Cherry Beers are Everywhere

Cherry Fest is Coming Back and Cherry Beers are Everywhere

Ed Fritz MiBrew Trail

The annual Cherry Festival returns to Traverse City this year after a pandemic-induced time out, and while not all aspects of the festival are back - sorry, air show fans - at least we get the beer tent back! (Okay, beer “area” this year.) While this is great news for fans of Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, the Northwest corner of the Lower Peninsula has many other offerings for those who are fans of sweet, tart or sour cherry flavor. If you’d like to attend this year’s Cherry Festival, make a plan to visit Traverse City between July 3-10. They’re carrying over the Very Cherry Porch Parade from last year between those dates as well, while this year’s Cherry Royale Parade Experience is a reverse parade where you drive past the floats at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa on July 10th. Tickets are currently on sale for the Very Cherry Flying Pancake Breakfast, the Old Town Classic Car Show and the beer tent is hosting the National Cherry Festival Cornhole Tournament on the afternoon of July 7; to register your team there’s a $40 fee. If you find yourself wanting to go beyond the festival beer tent, here are a few of our favorites that we’ve found along the MiBrewTrail:

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Middlecoast Brewing

GW’S LITTLE WHITE LIE While their reputation continues to grow for their uniquely-flavored hard seltzers like passionfruit-basil, lemon-ginger and peppermint bark (yes! Peppermint bark! And it’s pretty good!), this Belgian-style witbier is flavored with Michigan tart cherry concentrate which balances the creaminess of the wheat with a bit of sweet-and-sour sharpness. One of the newest breweries in downtown Traverse City, Middle Coast says this beer was inspired by our first president’s predilection for chopping down cherry trees, so if you find yourself motivated to chop, climb or otherwise assault a nearby orchard, please think twice.

North Peak Brewing Company

ARCHANGEL CHERRY WHEAT / RASCAL CHERRY PORTER Another TC brewery a stone’s throw from the Cherry Festival grounds, North Peak sits in a historic building originally built as a candy factory, so even without the Cherry Capital connection you’d imagine plenty of beers with chocolate, cherries and other sweet additions (and you’d be right). The Archangel is a light, refreshing beer with just a wisp of cherry sweetness dolloped on top while the Rascal gives you bigger, bolder roastier flavors with cherry cola complexity backing it up. Stone Hound Brewing Acme

OBLIGATORY DARK CHERRY LAGER One of the newer breweries in the area, Stone Hound sits across Us-31 with a clear view of East Bay from a building that was once a laundromat. While a cherry beer may be in many ways obligatory around here, putting Montmorency cherry flavor on top of a dark lager is very much not - but also very much appreciated. Brewer Chris Cargill, formerly a production brewer for Short’s Brewing a little ways up the road, extracts tart cherry flavors for this crisp lager much the way he did with other berries for Soft Parade.

Right Brain Brewing

CHERRY PIE WHOLE Before moving a bit further south of downtown, Right Brain’s former Warehouse District location had a pretty clear line of sight to the Clinch Park open space where the Cherry Festival is held. Was that the inspiration for their Cherry Pie Whole seasonal, released in July, or was it the proximity to the delicious cherry pies baked by the nearby Grand Traverse Pie Company? Let’s assume it was a little of both. This year Right Brain upped the ante at their Sixteenth Street location where pie proximity is concerned: they’ve got the GT Pie food truck in their parking lot all summer serving pie slices, pie shakes and pot pies. Perfect for pairing with this rich amber ale packed full of literal cherry pie, crust and all, for a cinnamonkissed charmer of a beer.

Cherry Public House Glen Arbor

...A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS. Would it shock you to discover that this Glen Arbor outpost of the famed Cherry Republic stores features beers that also have a lot of cherry flavor to them? Because it really shouldn’t. Make your way to this recently-expanded outdoor space (thanks pandemic!) to find a shipping container bar pouring options like the Hoppy Bobby pale ale (with cherries), the Golden Bear blonde ale (with cherries) and the Night Swim Cherry Porter with … you get the idea.