Traverse City Beer Week, November 13–20, features a self-guided tour on the all-new Beer Week Ale Trail. Beer enthusiasts will use a mobile-friendly digital passport for savings and promotions at local breweries and restaurants, as well as enter to win brew-themed prizes. And the event isn’t limited to Traverse City—Stormcloud Brewing in Frankfort and Short’s in Bellaire are also participating. The Beer Week Passport also includes The Little Fleet, Workshop Brewing Company, Jolly Pumpkin Restaurant & Brewery, 7 Monks Taproom and more breweries, restaurants and bars, all sharing discounts. (Here’s a preview of TCBW special offers.)
We checked in with several breweries, asking about this year’s must-try beers, and we’re pretty darn excited.
Stormcloud Brewing Company
“The Saturday of TC Beer Week this year we have a special small-batch beer being tapped called Diabadass IPA (for World Diabetes Day.) It’s a double dry-hopped Kveik IPA with cryo hops, and a portion of proceeds will be donated to the Michigan & Northwestern Ohio Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. As one of our resident diabetics, I had the opportunity to help brew it, and trust me—it’s delicious. The other beer you absolutely have to try is our 228 Tripel. As a Belgian-inspired brewery, we take great pride in our traditional Belgian-style beers, and the 228 Tripel just won the silver medal for Belgian-Style Abbey Ale at the 2020 Great American Beer Festival®! I love its light body, soft malt and notes of stone fruit. It’s definitely a must-have!” –Amy Martin, Marketing Department
Right Brain Brewery
“Schrute Farms, a beet beer, is back by popular demand, and we have an oatmeal stout made with doughnuts from Peace, Love and Little Donuts. We’ll also be doing a pairing with them—six beers and six doughnuts.” –Owner Russell Springsteen
Rare Bird Brewpub
“We always recommend trying our tried-and-true winners Kushy Punch IPA and No Pressure Imperial Stout. Both have many medals behind them from the local IPA and Stout Challenges. Kushy Punch is a super fun IPA that any IPA drinker will love. It’s juicy, tropical and hop-forward without an obnoxious hop bitterness. No Pressure is a chocolate, vanilla and coffee imperial stout so it’s a big beer at 8% but it’s so smooth and nuanced with fun flavors that it’s a major crowd-pleaser.” –Co-owners Tina Schuett and Nate Crane
North Peak Brewing Company
“We are offering $5 five beer samplers during TCBW so people have the opportunity to sample several of our beers on tap, but I would suggest our two newest year-round beers. Boardman Nut Brown and Downstream Cream Milk Stout are two very popular offerings. Boardman Nut Brown is a Northern English Nut Brown Ale brewed with Slovenian hops. It’s malt focused with notes of hazelnut and walnut. Downstream Cream Milk Stout is dark, smooth and a little sweet with roasted malt characteristic and a creamy mouthfeel.” –Megan Corden, Marketing Department
