20 domestic and international beers at Zehnder’s Tap Room, including German drafts that are brewed according to German Purity Laws, adopted in 1516! Sample German Pilsner to Hofbräu Original Lager, and discover live lounge entertainment every Friday night!

Governor’s Quarters: Experience 30 Michigan craft brews on tap at Governor’s Quarters, and pair your pints with something delectable from the grill. Stop by often because the taps are always changing — and polish your game in the golf simulator while enjoying wine, cocktails, and brews.

May - September

Nothing goes with a cold brew better than fresh air and sunshine! Discover plentiful options to sample at seasonal outdoor beer gardens, from Drift Shoreside Beer Garden in Bay City to Larkin Beer Garden in Midland — and beyond! Enjoy waterside views and vibrant cityscapes as you try new and inventive craft beverages, toss back standby faves with friends, and revel in delicious local flavors!

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Prost
Great Lakes Bay
Wineries +
Wine Bars
Prost | @cassidylew

Prost! Wine Bar & Charcuterie: Relax in the rich, indulgent ambiance of Prost! Wine Bar & Charcuterie in Frankenmuth or Uptown Bay City, and taste any of six wines on tap for first-pour flavor served at the perfect temperature! Savor themed sampler flights alongside your charcuterie — or try the Whiskey Basil Smash or Cheeky Peach Spritz!

St. Julian Winery
: Take a guided tasting at St. Julian Winery, sample six wines along the way, and enjoy the souvenir glass! Discover Michigan’s most-awarded winery, and taste delicious wine sourced from Michigan fruit — including the ever-popular Solera Cream Sherry.

Frankenmuth FunShips
: Discover a seasonal delight aboard an hour-long Wine & Chocolate River Tour with Frankenmuth FunShips, May through October! Cruise the Cass River on an intimate, 12-passenger boat, and enjoy five wines paired with five handmade chocolates, two additional samples, a full glass of your favorite, and a stemless souvenir glass. Bonus: FunShips’ store and winery is open daily all year!

Grape Beginnings Winery
: Indulge in a flight and sample “worldly wines made local” at Grape Beginnings Winery. With light and fruity, sweet, semi-sweet, dry reds, and white wines (all fermented in-house), sip wines produced with fruit from across the globe. Experience the international feel and local flair, and pair your pour with tasty small plates.

Crazy Vines Winery | @crazyvineswinery

Crazy Vines Winery: Sit back and relax on the couch with a glass of something as cozy as the seating at Crazy Vines Winery! Sip on labels like Ole Barn Red or Ole Barn White, produced on-site. Try a flight to decide whether you’ll take home a bottle of Starry Meadows or Wixom Sunset!

Modern Craft Winery
: Take your wine tasting to a whole new level at Modern Craft Winery. Experience wine born from a proprietary fruit infusion process, and be prepared to mix your own signature blend! Learn how to pair your favorite wines with stouts, spirits, and bar mixes to create completely customized fusion drinks!

Black Star Farms Winery
: Experience “Up North” through Michigan wines in the Frankenmuth tasting room of Black Star Farms Winery. Sample award-winning wines served by the glass or bottle and discover your soon-to-be-favorite spirits — this tasting room shares a space with Grand Traverse Distillery!

Artisan Urban Bistro
: Tucked into historic Old Town Saginaw, step into Artisan Urban Bistro to taste the fruits of a boutique, in-house winery, paired with an unforgettable artisan meal. Discover a cozy bistro setting, and wine made with grapes from France, Spain, and California.

Old City Hall | @oldcityhallrestaurant

Old City Hall: Situated in Downtown Bay City, enter into Old City Hall and pick a pour from more than 150 wines from around the world! Discover two dozen brews and hard ciders on tap, an inventive martini list, and plenty of other specialty cocktails.

The Station 100: Experience strong European influences in the cuisine, and the service, at The Station 100. Peruse an extensive wine list, and discover the art of pairing wine with food and flavors. An internationally certified Sommelier will assist, selecting the perfect wine based on your dish.

Jake’s Old City Grill: Encounter a list of more than 100 carefully curated wines alongside gourmet cocktails and craft, imported & domestic beers at Jake’s Old City Grill. Savor locally sourced cuisine and delicious flavors in the historic neighborhood of Old Town Saginaw.

Gratzi
: Take a spin around Italy right in Michigan at Gratzi! A perfect pairing of wine and chef-inspired Italian cuisine awaits. Choose from a wine list that includes Grappa and extends into select regions around the world, or the full-service bar with premium liquors, plus specialty and traditional Italian cocktails.

