Brewery Week – Day 1: Michigan

This week we will be featuring breweries from across the country. Our first stop takes us to Grand Rapids, Michigan, a city known for its craft beer scene.

Speciation Artisan Ales specializes in beer that focuses on natural ingredients, small batches, and experimentation. While the brewery does brew beers in some more traditional styles, those beers often have interesting twists to them, such as a lager with blueberry and lavender. The majority of Speciation’s brews are sour and wild ales, brewed with lots of different fruits, herbs, and other ingredients, though the brewery also makes seltzers and ciders.

The brewery itself is located in an old auto repair shop a little ways behind a quiet street in Grand Rapids. While it is easy to miss from the street, it is certainly worth the trip. The space is large, open, and retains the industrial character of its origins, though there are some fun murals on the walls. Brewing equipment and barrels take up quite a bit of space in the brewery; the rest of the space contains simple tables and chairs. On our visit we had a tasting flight that was interesting, colorful, and fun to try. We enjoyed the experimental drinks we got to try, the highlight being an elderflower seltzer. Speciation Artisan Ales certainly brews outside the box, but the result is a unique and tasty experience.