Grand Rapids earned the nickname “Beer City USA” back in 2012, and for good reason. The city has a population of just over 200,000 and is home to more than 80 breweries! If you love beer as much as we do, you need to head to Grand Rapids to truly understand Beer City USA’s hype!
So many breweries, attractions, and activities to choose from can make any sane person indecisive and confused. That’s why we’ve done the work for you and made a list of some of the most popular breweries in Grand Rapids!
- Brewery Vivant
- City Built Brewing Company
- Greyline Brewing Company
- The Mitten Brewing Company
- Harmony Brewing Company
- Brass Ring Brewing
- The Mitten Brewing Company
- City Built Brewing Company
- Harmony Brewing Company
- Brass Ring Brewing
Brewery Vivant
(616) 719-1604
Historical funeral home turned brewery, Brewery Vivant prides itself on being the world’s first LEED-certified microbrewery. It specializes in authentic Michigan farmhouse ales and rustic European-inspired beers similar to the farmhouse breweries of Northern France and Southern Belgium. Its focus on sustainability makes it one of the most popular breweries in Grand Rapids.
Their refreshing flagship beer, Farm Hand, tops the beer menu. Brewed from Michigan-grown wheat, it offers a rustic and unfiltered taste complemented by the natural lemon-citrus tartness of the fermentation process, offering multiple layers of complexity!
City Built Brewing Company
(616) 805-5755
City Built is one of the best breweries in Grand Rapids and is a famous downtown brewpub. It’s famous for its “drinkably complex” beers brewed using lesser-known and experimental styles. That doesn’t mean you won’t find your standard hard seltzers at City Built. It also has a famous Puerto Rican-inspired food menu and focuses on an overall good quality dining experience!
If you’re down for IPAs, try the popular Fifth St. Hooligans, a hazy IPA, double dry-hopped with Callista, Eldorado, Citra, Sabro, and Befuddlement hops with rich aromas of fresh ripe pineapple, mango, and grapefruit!
Greyline Brewing Company
No phone number. You can get in touch with Greyline via their contact page.
Owned by famous brewer Nate Walser, famous for his “Big Beers,” Greyline Brewing Co. is a homey brewpub and Walser’s passion project. The place is famous for its rapidly changing lineup, so don’t plan on going there to get a specific beer or for growler fills, although they do provide 6-pack crowlers to take home.
With a constantly changing beer menu, it’s better to ask the staff what’s on tap and what beers they are excited about. However, if you find the Kona Brown, named after Greyline’s boss dog, Kona Brown, you better try the brown coffee ale with a 5.9% ABV!
The Mitten Brewing Company
(616) 608-5612
The Mitten Brewing Co. opened up in 2012 inside a historic old firehouse and instantly became a hit with history buffs, beer lovers, and baseball fans alike. The vintage baseball-themed brewpub has continued to evolve its specials and menus and is famous for its pizzas and easy-drinking beers!
Their Triple Crown Brown, an English brown ale, is a must-try. The malt-forward beer with a flavor accented by light chocolate and subtle roasted malt character is Mitten Brewing’s flagship ale – not to mention a silver medalist in 2016’s World Beer Cup!
Harmony Brewing Company
(616) 233-0063
Harmony Brewing is one of the best breweries in Grand Rapids and a fantastic pizza place too! Moreover, it boasts two outstanding and unique locations, Easttown and Harmony Hall. The latter is a beautiful “beer castle” modeled after a German beer hall in an old sausage factory. While the food menu is nearly similar, the beer menu certainly isn’t!
Try the Tupelo Honey pale ale at Harmony Hall. It’s an easy-to-drink beer with a floral honey aroma and a bread caramel character. At Eastown, brace yourself for the Grote Pier, a double IPA hop bomb brewed from 22 pounds of hops! It’s a smooth, delicious, and malt-heavy beer, which isn’t too bitter for a double dry-hopped IPA!
Brass Ring Brewing
(616) 644-3451
Brass Ring is a Bukowski-inspired brewery specializing in small-batch-specific pub ales. It’s a community-focused brewpub famous for serving English-inspired pub ales and stouts, not to mention from-scratch comfort food. You’ll find Bukowski’s famous “We are here to drink beer” quote on one of the walls at the brewpub too. The beer and comfort food combo makes Brass Ring one of the most popular breweries in Grand Rapids.
Their dry Irish stout, 8 Pound Hammer, is one of the best drinks to try. It’s a lightly hopped drink with a solid dark roast and notes of chocolate which makes it a well-balanced drink!
Best Breweries with Food In Grand Rapids
The Mitten Brewing Company
(616) 608-5612
Mitten Brewing is known for excellent beers and an extensive food menu. It’s easily one of the most popular breweries in Grand Rapids. Some popular food items include sandwiches and more than six different specialty pizzas!
Pair the handcrafted flagship Triple Crown Brown with one of their gourmet pizzas, such as the refreshing Margherita, or ask for the Weekly Special Pizza if you’re feeling lucky!
City Built Brewing Company
(616) 805-5755
Again, City Built is one of the most popular breweries in Grand Rapids and extremely popular for authentic Puerto Rican-inspired food. The brewpub also has an excellent selection of wines, meads, and kombucha for people who don’t drink beer! Be sure to come with an empty stomach to thoroughly explore the delectable food menu!
Pair any one of the beers on taps, such as the Werewolves of Michigan, a West Coast-style IPA, with some greasy pork belly tacos, and a side of Yuca fries made from hand-cut Cassava root!
Harmony Brewing Company
(616) 233-0063
Harmony Brewing’s mouth-watering wood-fired pizzas have made it one of the best breweries in Grand Rapids and earned it a spot on our best breweries with food list. Its pizza has been voted the Best Pizza in West Michigan by Revue for four years straight while also making it into MLives list of Top 5 Pizzas in Michigan two times!
Get the Crispy Pig, made with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, pepperoni, and ham, and pair it with the famous double IPA Grote Pier in this Spring weather! If you don’t like eating meat, there are even vegan options!
Brass Ring Brewing
(616) 644-3451
During the pandemic, Brass Ring became more popular when it made outdoor structures to seat two to four people, its Neighborly IPA, which was used for raising money for charity, and a small taproom famous for pouring unfiltered beer.
Head to Brass Ring and order the popular dry Irish stout, 8 Pound Hammer. It’s a light and well-balanced drink that goes perfectly with the mouthwatering tikka masala tacos, beer cheese, pickles, and roasted pork loin!
We hope you liked reading our list of the best breweries in Grand Rapids. Visit Beer City, USA, for one of the most magical and exciting craft beer experiences of your life!