Old Town Distillery | @oldtowndistillery
Great Lakes Bay
Distilleries
+ Cocktails

Three Bridges Distillery & Taproom: Step into an inviting atmosphere and a distinctive distillery! Three Bridges Distillery & Taproom is an artisan trio of distillery, brewery, and winery where guests can have a say in new flavors — and learn to make their own at a hands-on gin, rye, or bitters class! Watch the distilling process through a viewing wall, and sip your specialty to live music on select evenings. Try the frothy Blue Jasmine Fizz or Cold Brew Old Fashioned!

Old Town Distillery
: Sip cocktails made with handcrafted vodka, rum, whiskey, and even Moonshine — distilled right on-site at Old Town Distillery! Taste the sensation of food and spirits combined, and please your palate with Taco Tuesdays and delicious pizza anytime. Order a Moonshine craft cocktail like the Orange Creamsicle or an Old Town Fashioned with fresh cherry muddle.

Grand Traverse Distillery
: For a tasting experience of grand proportions, look to Grand Traverse Distillery! The micro-distillery from Northern Michigan brings its locally sourced, handcrafted spirits into the region so we can all taste grain-to-bottle gin, rum, whiskey, and vodka. Made in small batches using local ingredients, sample award-winning spirits and buy your favorites to bring home!

Aster: Pick up a cocktail with attitude at Aster. Choose from a menu of handcrafted options like Final Word, with gin, green chartreuse, and lime — or the Grandpa Collins with vodka, elderflower, curaçao, and honey. Enhance your experience and pair your cocktail with gourmet farm-to-table menu selections from mussels to Coq Au Vin.

Bay City

Savor seasonal house mulled wine at Harless + Hugh, or sip a Hot Toddy, Irish Coffee, or Spiked Cocoa, cozied up by the wood-burning fireplace! Frequent often to enjoy the rotating tap beer selections and natural wines — and the inviting ambiance of this more-than-just-coffee shop.

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The Public House | @thepublichousebaycity

The Public House: Gather in an intimate setting, complete with exquisite lighting and plants all around, to experience craft cocktails and artisan spirits at The Public House. Choose from craft beers, wines, and specialty house cocktails — like Pocket Universe with chai-infused gin and toasted coconut syrup.

ONe Eighteen: Relax amidst mid-century modern décor at ONe Eighteen, and revel in a robust menu of craft brews, wine, and classic, handcrafted cocktails — including the Old Fashioned, New Fashioned, and Americano.

Oxygen Lounge
: Unwind at Oxygen Lounge inside The H Hotel, and enjoy a cocktail, beer, or your choice of wine in casual elegance. Featuring soft seating around the room for intimate gatherings and conversation, experience the cozy, comfortable space — and an after-dinner brandy or bourbon nightcap.

MI Table
: Pair your Michigan-brewed craft beer flight with a MI Burger at MI Table — where Michigan is a staple in everything, including the whiskey! Taste Traverse City Cherry Whiskey or Detroit City Bourbon with your farm-to-table meal, and enjoy the Affogato for dessert!

Beaver’s Pub
: Drink whiskey your way at Beaver’s Pub, a whiskey bourbon bar where you can have your cocktail smoked table-side for free! Order inventive concoctions like the Butternut Old Fashioned, garnished with a cinnamon stick and a flaming roasted marshmallow.

Places with Great Mocktail Menus
Frankenmuth + Bay City

Pair a “Fauxjito” or Mock Sangria with your meal at Prost! Wine Bar & Charcuterie. Experience a menu of specially crafted Sober Cocktails to savor your drink — without the effects of alcohol — and your evening!

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Bay City

Find peace of mind in a non-alcoholic beverage at The Public House. Enjoy artfully crafted mocktails, just like their more potent relatives, but without the kick! Order the Tranquility with Amass Riverine, pineapple, coconut, ginger, and matcha — or Minerva with Seedlip Grove 42, pineapple, grapefruit, and cinnamon.

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Author
Jen W. O'Deay + Go Great Lakes Bay

By: Jen W. O'Deay | Updates: Go Great Lakes Bay | Jen is a Saginaw native and owner of Feel These Words, an independent copywriting studio & home to the free "5 Day Website MiniBoost". Jen specializes in writing that connects, delivered through website copy, branded content articles, and WingWoman writing services. You'll find Jen camping with her family, laughing, and at feelthesewords.com