On my trip down US-23, The Boathouse Beer Co. and Boozery may have closed a little earlier than some places. But about 20 minutes away in National City, Michigan, Sand Lake Micro Brewery was open and serving beers, so I started driving in their direction.
Sand Lake Micro Brewery opened in 2021. Don’t let the small town in the middle of nowhere fool you, they are making high quality beers out of their brewhouse. Speaking of that, they do have limited hours, they are only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you are looking to visit the brewery, make sure you are heading to the area during the weekend or you will be out of luck.
When I arrived, I noticed it was a pretty small place with minimal parking available, but they also weren’t extremely busy at the time, so it wasn’t a problem during my visit. They had some seating at the bar, approximately 10 to 15 seats at the bar, and maybe another 10 or so tables scattered throughout. Sand Lake had an outdoor seating area available, no one was outside when I arrived, so I am not sure if it is dog friendly.
As far as food options go, they offered a few small snacks but they did not have a kitchen. Periodically they will get food trucks to come out and offer dinner options. I would assume that they probably allow you to bring in outside food, but I also didn’t ask, so call ahead and make sure it is okay before you do it.
The brewery does advertise that they have musicians come through and perform on occasion, so check their socials to see if they have any events going on when you prepare for your visit. In addition to serving their own beer, they also have their own wine, just in case someone in your party doesn’t care for the beer. Non-alcoholic options are on the menu as well.
Cozy Cup of Coffee- Coffee Porter, Round Lake Irish Red, Bass Lake Black- Dry Irish Stout, and Founding Father IPA- American IPA. The best beer on the flight in my opinion was the Nat City Neapolitan Stout which was a sweet milk stout that tastes exactly like you are eating a tub of neapolitan ice cream in liquid form. The only thing that could have made this taste any better was if it was available in a nitro pour.
Funny side story to this visit, earlier in my day I had visited a small little place called Cadillac Winery/ Leroy Brewing. The owner of Cadillac Winery was the sister of the owner of Sand Lake Micro Brewery, and I told her I planned on visiting later that day. She gave me a coaster to give to her brother when I arrived at the brewery and told me to let him know that she sent me there.
As a result, the owner of Sand Lake and I ended up chatting about beer and breweries for quite some time as I drank my second flight. The owner’s wife had accidentally spilled the first flight all over my lap when she went to set it down in front of me, but accidents happen, so I was cool with it. This is yet another example of how small the brewing world can actually be, it always amazes me how everyone seems to be connected to each other somehow.
As you are preparing to drive up US-23 to hit some breweries on a weekend in the future, drop by Sand Lake Micro Brewery in National City and check out what they are offering on tap. A ta sante!
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