Just Southwest of Kalamazoo off of I-94 sits the little town of Lawton, Michigan and Longship Brewing Company, which opened its doors to the public in 2023. I had visited this location a few years back when it was Barn Brewers but this location has quite a bit of history, and a lot of brewing history behind it.
Built in the 1870’s the building was originally a tailor shop. Over the years it has been a pharmacist, a grocery store, a butcher shop, restaurants and apartments. Since 1993, they have been operating as a brewery under various different names in that time frame.
In 1993, they originally opened as Dusters Microbrewery. Upon the closure of Dusters in the late 1990’s, Larry Bell purchased the property and was operating under the name Old Hat. After years of operating as Old Hat, it sat vacant for a few years, until 2015 to be exact, when Barn Brewers opened up. Barn Brewers operated in that location until 2022. Then extensive renovations were done and they reopened in 2023 as Longship Brewing Company.
As far as the brewery goes, there is a long wooden bar to enjoy your beverages at, which seats about 15 to 20 people. About 15 to 20 tables are placed throughout the brewery for your seating needs. There is an outdoor patio in the back of the brewery with a couple of tables that you can hang out at and enjoy some brews and food. Since it is outside, I would assume it is dog friendly, but call and double check just in case Fido is coming along for the trip.
Longship does have a kitchen on site which offers various food options including but not limited to appetizers, and various handhelds, such as sandwiches and burgers. According to their website, they do change the menu based upon seasonal offerings. So check the website or socials before you go to see the up to date menu.
In addition, Longship does have a few events that they host such as live music and local community events and fundraisers. Check and see if an event is happening during your visit. They may offer rentals for private events or gatherings, but I would call and ask to make sure.
For the part we all came for, the beer. Now I can’t remember if they didn’t offer flights when I ordered, or if because they only had 3 beers on tap during my visit they didn’t have enough beer to do a flight, I decided to just order a full pint. I settled on their Oatesmeal Stout on Nitro. This was a roasty stout with notes of coffee and chocolate. It had a thick, creamy head on it and it finished with a slight bitterness and malty undertones. At 5.4 % ABV, I would recommend giving this beer a taste or two on your visit.
If you are interested in checking out a brewery that has quite a bit of history behind it, take a trip to Lawton and check out Longship Brewing Company. Cheers!
#Cheers #brewery #beer #beerlovers #michiganbeer #drinklocal #CraftBeer #brewerylife
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