After leaving Les Cheneaux Distillers, the next closest brewery you will come across is approximately a 35 mile drive up M-129 into Downtown Sault Ste. Marie, and that brewery is the Soo Brewing Company and 1668 Winery.
The first time I visited both of these places, they were in separate buildings and I considered doing separate reviews for both of them. But since they have merged to become one entity, I decided to review them together. Plus, I already have a review for Throwback Thursday tomorrow in Sault Ste. Marie, and I am trying to work the reviews across the U.P. in the most logical order of travel. I didn’t want to revisit Sault Ste. Marie inexplicably next week and review a brewery that has moved locations, but closed their original facility.
Soo Brewing Company opened in 2011 just down the street from where 1668 Winery/ Lockside Brewing would eventually be located. In 2015, 1668 Winery/ Lockside Brewing opened their doors. Soo Brewing Company and 1668 Winery merged in 2020 and became Soo Brewing Company and 1668 Winery. They chose the 1668 Winery location as the place to combine the two companies.
When you go to the brewery it is a very wide open space with a whole bunch of tables scattered throughout the area. The bar is a nice long L-shaped bar that easily has the capacity to seat 20 to 25 people at it. There is also an outdoor area on the back porch with a lot of seating on it. From the back porch you can get a birds-eye view of the Soo Locks in action. If you don’t want to sit outside, they have a live feed on TV of the Soo Locks at all times.
At Soo Brewing Company and 1668 Winery they do have a kitchen with a full menu. Some of the options on the menu are a few appetizers, burgers, pizza, and various different poutines. We have eaten here on a few different occasions, and the food has always been stellar. Pizza is always a good option anytime you are having a few beers. When it comes to eating at breweries, we always enjoy a good order of poutine and they have one of the best in Michigan.
Obviously since they are also a winery, they have their own house made wine as an option. They offer up to 16 different wine options, that is a lot of wine. I am not a wine drinker, but this is a place where wine seems to get ordered more often than beer. The wine clearly has to be pretty good with its popularity in the taproom. For the people in your group that don’t drink alcohol, they offer a few soda options like Coke, Diet Coke and Sprite.
Now when it comes to the beer, they offer quite a few options on tap. Some of the beers that they are known for are the Trinity- Belgian Tripel, Soo Grand Cru- Witbier, and Smolder- Oatmeal Stout. My favorite of their options is their Laker Gold which is a Blonde Ale. It is a light, crisp, refreshing sessionable ale that is a great sipper on a warm summer afternoon. Since it checks in at 5.2% ABV, you can possibly enjoy a couple of them in a sitting.
If you want to sit and watch the Soo Locks in action and enjoy a few adult beverages while you do it, drop an anchor down at Soo Brewing Company and 1668 Winery. Cheers!
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