Pure Michigan Pints

Haymarket

Bridgman, Michigan

I apologize for the lack of pictures. However, I have no desire to return to this brewery and would require monetary compensation to do so.

This brewery isn’t downtown, but kind of on the way to Bridgman (depending on which way you’re traveling). It’s not a brewery I think of as being in Bridgman. Maybe this tells you all you need to know about how forgettable the place is. I’ve been here twice; one time many years ago and in the summer of 2022—both times the same result: disappointment.

Their website boldly proclaims “Best Beer & Pizza in Southwest Michigan.” This simply isn’t true and is a downright lie. They should be sued for false advertising. Clearly, whoever wrote this is either completely full of shit or never ventured the .7 miles to Transient Ales (yes, there’s way better beer literally that close).

Beer Selection—2/5

It’s amazing what they’re doing when it comes to draft selection. It’s rare to find a place that can have close to 20 taps and still miss the entire mark. If you’re looking for light beers and fruity beers, they have it. But a proportional tap list across the board? Not even close. They probably won’t have any darker beers, browns, or reds. They’ll have IPAs on as well. (At least in the summer when I last went.)

Vibe—1/5

If you enjoyed eating in your high school cafeteria, then this is the place for you. It gives off those kinds of vibes. (If I wanted to be less generous, I would say prison vibes, but I decided to soften it.) Not even typical brewery vibes. It looks like it can’t decide on what it wants to be, except have open space, but it’s not welcoming comfortable open space. They really could use a remodel and a complete makeover.

Service—1/5

I sat at the bar. Attempted to make eye contact with the bartender. I was literally the only one at the bar. NOBODY else. She took her time to eventually ask me if I wanted a menu and a beer. I’m glad she knew I was only in there to be in her presence and not to actually order a beer in a brewery.

She offered no warmth, no information about the beer, and really didn’t want to be there. I was going to order an appetizer for a snack, but I almost didn’t because she took so damn long to ask if I even wanted food. (I was surprised she even asked to be honest.) I made sure to close my tab soon, because I didn’t know if she’d check on me again. She clearly understood no visual cues or body language.

Hopefully, the poor service is a one-off, but sadly I’ve talked to others who have had similar experiences at this location. So maybe this is just a staple of Haymarket?

Beer Quality—2/5

The flight did not rank in the top of ones I’ve tried. They did, however, have a great Limoncello-Inspired wheat beer. If they have this beer on tap and you have a lot of time to kill and wait, then this place might be worth checking out. Having one good beer helps, but when the rest of the flight completely disappoints, it’s not exactly a great experience.

To give you an idea of how forgettable Haymarket’s beers are, consider this: I went to several breweries on this trip in southwest Michigan. Six in total. I forgot I went to Haymarket.

Food—???

They have a food menu. Like I said, they boast they have the best pizza. If it’s anywhere along the line of their service or beer, it’s probably worth skipping. I did have a soft pretzel here. It was decent and came with a nice mustard sauce I used for brats later. I can’t really speak on their menu as a whole or give it a definite rating.

Overall—DO NOT RECOMMEND

This is one brewery in Bridgman worth skipping. Since there are only two other breweries in close proximity, you might want to form your own opinion of it. But, personally, I’d consider venturing a bit further south as there are more breweries to check out if you have the time. (Beer Church or Seedz for example.)

Side note: There is another location in Chicago; I’d be more than willing to check out this location. Admittedly, I’m not in Chi town too often, so the likelihood of this is relatively low.

Total—6/20