Pure Michigan Pints

Wax Wings Brewing Company

Kalamazoo, Michigan

The people of Reddit spoke, claiming this brewery served the best craft beer in the Kalamazoo area. And, you know what?

I friggen believe them.

Out of the breweries I visited in the area, this was not only the first stop but the best stop on this trip.

Beer Selection—5/5

Each beer category was hit. Maybe they didn’t quite have those pansy lagers some of the kids like drinking—in that case, just go to a bar and order a Bud Light. The closest you’ll get to this is their wheat beer or their cream ale. But they do have IPAs, an interesting variety of sours (mostly with lactose in them), and some heavier barley wines and beers. I tried five of the 13 beers on draft (they had one seltzer, an interesting take on the Brazilian Caipirinha cocktail in seltzer form); overall, I was pleased with my options.

The only downside: they don’t offer flights. My crew and I did a build it yourself and got four 7oz half pours to try the beer.

Vibe—5/5

I dug this place. Right away the wings stood out to me. Each beer had its own glass—it’s the little details like this that matter and make a place stand out and wow me. (Maybe I’m simple.) The porter came in a long tall mug; the sour a short glass; the IPAs in their own glass. You get cozy vibes here and I wish this place was closer to visit more frequently. While we sat at a table, I wouldn’t hesitate to take a spot at the bar.

Service—2.5/5

The dude (bartender) looked like his voice was putting his face to sleep. He reminded me of Mike Ehrmantraut from Breaking Bad in mannerism. Again, it’s that whole go to the bar yourself service with the addition of not being that friendly that gave them this rating. (Keep in mind I visited earlier in the day; maybe he wasn’t warmed up yet.)

Beer Quality—4.5/5

This beer doesn’t miss. Every single beer I tried I’d drink a whole pour of; it all depends on the time and place. I found myself impressed with the sours (a style I don’t often care for). The tangerine and the raspberry one both hit—I’ve noticed the creativity in this area and sours with marshmallow or lactose help smooth them out.

The Detroit themed King of the North proved to be a perfect gameday hazy IPA at 7.2% abv (I got a can to go), and I loved the artwork on it. And, yes, I drank it while watching the Lions! The porter provided an easy-drinking nitro beer that went down smoother than a 7% porter has a right to. (In can without being on nitro it was good as well.)

Food—N/A

Wax Wings does not offer food at the time of this writing.

Overall—Recommend

If you’re in the KZoo area, I 100% recommend this stop. The beer is top notch. I can’t say it’s the best beer in Kalamazoo due to how little I’ve explored the breweries in this area, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is—the experience left me feeling completely satisfied. If I lived closer by, I would be a mug club member.