The List – 20 Beers You Want To Try At The U.P. Fall Beer Fest (2021)

The 2021 U.P. Fall Beer Festival will be taking place on Saturday, September 11 in Marquette, MI at Mattson Lower Harbor Park!

It will be the Michigan Brewers Guild‘s first festival since the 2020 Winter Beer Festival in Grand Rapids, MI. COVID-19 claimed all of the planned festivals.

We at Better on Draft have been curating monthly lists of favorite beers and having homemade beer festivals to bide the time during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are excited to return to Marquette for the U.P. Fall Beer Fest.

With about a month out from the beer festival, 85 breweries have been confirmed along with their beer lists. The Michigan Brewers Guild website has an excellent FAQ page, which is where the beer list is located.

SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 UPDATE: The Michigan Brewers Guild has created a program for the event which includes a map of the event. We’ve, in turn, added locations for where to find the beers on our list below. FYI: the map involves a lot of head cranking (see below).

Photo Credit – Michigan Brewers Guild

After looking through the list, here are 20 beers we believe you need to try at the festival:

20. Fresh Start

Raven Brewing & BBQ | Big Rapids | TENT 4

American IPA | 9%

COVID-19 has hit the Michigan craft beer scene hard in more ways than will fit in this small blurb. The vibes that Raven Brewing & BBQ‘s Fresh Start Double IPA was giving off were strong because, as we know, 2020 was a tough and rough year. Here’s to a fresh start the best way possible.

Photo Credit – This Day In History

19. Under Pressure

Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Kalamazoo | TENT 3

Light Lager | Unknown ABV

Check out what the future brewers of the state and beyond are up to at Kalamazoo Valley Community College‘s booth. There is not much information available about this Light Lager, but we found the name fitting for the pressure the KVCC brewers are up against next to the big dogs of Michigan’s craft beer scene.

18. Bear’s Cave IPA

Alpha Michigan Brewing Company | Alpha | American IPA | 7.1%

SEPTEMBER 10 UPDATE: We noticed that Alpha Michigan Brewing Company’s name wasn’t included on the map or the beer list for the UP Fall Beer Fest. We reached out to the brewery and they said:

You never know what you are going to uncover while traveling around in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Make sure your headlights are on and your phone is charged up to access your GPS. A bear’s cave may be around the next turn! Alpha Michigan Brewing Company‘s Bear’s Cave IPA sounded hoppy and piney which will be perfect for an Upper Peninsula excursion.

Photo Credit – People

17. Hazy Swayze

Arbor Brewing Company | Ypsilanti | TENT 1

New England IPA | 6.5%

Thirty years ago, Patrick Swayze was named People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” We’ll have to see if Arbor Brewing Company‘s NEIPA, Hazy Swayze is just as sexy. At first glance it appears to be an excellent NEIPA to either try if you’re new to the style or looking to add another one to your try and compare list.

16. Temptress of the Sea

The Distant Whistle Brewhouse | Vicksburg | TENT 4

New England IPA | 7.1%

Maintaining an IPA trend here, The Distant Whistle Brewhouse is going to pull you off course and into it’s own spin with their Temptress of the Sea. Distant Whistle has noted that this beer is a NEIPA style using a Norwegian Yeast. Buckle those taste buds up for an intriguing ride.

15. Hop Up North

Beards Brewery | Petoskey | TENT 1

Red Ale | Unknown ABV

The majority of us attending, pouring, and drinking at the U.P. Fall Beer Festival will be heading up north, so this new beer from Beards Brewery is pointing us in the right direction. Beards Brewery has been producing solid hop forward beers over the years, so we’re looking forward to seeing what this Red Ale is all about.

14. Lazer Wolf Doom Hammer

Blackrocks Brewery | Marquette | IN THE TREES

Lemon IPA | Double IPA | Unknown ABV

At the time of publication, Blackrocks Brewery has listed 14 beers they are bringing to the festival. This is the largest number of beers by any of the 85 breweries. Yes, the beer festival is in their backyard, but they are not playing around. Lazer Wolf Doom Hammer is a Lemon IPA, and we’re certain there any many surprises with this one.

13. Oktoberfest

Old Nation Brewing Company | Williamston | TENT 4

Märzen | 6.2%

Old Nation Brewing Company‘s new labels have been out and about in distribution since the start of the summer. The white lettering set on a black background are straightforward yet the pop of color with each set them apart. The newest refresh is their Oktoberfest. Anyone who knows anything about Old Nation knows that their brewing roots are European, so get in line for this one!

12. ‘Tripel Dog Dare Ya’

ByGeorge Brewing Co | Munising | TENT 1

Belgian Tripel | 9.6%

You heard the dare from ByGeorge Brewing Co! They triple dog dare ya to give this Belgian Tripel a taste. The triple dog dare is the most serious in the line of dares, so give it a try and report back with your findings!

