We have officially made it into Marquette proper now. Our first visit inside the city limits will be on the South end of Marquette and Drifa Brewing Company. They opened for business in 2019 and have been brewing fantastic products ever since.
Drifa is Michigan’s very first cooperatively owned brewery. Which of course is a brewery that is owned and operated by its members as opposed to shareholders. Co-op breweries are operated on the values of equality, democracy, and solidarity, and their goals usually aim to benefit the community as a whole and their workers. Long story short, they benefit their local community as opposed to one guy’s checkbook.
When you walk into the brewery itself you will see a somewhat limited seating area. There are maybe 10 tables at most throughout the inside seating area. Then there are another 10 to 15 seats at the bar, which is a decent sized bar. Where you will find the most seating at Drifa Brewing though is in their expansive outdoor seating area. This area contains plenty of picnic tables and random other seating options throughout. It is also very spacious, so the tables are spread out nicely, they didn’t cram as many tables as they possibly could throughout the area. Who hates an outdoor seating area that contains a nice view of Lake Superior? Absolutely no one. Also the entire brewery inside and out is super dog friendly.
Drifa Brewing Company does not have a kitchen on site. They do offer food trucks on occasion and also allow you to bring in food from outside just in case you are visiting and they don’t offer food during your visit. Check their socials for food truck availability throughout the year.
One of the things that is very prevalent on their social media, they have quite a bit of live musical performances at the brewery (It seems like almost daily). So if you want to catch some live local music while in the Marquette area, Drifa is a great place to do it at. They offer trivia on a weekly basis for all of you that love cramming your head full of knowledge of random facts and events. Lastly, the space is available for rent for private events. Call the brewery for help setting up your next event at Drifa Brewing Company.
In addition to beer they also serve various wine options including frozen wine, seltzer, and beermosas. For non-alcoholic options they offer a homemade frozen lemonade and a house made root beer on tap.
Drifa rotates their board options quite frequently. We were there a little under a year ago (when I typed this, it will have been over a year by the time it is published), and not a single one of the beers we tried is currently on their list. So there should always be something new and exciting on their menu when you visit. When we visited the beers that we tried were Vodnik- Dark Lager, Ode To A Nightingale- English Porter, and Jam n’ Toast- English Brown Ale.
My favorite of the flight was the Copo De Nieve which was a light Mexican Lager. Corn was added to the mash on this one giving it a little bit of a body, and Motueka hops were used to give it a slight hint of lime. This resulted in a beer that was light, crisp, and refreshing. It was a perfect beer to enjoy while watching over Lake Superior on a beautiful Summer afternoon. At 5.4% ABV, this was easily a very crushable, sessionable beer that you can enjoy all afternoon long.
If you are looking to enjoy a few beers while looking out over Lake Superior in all its glory, Drifa Brewing Company in Marquette has got you covered. Salud!
#brewery #beerlovers #craftbeer #yooperlife #upperpeninsula #DrinkLocal
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