Pure Michigan Pints

Thornapple Brewing

Grand Rapids, Michigan

What’s in a name? I asked myself this question upon hearing about this brewery. I could have asked one of the servers or bartenders, but I decided to wallow in the mystery. According to Google, it’s a dangerous plant and “all parts of the plant contain dangerous tropane alkaloids that are toxic to humans, livestock, and pets.”

I guess some people say alcohol is poison. And if I have to pick my own poison, you know what I’m choosing.

The location turned me off initially—both because of the drive across Grand Rapids from Holland and because it was located in a strip mall (I had to be careful taking pictures not to include the Jersey Mike’s logo in the picture, and, yes, I’m a bad photographer)—but what else are you going to do on a lazy Saturday where kayaking fell through due to rain?

Vibe—3.5/5

Again, the strip mall location took me back a bit, but I get it: a business only has so many options for location (especially in today’s economy, where many breweries are shutting down). When I entered, I was put at ease: a good bar, tables, a split of two sections, plenty of seating options. I did what came naturally: I headed for the bar and snagged a spot. Really, I was the only one sitting at the bar at the time. (This changed later.)

Beer Selection—4/5

They had 17 beers on draft, offering some lighter lagers—with one cleverly named Bush League—to some IPAs (a mosaic, west coast, and a juicy) to some darker beers, and some Belgian beers. I got a mix of a few different styles: the cucumber lager, the wit beer, an IPA, and a salted caramel brown ale.

Generally, I like to see more Big Body Boy beers, but since it’s summer, I understand.

Service—5/5

This place went through some shifts in the number of people who visited while I was there. When I walked in, there was an eight-top table and not a whole bunch of people, but a few tables. This changed drastically. At one point, the entire bar was filled. The staff handled these changes well. I always got my beer, food, and even got to ask a few questions about both.

Beer Quality—4/5

I liked all four of the beers I tried. For me, this is a win. I even tried a taste of the Imperial Amber (not a style I think I ever tried before). I’d have to sit down for a bit longer to determine how much I like it, but I’d definitely give them creative points for having it. It was like a regular amber but with more roasted notes.

The cucumber beer felt refreshing. The salt caramel brown stood out as a tasty one. The IPA hit all the right notes and was exactly what it should be. The cucumber beer felt refreshing. The salted caramel brown stood out as a tasty one. The IPA hit all the right notes and was exactly what it should be. But surprisingly … my favorite was the Wit beer.

The Wit Bier, called Wit Me Babay One More Time (5.1% abv), shone as a refreshing summer sipper bursting with Belgian flavor and the addition of coriander and citrus.

Food—4.5/5

I asked what they specialize in. The assistant bar manager said pizza (although mentioned they have had a recent influx in the order of brisket sandwiches). They have nine specialty pizzas.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to settle on only one; they offered a pizza flight of three pizzas. I ordered the Traverse City Blue Sky—a pizza with house alfredo sauce, crushed pecans, dried red cherries, mozzarella cheese, chicken, and bacon finished with fresh basil and balsamic glaze—which ended up being my favorite. The word that comes to mind is texture with this pizza; I loved the differences in texture and think the pecans really add something to this as well as the dried cherries.

The other two I got on my flight were the CBLT (a chicken BLT pizza with banana peppers and ranch) and a crab Rangoon pizza. While not as good as the legendary one I had at Three Blondes Brewing, the crab Rangoon hit the right notes, and I wouldn’t have been disappointed if I ordered a full pizza of it.

Conclusion—16.5/20

I’d recommend visiting Thornapple Brewing. They have more than enough good beers, and the food is kickass as well. I’m glad I made the trek here on a rainy Saturday. And honestly, I’d love to try more beers (and more of those specialty pizzas).

On the drive back, my GPS took me a different route—I’m not crazy familiar with the city of Grand Rapids—and I passed a street sign.

It read: Thornapple.