Pure Michigan Pints

Cedar Springs Brewing Company

Cedar Springs, 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.

Schmeckt Gut! That’s what comes up when you type Cedar Springs Brewing Company (CSB) into the Google search engine. And for those of you who don’t know what it means (not that I’d expect you to), it means, “Tastes good!” in German.

This is one of the breweries I enjoy going to generally once a year or every other year. This past year, I was privileged enough to go twice. I’m not going to sugar coat it: Unless you live in Cedar Springs, chances are this brewery is going to be out of your way.

And if you’re wondering, Are there other reasons to go to Cedar Springs? The answer is, no. There’s nothing cool there and no other reason to go to Cedar Springs.

Beer Selection—3/5

This is a German brewery in America. The owners regularly travel to the Vaterland (fatherland). They’re also knowledgeable in other beer styles as well. So, the beer has a very particular slant. You’re not going to find too many of the typical American micobrewed beers here such as deep rich stouts with coffee and chocolate notes, super hoppy IPAs, or experimental beers.

Instead, these are beers stepped in hundreds of years of tradition. Places in Germany have been making beer before America was even a country! You’ll find beers like Hefeweizens, Bocks, Dunkels, and Märzens.

While the central focus is German beers, CSB does try to appease to a wider audience with IPAs and other beers as well.

Vibe—4/5

While they don’t fully capture the vibe of German beer halls, it’s evident this is where the inspiration came from. Long tables are found throughout—very reminiscent of places such as Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Germany—where patrons can sit. High tops in the back. There is no bar seating, and it’s serve yourself; orders for beer and food must be placed and paid for at the bar-like windows.

The beer garden in back appears to be nice if the weather is good, but I must admit I have never sat there. They even have a table called Stammtish for mug club members. (A simple translation: This is a German tradition where they place a sign on a table that is reserved for regulars.)

Service—3/5

They’re friendly enough; however, because it is separate lines to place orders, the servers aren’t looking to be over-chatty—which is both nice because, of course, I want to get my beer sooner, but annoying because you can’t really get into more in-depth conversations. This leads to a slightly impersonal touch and disappoints some of the older brewery-goers (who remember CSB before COVID) such as myself. But they do bring the food out to you.

One of the owners (I think, don’t quote me on this) was helpful finding the correct size of shirt I was looking for and offered to go to the back to get one if I didn’t find my size.

Beer Quality—4/5

CSB rocks out on the quality front. They make a good German Hefeweizen. Most Hefeweizens done by American breweries fall flat when compared to the traditionally brewed German ones. While this one compares to them, the German ones are better (in my humble opinion).

This is the second-best Hefeweizen you can have. (Some of you may point out you can get it imported, but for the most part I’ve been disappointed with the ones I’ve gotten in America; they’re simply too old and not as fresh and have lost a lot in the flavor department and are sometimes skunky.)

Get their Hefeweizen. If you tried a Hefeweizen (non-German one) from a different brewery, get the Hefe here. It’s the perfect beer for any time. Perfect after playing a game of pick-up soccer or football. The perfect beer for the beach. The perfect beer for being on your patio. The perfect beer for sweatshirt weather. The perfect beer with a meal. You get my point.

I’d love to compare their Hefeweizen to the ones in Germany with a blind taste-test.

Don’t be afraid to try some of the Märzens, Bocks, or Schwarzbiers. If its not what you’re used to, it will force you to expand your pallet.

Food—5/5

This is my biased rating of the food here. Growing up with a German mother, I loved schnitzel. There are many variations of the dish. My personal favorite is the Jägerschnitzel and I want it breaded (not traditional, sorry mom!). But other variations of schnitzel are good. You can’t go wrong with it. They have a collection of sausages (which I think are honestly over-rated, and, yes, even in Germany), and American pub fare.

But do yourself a favor, eat here.

Overall

I recommend this brewery. Would I drive hours just to go here? Probably not, considering there’s not much else to do in the area. It’s the perfect stop if you’re on your way somewhere or live nearby.

Prost!

Total—14/20