Pure Michigan Pints

Pigeon Hill

Muskegon, Michigan

I remember everything. I was there from the beginning. Originally, Pigeon Hill Brewing Company opened their doors in 2014 (about a year behind Unruly Brewing Company) in downtown Muskegon. It became a low-key popular debate among Muskegon beer-snobs such as myself: Which is better, Pigeon Hill or Unruly? Normally, in this debate PH won out. Their beers are smoother, more agreeable, and more (I hate to say it) marketable.

I’ve been an avid fan since inauguration. Now, it’s important to note: they’ve changed locations. Before they were on the main drag, on Western, but they relocated to a bigger facility, off of Shoreline Drive (technical address is 4^th street) that they refer to as “The Brewer’s Lounge.”

Both locations are nice. And I get the need to do what our ancestors did: expand, conquer new territory, and explore world domination, but it can interfere with a regular patron’s experience. Their new location isn’t a failure, but for those familiar with the old location: it’s different (to put it mildly). The location on Western had a better bar, garage doors that could be opened in the summer, and wafts of pizza could be smelled coming next door from TopShelf.

The. Perfect. Summer. Spot.

This was Muskegon in the summertime.

Hands down.

Maybe it’s just my memories of the place, all the people I went there with. Some type of nostalgia. It honestly makes this review hard to do. (And maybe it’s not fair that I’m doing it—but, in the spirit of beer and honesty, I’m still going to proceed.)

Beer Selection—5/5

The strongest part of PH is their selection. It’s easy to find a beer for someone, especially a first timer. One time I went with a new group of friends, and I found a beer for every single person in the group. This is what I’m talking about when I mean selection! They’ll generally have over 20 taps.

Often times it’s easy to have beer discussions at PH—whether it’s with someone behind the bar, a friend you’re meeting for a beer, or a complete stranger.

A given: they’ll always have a lighter beer on tap, a few IPAs to choose from, a stout or porter, and a few interesting choices that toe the line between experimental and mainstream.

Vibe—3/5

This is such a tough criterion to grade. Their old location really had it all for me. (As stated before. In the spirit of transparency, I’d rate their old location a 5 when it comes to vibe.)

Their location at their new bar isn’t bad. It’s nice. In the summer there’s outside seating. They have some high tops. The bar here is nice too—but it’s still not as badass as the OG one. In the back, when it gets busy, they have a small overflow room. Here it’s possible to view their canning line and other beer making equipment.

Overall, I’d say the brewery has positive vibes.

Service—4/5

The bartenders always greet you. They know their regulars by name. They provide tastes quickly and easily—they want you to like the beer and get what you want. Sometimes they’re busy and visually stressed a bit, but I have not been disappointed with the service at PH.

Beer Quality—5/5

If a brewery has one outstanding beer, I’ll take that over 5 good beers. And I’ll definitely prefer that to 10 average beers. Beers at PH that stand out:

First, the popular Grapefruit (or regular if you prefer) Renny: The world’s most crushable IPA. (A term someone sampling the beer said after trying it, and PH ran with it, even putting it on posters.) And it rings true. At 9.4%, this deceptively delicious IPA hits all of the right notes. Full-bodied. Hoppy. A little fruity. It’s a thirst-quenching double-IPA! (What?!?!?)

Second—my personal favorite (that I haven’t seen in a few years that they better not have stopped making permanently)—S’more Beast in my Cup. They take a below average Imperial Stout base (they’ve had this on tap too), and perfectly flavor it with S’mores. Served normally with a toasted marshmallow—when snow falls, this is the perfect West Michigan Stout and encapsulates #PureMichigan at its finest.

Third: O.C.P. Or Oatmeal Cream Pie for those of you less familiar. As the name suggests, it’s made to taste like an Oatmeal Cream Pie. This is a perfect beer. Get it on CO2 instead of on nitro if it’s an option. (More flavorful in my opinion.)

There are other honorable mentions for great beer: Cinna-Gram on French Toast (formerly, “Your Grandmother on French Toast”—I think they had to change the name for legal reasons, but don’t quote me) is another nice sweet cinnamon imperial stout, capturing the taste of French Toast. Their Michigan Irish Stout is another favorite of mine that normally makes an appearance at Michigan Irish Fest.

The only reason this particular picky beer snob would ding them: there’s room for improvement in some of their main stays. Regular IPAs often miss the mark for me. I have yet to see a good fruity beer from PH. And, no, making 20 different kinds of donut beers doesn’t make up for this. Also, often times they put too many beers on nitro (OCP and SCP) that don’t match up to the original version. (These are all super minor crits to be honest.)

Food—1/5

Update: Currently, their kitchen is closed.

If I was reviewing TopShelf Pizza (the pizza place next to the old location) this would be a 5. But, since they’re no longer next to TopShelf, I can’t adhere to that rating. They’re trying to establish a decent menu at the Brewer’s Lounge, I think? Although, they’re newest endeavor, Socio Bowl, has far better food than the brewery does. (Not hating, just honest.) They haven’t created a solid identity with their food nor garnered enough interesting menu choices to even provoke interest in me. I had some type of buffalo chicken sandwich here. It was okay. It wasn’t bad, but I immediately felt a pang of regret afterwards, knowing all the more interesting food I could have eaten in Muskegon.

Overall

Check out Pigeon Hill if you’re in Muskegon and indulge your beer-tasting pallets. While they’re not on the main drag, they’re only a little ways off.

Total—17/20