Sometimes you just gotta get out of town. Particularly when there is a pandemic, there is blue ice to be seen, and you have not left your house in weeks. Earlier in March, my husband and I jumped in the car and sped up north to the beautiful Straits of Mackinac.
After we climbed on ice that was to be seen to be believed, we headed to the Headlands International Dark Skies Park. To say it was life changing is not an exaggeration – blankets of stars, singing trees, frozen lake. Wow!
Something that magnificent had to be followed up by, well, some darn good beer and food. We went to Biere de Mac Brew Works right in Mackinaw City and found ourselves in a warm, welcoming environment.
We ordered a flight and it came to us in a lovely carving of the Upper Peninsula. The samples included Blueberry Wheat, Winnie the Bulldog, Jacob’s Farmhouse Ale, and MI Maple Amber.
Blueberry is a hard flavor to capture but from the nose to the finish, the berry taste was just right. The base Wheat Beer also held its own such that this beer was not cloying the way some fruit beers can be. Winne the Bulldog, named after Winston Churchill’s nickname, was a Russian Imperial Stout full of roasty toasty chocolatey goodness. I think, if called upon to do so, this beer could, like its namesake, help save the world. The Farmhouse Ale was one of the best I’ve had. I normally am not a huge fan of farmhouse ales, but this one hit the spot with a touch of clove and banana and was easy drinking despite the 8.5% ABV. The clear winner for both Ken and me was the MI Maple Amber. This beer was a perfect balance of caramel and maple with just the right hint of sweetness.
Biere de Mac’s food was also top notch. We split the nachos which were the perfect size for sharing. They were loaded with pork, black beans, and a delicious white cheddar cheese sauce. Ken got the whitefish goujons and I had the avocado BLT that had so much bacon on it that I practically had two meals! (Don’t worry. I ate them both!)
Biere de Mac’s growlers are forces to be reckoned with. Ceramic and painted in the most delightful colors, they merrily lined the cozy room. After some discussion, we got the light blue because – not going to lie – it matches my Soda Stream and I thought it would be terrific.
Even though the blue is melted and cross country skiing might be more difficult to do, Biere de Mac remains waiting for you. Jam out of town now!
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