The Loop, Vol. I: Arbor Brewing Company

The cozy taproom at ABC, complete with
a ceiling of mug club ceramics.  

When friends or family make plans to come up and visit me—which has been happening more frequently as they start realizing they need to get up here before it’s too late and I’m no longer living in the world of the living but instead in the frozen hellscape that is certain to be mid-Michigan in the winter—I no longer have to stress about where to take them, or what to do with them.

Because isn’t that the worst part about playing “host”? Trying to figure out how to show visitors a good time has always been a profound source of anxiety for me. If you just try to wing it, you may end up, like me, floundering in your attempts to impress people with the mundane attractions of suburbia. It’s possible that this floundering could lead to a not-so-stimulating evening of hanging out at your apartment, eating Jet’s Pizza, and taking selfies with your pets. Not that I would know.

But the point is that I no longer have to worry about any of this, because I have discovered the foolproof way to show my guests a good time. I’m calling it, “The Ann Arbor Brewery Loop.” I guess it sort of goes without saying this is only a foolproof plan for people who like drinking beer, but it's also equally important to note that your old college drinking buddies who still hold a case-race with Natty or Busch every other weekend might be disappointed in your selection of locales.

Brewing tanks at ABC

Within a four-block stretch between E. Washington and S. Main streets in downtown Ann Arbor, you can hit three excellent brewpubs on foot, and without entirely breaking the bank. Each one puts its own unique stamp on the experience, whether it’s Arbor Brewing Company’s fantastic beer selection, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales’ gussied-up bar food and intriguing sour ales, or Blue Tractor’s down-home BBQ. 

Let’s start from the beginning: Arbor Brewing Company (ABC)’s brewpub on E. Washington (they also have a location, their microbrewery, down the road in Ypsilanti). The Ann Arbor brewpub is right across from the 4^th and Washington parking structure, so you can almost roll straight out of your car and up to the bar, which is exactly what I did. The structure operates 24 hours a day—save for Sundays, which are free—and charges $1.20 hourly. I’ve gone on a Sunday twice, and the free parking is obviously ideal. Pretty much everything is still open on Sundays, so you won’t have to worry about missing out on any sights in order to save a few bucks.

Draft list at ABC as of Oct. 4.

Out of the three, ABC has the best beers, in my opinion. Their selection had been pared down a bit since the last time I’d been there, but they still had seven brews on tap, plus their seasonal cider. I started with my ABC go-to, the Ypsi Gypsi. An American pale ale turned session-style IPA, Ypsi Gypsi is the perfect sippable beer for hops lovers. It’s one of several that the brewpub bottles regularly—and at $9.99, I find it to be a pretty reasonably priced six-pack.

It was my companion’s first trip to Ann Arbor—and to Michigan as a whole—so she went with a mix and match flight in order to better sample their sudsy wares. She, unlike me, is not overly enthusiastic about bitter, hoppy beers, so she selected the Bollywood Blonde (a spiced blonde ale), Phat Abbot Ale (a Belgian tripel), Jackhammer (an ‘old ale’), and Violin Monster (a super dark autumn ale).

Flight from near to far: Bollywood Blonde,
Violin Monster, Jackhammer, Phat Abbott

The Violin Monster was the only one that we both found a bit underwhelming. It’s extremely dark and full-bodied, but was a bit too thick and syrupy on the back of my palate. The flavor was nice and warm, with competing notes of brown sugar and fall baking spices, but texture-wise I wasn’t too enthusiastic. Maybe it was just too early in the day for something so bold. The Jackhammer, on the other hand, filled the void left by its seasonal counterpart. Ever-so-slightly lighter in color than the Violin Monster, the Jackhammer gave me the balance I’d been missing from a full-bodied seasonal ale. It was rich and malty, yeah, but the dry finish kept at bay that sticky-sweet sensation of having recently eaten too much hard candy. I was immediately craving a steak.

Halfway through our pierogis.
It was definitely a team effort.

We weren’t planning to have a full meal at any of our three stops; instead, we picked one appetizer or small plate at each place that we thought would best capture its unique vibes. At ABC, we went with the fried potato and cheese pierogi appetizer. The menu boasted the popularity of the dish, so we figured we couldn’t go wrong, and we were right. These were great and really homey—light and crispy, and with something sweet in the filling to balance out that savory potato, cheddar, and crumbled bacon topping.  

You know it’s a great start to the day when you have a belly full of beer and fried pierogis before 1 p.m. Prosit! 

Check back this weekend, when I'll recap the other two breweries on the Loop: Jolly Pumpkin and Blue Tractor. In the meantime, head over to ABC--in Ann Arbor or Ypsi--cozy up to the bar, get yourself a pint of Jackhammer and an order of pierogis, and savor whatever’s left of this fall weather. I promise you'll find that ABC is good to the very last drop.