Oh no! Have we finally made it to the last brewery on our trip through the Upper Peninsula? Yes we have, and that brewery is Flatiron Brewing Company located in beautiful Manistique, Michigan right on the shores of Lake Michigan. They opened just last year but they have quickly carved out a solid name for themselves on the Upper Peninsula brewing scene.
Back in the late 1800’s the Chicago Lumber Company owned every square inch of Manistique with the exception of one residence, and they were hell bent on keeping the town dry. The owner of this property, which formed a flatiron shape through town, ended up selling to a New Yorker by the name of Daniel Heffron. He then opened up the first saloon on the flatiron block, after his success there were many who followed suit, and at its peak the flatiron section of town had 29 saloons in operation for a town of only 3,000 people. Then after some illegal dealings, bribery and a slew of other charges Heffron is arrested, tried, and as the jury is deciding his fate, he vanishes. Never to be heard from again, he left a trail of reward offers and rumors about his eventual fate. This led to the name Flatiron Brewing Company and the tradition of keeping Manistique wet is carried on by them today.
The brewery itself is a wide open space with plenty of seating options all over the place. Lots of tables for you to enjoy dinner and a few beers at. The bar is a nice wooden bar with approximately 8 to 10 seats for you to enjoy a few cold pints. There is also an outdoor patio seating area so that you can look out over the Manistique River and Lake Michigan while you enjoy your drinks. Unfortunately for the dog owners out there, they only allow service animals on the property, even on the outdoor seating area. They are hopefully looking to change that soon.
Flatiron does offer a few events such as a weekly trivia night on Tuesdays, and a Thirsty Thursday celebration every Thursday. The space is also available for rent for your next get together, contact the brewery for information on private event rentals. If you are looking for a place to play a game of pool, Flatiron does have a few pool tables in the taproom.
When it comes to food Flatiron does have a kitchen where they offer appetizers, salads, pasta, and pizza. We did not eat here upon our visit, if I remember correctly, they didn’t quite have the kitchen ready to go yet, they were still waiting on some equipment to show up. But on my next visit, I totally intend on eating here. For those that don’t indulge in the drinking of alcohol, Flatiron does offer homemade root beer, club soda, and various soda offerings on the menu.
Now here comes the fun, yet bittersweet part, the last review of the beers from a brewery on our trip through the Upper Peninsula. On our flight at this stop we got their Ehtoberfest- Marzen, Cherry Hitter- Sour, and Traders Point- IPA. My favorite beer on this stop was the StrawBarb SourHead, which was a sour that was very tart and tasted like a strawberry rhubarb pie. This is an extremely sour beer, which will definitely make your face pucker, even for the most sour tolerant of taste buds. Checking in at 5.2% ABV, you could theoretically drink this all day, if your tastebuds and acid reflux can handle it.
For the last time on this trip we will bid adieu to a really cool place, Flatiron Brewing Company with a ton of history behind it. I highly recommend that you make this place a stop on your trip through the breweries of the Upper Peninsula. (If you want to read the full history as opposed to my cliff notes version of the history, check out their webpage) Salud!
#upperpeninsula #yooperlife #beer #beerlovers #craftbeer #drinklocal #michiganbeer
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