Pure Michigan Pints

Fetch Brewing Company

Whitehall, Michigan

It was a good six years since I’ve been to Fetch, so I thought it’d be only fair to venture out and see what they’ve been up to since then. (This visit took place September 2023.) Located in the small downtown of Whitehall, Fetch Brewing Company is easy to find.

The first thing you notice is the building itself; it used to be a bank and was built in 1912. Next, you notice the logo on the back is painted beautifully.

Selection

Fetch boasted a total of 13 beers on tap. They covered all the basics from the lighter beers to the IPAs and had one stout on draft. (I don’t blame them here; despite it being early September, the weather was still warm, and it wasn’t full-blown stout season yet.)

Out of these beers I tried a total of 9. I appreciated the variety and the fact they had a lavender beer on draft. (There is another draft list not pictured.)

Vibe

Fetch is a small place and there’s not much seating, but somehow they make it work. I am a sucker for brick buildings and the old-school vibe. They even kept the vault and have it open with seating and stickers from just about every brewery in Michigan. How cool is that? If you’re telling me you’re not even a little intrigued by this you are truly dead inside.

There was seating up high that I didn’t venture to.

People may vary on this one; there isn’t tons of seating, but from what I saw, they managed to make a cozy, friendly space. (I imagine more friendly than the bank would have been.)

Service

The service wasn’t bad, foresay, and it could have been a clash of personality. I loved the server that served me before at this brewery (and he may still work there for all I know, and it was his day off), but the one I had was far less friendly. When I asked, “How do flights work?” He replied, “You select the beers you want, we have six, and then you drink them.”

No shit, Sherlock. You mean I drink them after I select them? Maybe in the future I’ll rephrase this question to, “How many do you serve in a flight?” Or,
How many do I get to drink if I order a flight?”

I guess at the end of the day at least he did what he was supposed to: pour the damn beer.

Beer Quality

Overall, this is honestly a weird place to judge on their beer. Out of the nine I tried, there were three I liked, and I would drink a pint of any of them. However, the ones that fell flat really fell flat. I wouldn’t even recommend trying them.

Their temperatures were off with the beer as well. Most of them were warm. I get in other countries they serve it this way, but this wasn’t a strategic decision on their part; they just didn’t pay attention.

I’d say they’ll get better with time, but they’ve been in the game for quite some time and should have the caliber to be an “established” brewery. Hopefully, this was a one-off and I only caught them at a bad time. (Which is disappointing since it was my first visit after COVID.)

Food—N/A

Overall—Do Not Recommend

Fetch is not a place I’d put on my list or go out of my way to experience; I don’t really recommend this brewery overall. As always, feel free to form your own opinion!

Total—13/20