Revue Brewery Tour: THE WEST SIDE

Much like America centuries ago, Grand Rapids is slowly expanding into the west. What was once a few dive bars scattered around has grown into an impressive drinking and dining community, and it just keeps growing. Sovengard, Jolly Pumpkin and Butcher’s Union led the way—now we also have Nonla Burger, One Bourbon, Arktos Meadery and many more.

So, we decided to do our next brewery tour right here, but I have to be honest: We didn’t get around to nearly as many spots as I planned. Turns out it’s easy to lose track of time when you’re daydrinking with coworkers!

That said, we had a great time, and you will too if you visit any of these gems from the Best Side— er, sorry, West Side!

One true hidden gem is Brewery Nyx, which is tucked away off Wealthy and Cesar E. Chavez Ave. and just opened a year ago. This brewery is entirely gluten-free, to the point that outside food isn’t even allowed unless it’s from Papa Chops Eatery, the only other fully gluten-free facility in town.

Talking with the extremely friendly staff, Nyx said plenty of people come in who aren’t even gluten-free but just love the beer, and you can count the Revue team among that group after visiting. We noticed that even though the beer tasted like beer, it wasn’t as filling or bloating as usual. Call it placebo if you want, but we all agreed!

We had a few flights between us, and here were the highlights:

Red: This is the ideal beginner’s brew. Easy to drink, not overly malty, but not bland and watery like the Lite beers newbies often try.

Salted Lime: If you want something light and refreshing, similar to a gose, and perfect for summer, here you go!

Stout: Drinks lighter than most stouts but still tastes rich and creamy.

NZ IPA: A great “session” IPA, that’s easy to drink and not too bitter but still with plenty of hops.

Hazy IPA: There’s something tropically, florally delicious about this one that really blew me away. Nyx staff suggested it was actually “pine,” but I think I need to drink a few more pints before I can say for sure.

Hua Hin: Ginger lemongrass pale ale. Need I say more?

On top of the incredible beer, we loved the very casual and open feeling of the taproom. It was brew day when we visited, and we could watch it all happen while smelling the very beer we were drinking being made. Plus, cornhole!

GREYLINE BREWING

1727 Alpine Ave. NW, Grand Rapids greylinebrewing.com

We started our journey at Greyline Brewing, a high quality brewery with a devoted following that sometimes gets overlooked due to its isolated location on Alpine. Launched by former Founders staff who wanted to take their own approach, the beer has been consistently delicious ever since. And when we stopped in a Thursday, the place was bustling, but not too loud.

I enjoyed a Mosacca IPA, one of the brewery’s mainstays for good reason. It’s bold but approachable, simple but not boring, and lets the hops shines. This should be considered one of Grand Rapids’ iconic IPAs. Other Revue staff enjoyed the Humblebee, a sweet, light, honey oat ale “perfect for summer.” The Tropical IPA made with orange, lemon and pineapple was fruity, but not too sweet; tart, but not sour. And our stout-lover had the Fade, an oat stout on nitro that was smooth and creamy with no bitterness.

That’s not to mention the food, prepared by one person in a tiny kitchen located right inside the cozy taproom. My tacos were all bursting with flavor and absolutely covered in both raw onions and pickled onions, which is how I think all food should be served, personally. My coworkers all loved the sliders and chips too. Really, it’s the perfect lunch spot, and always works great for dinner before or after a movie at the nearby AMC.

KÜSTERER BRAUHAUS:

I’ve had nothing but amazing experiences here at Cedar Springs’ Grand Rapids location. The atmosphere, the authentic German-style beer, the snacks—it’s all top-notch.

NEW HOLLAND KNICKERBOCKER:

This multi-floor brewpub offers multiple experiences, from typical restaurant seating to a bar-style area, a huge outdoor patio and a secondfloor cocktail lounge.

JOLLY PUMPKIN:

Sour beer, pizza and creative pub grub. What more do you need?

ARKTOS MEADERY:

This isn’t beer, but it’s a must-visit on the West Side. Fantasy vibes enhance the experience of sipping mead, a versatile honey-based beverage.

THE MITTEN BREWING CO.:

Solid variety of beers, along with incredible pizza that frequently wins Best of the West. Get a pizza flight!

PEOPLES CIDER:

Not beer either, but this tiny spot next to Mitten is making some of the best cider in West Michigan, if not the world. The perfect place to wait for your table.

Broad Leaf Westside

443 Bridge St. NW, Grand Rapids broadleafbeer.com

Next we headed to Broad Leaf’s new location in the former Sovengard space. Smoke from the wildfires forced us to sit inside, but I’ve enjoyed the patio and its storage container seating a couple times already this summer—it’s well worth visiting with friends.

Inside, Broad Leaf has creative and casual vibes, with neon lights, a few arcade games to play and great art. We were ready for another snack and ordered the duck fat fries, which were absolutely perfect for an afternoon of drinking. Then we got the Oko Pancake, made with cabbage/scallion batter, then topped with crispy cabbage, kewpie mayo, furikake and soy caramel. It’s a beautiful blend of flavors and textures.

With drinks, our group was all over the place thanks to Broad Leaf’s, well, broad selection. One coworker really enjoyed the Strawberry Gin Freefall, a cocktail on draft with Broadleaf Gin, strawberries, sage, pink peppercorns and a touch of balsamic vinegar. Another loved the Palomaish, made with agave spirit, grapefruit, ginger & rosemary syrup, lime juice and soda water.

Meanwhile, I got a flight, with a tasty yet balanced passionfruit beer; a fruity kiwi, coconut and lime sour; a refreshing juicy IPA, and an experimental pineapple/salt tart ale. All were great, and I can’t wait to return and see what else they've cooked up! ■

WELCOME BACK TO REVUE’S ANNUAL READER POLL:

Now in its 8th year, we continue to change and evolve the experience, taking reader feedback on what categories to include and how we approach voting. This year, we once again had not one, but two rounds of voting! In the first round of voting, you could nominate literally whoever you want, as long as they fit the category and were local. In the second round of voting, readers had three finalists to choose from.

We tend to see quite a few more voters in the second round than the first, likely because it’s much easier to vote from three choices than to pull a business from your memories—especially with over 100 categories. We also have seen some things change up with this new approach, like the fact Founders lost Best Brewery for the first time in Best of the West history.

This year, we’ve also decided to do away with 2nd and 3rd places, because even when you’re competing against dozens or hundreds of other businesses, something about “third place” doesn’t feel great. Instead, there’s the first place winner, and then two finalists, which are listed in alphabetical order here.

The second round means more participation than ever before. This year, across both rounds combined, we had over 10,000 voters participate, casting a total of roughly 275,000 votes. So to even be a finalist means you beat out a whole lot of competition.

While we’re putting a pause on Best of the West Live this year—turns out, it’s hard to schedule an event when most participants are in the service industry and have their businesses to run—we’re excited to reimagine it and come back with a stellar community celebration.

One aspect that did return this year is the Golden Certificate,, awarded to the nominee who won the Most Votes Overall across multiple categories. So, congratulations once again to returning champion and winner of this year’s Golden Certificate award: Long Road Distillers! Clearly, you’re a hometown hero.

Whether you’re a winner, a finalist, a voter or a Staff Pick, as long as you’re part of West Michigan, Best of the West is for you. We want to celebrate all of our readers’ favorite people and places around town so that even more people can check them out and give them the love they deserve. Cheers! ■