11. Have You Ever Been In Love?

One Drop Brewing | Oxford | TENT 2

American IPA | 7.1%

This beer’s name immediately brought to mind the TikTok trend beginning with a piano note and then a British female voice saying, “Have you ever been in love?”. If One Drop Brewing Company is entering the game with TikTok trends being beer names, the rest of the breweries will need to step up their game as time goes on.

10. Berry’d Alive

Aberrant Ales | Howell | TO THE NORTH

Fruited Sour | 6%

Clark Gill, the founder and president of Aberrant Ales believes that Berry’d Alive won’t last long no matter where its on tap. He recently described the beer as “crisp and clean” with “tart blueberries and raspberries.” Sounds like the perfect companion for an afternoon beer festival.

9. Sky Kettle

Three Bridge Brewing Company | Menominee | TENT 3

Märzen | 5%

The Untappd description for Sky Kettle was straightforward: biscuit, malt, earthy.

You cannot argue with a straightforward approach to a beer description. Rumor has it that’s what Three Bridge Brewing Company is all about, too, so go and give Sky Kettle or any of their other beers a try.

Photo Credit mLive

8. Boyk Star Brown

127 Brewing | Jackson | TENT 2

Brown Ale | 5%

After attending the Southern Michigan Winter Beer Festival in May, Better on Draft paid a visit to 127 Brewing. Everything we had was amazing with a balance between true to style and creative twists on well-known styles. Don’t sleep on 127 Brewing Company and go give Boyk Star Brown a try!

Designed by Jubenal Rodriguez

7. The Free Booter – Tropical Stout

North Grove Brewers | Montague | TENT 4

Tropical Stout | 5.1%

The categorization of a Tropical Stout stopped us in our tracks when we were going through the beer list. We reached out to North Grove Brewers and they informed us that The Free Booter will be a “brighter and lighter bodied stout that still has that chocolate and roast characteristic.” The subtle notes of citrus are from the orange peel added to the whirlpool.

6. Beggar’s Banquet

River’s Edge Brewing Co | Milford | TENT 2

BBA Saison | 8.4%

Let this sink in: Bourbon Barrel Aged Saison with orange, lemon, and maple syrup.

Festival season has been in hibernation, which means, if able, breweries have been holding on to a handful of one offs and fun beers. Beggar’s Banquet from River’s Edge Brewing Co sounds just like one of these fun beers.

5. Basil Copperpot’s Fugly IPA

Superior Coast Brewery | Sault Ste Marie | TENT 4

English IPA | 6.5%

This beer name made us laugh. Fuggle Hops give this beer part of it’s fuggin’ name. The basil will work well with the earthy, veggie notes that Fuggle Hops are known for, so if you’re ready to fuggle with Basil Copperpot’s Fugly IPA, seek out Superior Coast Brewery‘s tent.

4. Lower Harbor

Drifa Brewing | Marquette | TENT 4

American Lager | 5.1%

Another backyard brewery for the U.P. Fall Beer Festival is Drifa Brewing. This brewery’s claim to fame is as Michigan’s First Cooperatively Owned Craft Brewery. Their nod to the festival’s location is a must try – Lower Harbor. We always appreciate hometown beers and breweries, and this one fit both of those bills.

3. Nightfall Wine Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

North Channel Brewing Co | Manistee | TENT 3

Imperial Stout | 16%

Move outta the way, Bourbon Barrel Aged beers! This Imperial Stout is toting a 16% ABV after being barrel aged in wine barrels. We know North Channel Brewing Co isn’t messing around. After enjoying their Exploding Pelota collaboration with Loaded Dice, North Channel has been on our radar ever since and should be on your radar as well.

2. Death Mask

Fillmore 13 Brewery | Pontiac | TENT 3

Cold Fermented Black Rye IPA | 4.5%

Death Mask‘s beer style made us look twice – BRIPA with a C out front. C-BRIPA?! Oh, Cold Fermented Black Rye IPA.

Black Rye IPAs are rare and this specific brewing technique makes this one even more rare, so go ahead and try Fillmore 13 Brewery‘s C-BRIPA!

1. Orange Dream

Superior Culture | Marquette | TENT 1

Alternative Sugar Beer | 8.1%

Alternative Sugar Beers are new to us at Better on Draft. Superior Culture is known for these one-of-a-kind brews. With roots in kombucha, Superior Culture have taken elements of kombucha and combined them with the elements of beer to create this magical concoction. To keep with the magical dream, check out Orange Dream by the Marquette brewery.

What do you think of the list? What beers are you looking forward to at the 2021 U.P. Fall Beer Festival?

Cheers!