Pure Michigan Pints

Burzurk Brewing Company

Grand Haven, Michigan

A third brewery in Grand Haven? And it’s on the east side?

Sometimes when towns add breweries, they’re mere replicas of the other breweries in town. This is not the case with Burzurk Brewing Company. Their offerings vary from the other two breweries, favoring more traditional styles.

Beer Selection

While there aren’t a crazy amount of offerings and they don’t offer the 30-40 taps Oddside Ales does, there are enough to make it respectable. They have 12 adult beverages on tap. Mostly, the styles are straight forward without anything crazy going on: a Mexican lager, a Witbier, a Kolsch, a flagship IPA, and a darker beer.

There’s definitely enough to build a flight around.

Vibe

This place has an interesting vibe. Their website described the place as “a Caribbean/Retro styled taproom” with a “very chill atmosphere with a reggae vibe.” I can definitely see and feel it. It juxtaposes a working-class bar with colorful artwork on the walls. It isn’t the biggest brewery, but the bar is nice with the surrounding tables.

It feels cozy in the sense it’s like many bars you’ve been to, but the artwork makes it pop. Also: props to the Starry Night (by Vincent van Gogh) replica in the bathroom.

Service

The service at Buzurk is top-notch. (And I’m not just saying this because I know some of the staff.) While it’s encouraged to go to the bar to place your drink order, the servers will come to your table to get you a round of beers. The second your glass gets close to empty they are on top of it. They’re willing to provide tastes, and answer any questions you have about the beers.

Beer Quality

Donkey Kicker won 2023 Bronze for Best Mexican Lager in Michigan by Untapped Community Awards. Really—if you ask me—it should have won Gold. Typically, this isn’t a style I’m drawn to at microbreweries (I’d prefer to just get a Pacifico, Dos Esquis, or Modelo on draft), but here it stands out far above the crowd, giving us a real taste of what a Mexican lager is supposed to taste like.

On my last visit, I liked the Witbier, Elise Made Me Brew This (5.8% abv). The coriander and peppercorn provided a nice kick. The Kolsch was smooth, and their flagship IPA, the Creeper, is a great straight up IPA with no gimmicks.

Food

While the brewery itself doesn’t offer food, a variety of food trucks frequent Burzurk, and they post their schedule weekly. I can’t speak on all of the food trucks, but they’re definitely names I recognize.

I recommend Abeshi Ghanaian Cuisine which offers West African food. I love the jungle rice with Rasta salad and sauce, and fried plantains that has just the right blast of heat balanced with crunchiness and savory goodness. The tacos are good as well. This is truly a unique food truck worth checking out.

Overall

Don’t overlook this brewery. It is a small brewery. And no it’s not in downtown Grand Haven. Venture here to find a smaller cozier brewery with great service. And most importantly: great beer.

Rating: 17/20