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Your Guide to Hops, Wines and Ciders in Alpena

In the last U.S. census, the City of Alpena came in just over 10,000 residents. While it is the third largest city in Northern Michigan, it would still be considered a small town. It may be small but is not lacking in hops, wines and ciders.

Alpena may have fewer breweries, wineries and cideries compared to larger cities but do not pass up the opportunity to try these favorites. Alpena can also serve as a great home base for exploring Northeast Michigan. Discover hops, wines and ciders in Alpena

Breweries

Austin Brothers Beer Company – A popular family-owned brewery known for its craft beers. They offer a variety of styles throughout the year. They have their year-round core brands as well as seasonal and specialties offered at various times of the year. They serve lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks. Visit them at 821 W. Miller Street in Alpena.

Hopside Brewery – Hopside is not just a brewery, according to their website they are Alpena’s first legal distillery. (Guessing there may be an interesting story behind that statement). They have an extensive beer selection as well as some seltzers. Their Illuminescent spirits which are made in house include vodka, gin, agave spirit, spiced rum, and corn whiskey. They create their own mixers. Their menu has the typical pizza, burgers, sandwiches, nachos you would expect but with a unique twist. Visit them for lunch or dinner at 129 West Chisholm St. in Alpena

Wineries

Thunder Bay Winery – The Thunder Bay Vineyards are located in Ossineke near Alpena. They have a tasting room in Alpena and on the western side of the state in Petoskey. They produce a range of white, red, fruit, ciders, and dessert wines. You can enjoy their wine by the bottle, glass, or a flight in their tasting room in the historic Center Building. Visit their Alpena location at 109 N. Second Avenue.

Cideries

Knaebe’s Apple Farm & Ciderworks – Naebe’s is an apple farm and cider mill just west of Rogers City north of Alpena. They have 50+ varieties of apples, fresh pressed unpasteurized cider, baked goods, and hard cider. Their Twisted Roots Tasting Room serves handcrafted hard cider and woo fired pizza. You can visit them at 2621 S. Karsten Road, Rogers City

Presque Isle Farm Cider and Taproom – Presque Isle Farm is a small centennial farm that is certified organic. PIF Ciders offers 12 rotating taps of dry cider made with Michigan apples. These are not the typical sweet ciders; their ciders are made in the traditional English style. They focus on cider-specific apples that can bring a complexity equal to wine. Besides their ciders, they host live music and other events. They offer a limited menu plus Sherwood Pita Wagon Food Truck. Check them out at 205 W. Chisholm Street in Alpena.

Make sure to visit their website or contact them directly for the most up-to-date information on their beer, wine and cider selections and hours of operations.

Visit Up North Breweries to discover breweries, cideries and meaderies in Northern Michigan and Up North Wineries for a comprehensive guide to the wineries throughout Northern Michigan.

Marisa Fancy along with her husband and four children dreamt of moving “Up North”. They had vacationed for years in northern Michigan and in 1995 they finally made the move.

The family was always out exploring, but with 4 kids there was some limitations on what they could do. Marisa discovered the amazing network of trails in Northern Michigan after Steve died and she would walk for miles. The trails provided her with peace, comfort and solitude at a difficult time in her life. Later, after meeting Guy who would become her second husband, she learned to golf and found another passion she could enjoy in beautiful Northern Michigan.

Marisa has been the family historian, writer, and poet for as long as she can remember. She has always loved to write and has now found a creative outlet for it other than family. You can read her articles in Adventures in Northern Michigan, Northern Michigan History and Golf Up North.