Here we go again, we have arrived at another review of a brewery that has made it on my top 25 breweries in Michigan list. I am talking about Arvon Brewing Company in Grand Rapids. They have been producing beer since 2018 and in six short years they have really established an impeccable name in Michigan brewing circles.
Arvon started from very humble beginnings, for their first 18 months of operation, they were operating out of a 700 square foot facility in nearby Grandville, Michigan. This location was strictly for canning purposes, there was no taproom at this time. Arvon was shipping their product to the Metro Detroit area and began taking up shelf space at beer stores and creating quite the buzz with their innovative brews.
Eventually Arvon realized that they were outgrowing their 700 square foot facility in Grandville, and began to look elsewhere to continue establishing their brewing operation. They ended up settling on a 5,000 square foot facility just South of Downtown Grand Rapids on Division Street. The building was built in 1948 as an Oldsmobile dealership, and because of this it was already fitted with floor drains, plumbing and the electrical systems to support a brewing operation. They had found their dream location and opened their first taproom to the public in February of 2020.
Once inside the taproom it is a very nice, wide open space. For the amount of space that they have, they have a relatively small capacity, about 75 people. But the seating is set up with quite a few communal tables spread throughout the brewery. Arvon also has a few smaller tables and chairs spread out throughout the taproom. The bar area is a spacious bar area with the ability to seat approximately 10 to 15 people. In addition to the inside seating, Arvon offers a few picnic tables outside of the brewery to enjoy a few beers on beautiful Michigan afternoons.
Arvon also hosts quite a few events throughout the year. They host things like a bike prom, oktoberfest celebrations, and Halloween parties in the near future. For Brew Crew Members they also hold quarterly release parties, where you get exclusive sneak peeks at their newest creations at Arvon Brewing Company. For those of us that work in the industry, Arvon offers Industry Night on Sundays, where discounts are given to workers in the beer/service industry.
Arvon Brewing does not offer a kitchen onsite, but they do have various food truck options throughout the months. Keep an eye out on social media and their website to see if they have food truck options when planning your visit. If they don’t have any, or the options they have aren’t your mug of ale, outside food is always welcome at Arvon Brewing Company.
We are now going to move onto the star of the show, and what a bright shiny star it is, the beer. Between their Hazy IPAs and their Kettle Sours they can go toe to toe with any brewery in the State of Michigan. The Hazy IPAs they built their foundation on include options like their Jurassic Haze, Citra Drops, Harbor Beach, and De Tour Reef. All of their Hazy IPAs can not be mistaken for any other sort of IPA, they are all very hazy and packed with various tropical flavors depending on the hops used in the beer. All are very aroma and flavor forward, I have not had a single beer from here that wasn’t of the highest quality.
Now when it comes to their kettle sours, they are all very vibrant colors and have the consistency of a smoothie or a milkshake. They are all fruit forward kettle sours with profound aromas and they all taste phenomenal. Their options for Sours include beers like their Fruit Puff, Catching Rays,Grandma’s Sour House and Tropical Passion. If you are a sour lover and haven’t been to Arvon Brewing Company yet, drop everything you are doing and get over to their taproom as soon as possible. They definitely can make an argument for having the highest quality Sours in the entire State of Michigan.
Although Arvon specializes in Hazy IPAs and Sours, they also will have a few other options on their menu, Pilsners, Altbiers, Wheat Beers, Porters and Stouts will be seen from time to time. Even when they stray from IPAs and Sours, everything is of the highest quality, you won’t get a bad beer here.
Arvon does Imperial Stouts with a vengeance, as a matter of a fact, the beer that I have dreamed about most over the past few years was from their barrel-aged program. It was their Rye Reaper: Oreo, this beer is a double mashed, 5 Hour Boil Rye Imperial Stout with Oreos. Clocking in at a whopping 12.2% ABV, this beer is not going to be for everyone, but the few that this beer is made for, we can totally hang out. This was possibly the most delicious Imperial Stout I have ever consumed. It was so well balanced between the chocolatey notes, the richness, the rye, and a creamy mouthfeel finish that this beer tastes exactly like a liquid oreo. This beer was the exact definition of a sexy beer, I might need a cigarette after just describing it.
If you want to check out a brewery that makes big, bold, exciting beers, on your next trip through Grand Rapids check out Arvon Brewing Company. If Hazy IPAs and Sours are up your alley, I promise that you will absolutely love this place. If you are not a fan of those styles, I still promise that you will love this place. Cheers!
P.S. If you happen to visit and they have Rye Reaper: Oreo in cans to go, and you pick me up some. I will in turn take care of your dirty work for you (More cans, more dirty work I will take care of). If you don’t have any dirty work that needs to be taken care of, I guess I will also just pay cash, even if it’s not as exciting as taking care of dirty work.
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