The next stop as you are walking around Downtown Marquette checking out breweries is The Vierling Restaurant and Marquette Harbor Brewery. In December of 1995 the Vierling became one of the first brewpubs in the entire state of Michigan and have been serving their own beer to the people of Marquette ever since.
The building the brewery is housed in was built in 1883 and prospered until 1917 when prohibition forced them to close their doors. Between 1917 and 1985 the location was a home to a variety of different businesses. But in 1985 it was purchased and after months of restoration it opened up as the Historic Vierling Saloon & Sample Room. The renovations included using the original stained glass and oil paintings from Martin Vierling’s own collection.
The Vierling recently changed hands again in 2023, but it was purchased by long-time employees of the Vierling to help carry on its legacy. One of the owners Derek Anderson, began as a chef at the Vierling in 1987 and transitioned to full-time brewer in 1995 with the addition of their brewing system, and he has been their first and only brewer in their history. The other owner, Joey Gleason, has been the executive chef at the Vierling since 2005.
The Vierling is more of a restaurant than a brewery so it has a very traditional dining set-up throughout the place. Tons of tables for you to partake in dining and drinking at. Then a relatively small bar area which had about 10 seats total at it. We just sat at the bar since there was a 2 hour wait for a table, it was the day before the Fall Beer Festival, hence the long wait time. But we were just there for a beer anyways, so no big deal.
Since they are a restaurant they do have a full food menu available upon your visit to their establishment. Appetizers, Sandwiches, Fish, Shrimp, Pizza and various other options are available for your culinary needs. We did not eat on our trip to the Vierling, we had some food earlier in the day, but the food all looked and smelled amazing. The people at the bar next to us were both having the whitefish dinner, and I am not a big fan of fish myself, but I was definitely interested even though I wasn’t hungry.
Now when it comes to the beer, like I said they were very busy upon our arrival. We skipped our normal routine of getting a flight and Crystal and I just decided to order a pint and share it. We went with their Stout, and it was a smooth, creamy, light-bodied beer with slight hints of sweetness and coffee throughout. Clocking in at 4.5% ABV, this is a sessionable Stout that can be drunk all day long if you are inclined to do so.
Other beer options on their menu include Blonde Ale, Honey Wheat, Blueberry Wheat, Porter, Pale Ale, IPA, Red Ale, and quite a few others. Simply put, there is an option to quench any beer lover’s thirst here.
With a historic building and plenty of beer on tap at all times, The Vierling Restaurant and Marquette Harbor Brewery is a place that is definitely worth checking out on your next trip to Marquette. Salud!
#craftbeer #BeerLovers #michiganbeer #drinklocal #yooperlife #upperpeninsula
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