Pure Michigan Pints

Warner Brew Haus

Paw Paw, Michigan

This is my own subjective review. I’m highly opinionated. It’s out of 20 total (based on Beer Selection, Vibe, Service, and Beer Quality; I grade harshly and my 4 is probably most people’s 5. Also, I don’t count food against breweries in the total because not all breweries need food to be good and some are in a partnership with nearby restaurants.

Interesting fact: this place’s main specialty is wine. It was a winery for over 80 years (founded in 1938) and is the second oldest winery in the state. They decided to include beer and make it a brewery in the last three years.

The moat around the place adds flare. For a second, I was confused where to go, but after I figured it out, I immediately dug the vibe.

I was greeted immediately when I got in the door and unlike some places where you have to wait five or more minutes, was given a menu and asked right away what I would like.

Selection—4/5

With a brief taplist, this place managed to touch all of the bases from light American lager (cheekily called “Water Works”), to a variety of IPAs, some fruit beers, and a stout. I had a difficult task picking out which beers I wanted in my flight.

Vibe—4/5

I’ve never been to a brewery with a moat around it. (If I was a better photographer, I would have captured this moat, but that I am not. So, you will just have to take my word for it.)

The place just screamed class. I felt underdressed in my basketball shorts and T-shirt. The place is small but nice. Those winery vibes definitely come through.

Service—5/5

My server was amazing. She took my order and was willing to chat with me about the beers. She got me an extra sample (free of charge) of her favorite beer, a cherry Saison, which was phenomenal.

Both the main server and the head Chef gave me some background about the place, and its history.

I felt welcomed here and the service really brought this place some charm.

Beer Quality—3/5

The beer is good and is better beer than some places I went to in Paw Paw. The stout took me by surprise. It’s not a heavy stout, but those roasted notes really shine through and it’s truly one of the more unique stouts I’ve had. The only place I’d ding their beers on was their IPAs; they weren’t of the best caliber.

Food—??

Unfortunately, I had just eaten before going here, so I did not order any food. I talked to the head Chef and he seemed like a nice guy. The menu looked interesting as well—they have burgers and pizza. Nothing crazy out of the ordinary, but worth checking out.

Overall

Overall, I recommend checking out Warner Brew Haus. The vibes and beer are right. Often times I find myself disappointed with places that try to add on beer to please their customers. It’s not that I’m not happy for the attempt, but most wineries and distilleries simply suck at making beer. But not this place. Sometimes it’s nice to be pleasantly surprised.

Total—16/20