Brewery Becker, Brighton, MI

It’s pretty obvious that there’s a general vibe, in the craft beer community, of resentment toward “big box” brewers. But if you’ve seen any Sam Adams or Budweiser commercials lately, you may have noticed that their current marketing campaigns certainly speak, albeit in vastly different ways, to the increasing popularity of microbreweries and the resulting tension between “commercial” and “craft.” 

Sam Adams interestingly tries to downplay its reach within the industry, highlighting the fact that their beers, too, are “independent” and “creative.” Budweiser has been reacting to the craft beer phenomenon in a slightly different way—by taking a shot at its competition and the nerdy hipsters who are clearly the only ones not merely enjoying, but “fussing over” “pumpkin, peach ales” (is this even a thing? If so, I need to try it immediately). They declare themselves proud of their “macro”-brew status, and suggest that people drink their beers because they, well, like to drink beer, not “dissect” it. Have I used enough scare quotes to show my feelings on this?

Despite this ongoing tension between commercial and craft, there are still the titans within our beloved smaller industry who move their fair amount of product and whose brands are pretty well-known across the country. I’m thinking here of breweries like Dogfish Head (DE), Lagunitas (CA) Deschutes (OR).

But there’s this whole swath of still-smaller breweries that are a couple rungs down the ladder in terms of output and sales—places that may not be bottling their own brews, or may be bottling and selling direct from one or two local sites. I worked at one such place during my undergrad years, The BrewErie at Union Station (Erie, PA), and I’ve found another in my new hometown of Brighton, MI, called Brewery Becker.

This place is truly a hidden gem. It certainly can’t be easy trying to make it as a smaller brewer in Michigan, AKA beer country USA. Two of the top six craft brewers in the country, according to The Daily Meal, are located in western Michigan: Founders (Grand Rapids) and Bell’s (Kalamazoo). But Brewery Becker delivers at every level of the brewpub experience, from atmosphere to the suds themselves.

Located at the end of Main St. in downtown Brighton, Brewery Becker occupies a renovated, late 19^th century building, formerly known as the Western House, that still features much of its original interior, including an elaborate, show-stopping wrought iron staircase that leads to the upstairs rooms, which I'm assuming are used for private parties. The old world charm of the main taproom gives one the sense of a hunting lodge, an aura that's completed by a smattering of Viking-style drinking horns that are part of Brewery Becker’s horn club, a unique take on a traditional mug club (which they also have).

The beer selection is decidedly European, featuring their popular Vargdricka, a Scandinavian farmhouse ale, and my two favorites, their Dunkelweizen and Barrel Aged Tripel. I’ve always felt sort of ashamed for rarely enjoying beers ending in “weizen,” completely contradictory to what my German heritage demands, but this Dunkelweizen was delicious. Perfectly balanced notes of the banana and baking spices you would expect, with mellow undertones of warm, caramelly sweetness. It’s light and smooth, but has enough substance and subtle complexities to hold your interest, and without the sugary sweet bubblegum flavor of some Hefeweizens. The Barrel Aged Tripel, which packs a little more punch than the Dunkel alcohol-wise, is fantastic. It’s aged in bourbon barrels and is perfectly oaky, and even slightly sweeter than the Dunkel thanks to that bourbon. The notes of bourbon and vanilla are easy to pick out, and add depth to the already-enticing flavor profile of the classic Belgian-style tripel. 

I also have to mention the Bean Soup! And no, that wasn't the soup du jour, it was a surprisingly savory amber ale. When I say savory, I mean that I took a sip and immediately got a strong punch of oregano on the nose (Literally. A sprig of oregano popped out of the glass and drilled me). I wasn't sure how I felt about it at first, but I kept drinking until it was gone, so that must mean something. Way too unique not to bring up--definitely worth trying!

Even though the place maintains its old world charm, there are a couple contemporary touches that really take the environment to the next level: 1) complimentary popcorn AND popcorn seasonings, including white cheddar and ranch (I mean they don’t even give you seasonings for free at the movie theater when you’re paying $10 for a small bag of the stuff, so I totally indulged here) and 2) a really nice shuffleboard table. There’s only one of them, so I’m not sure how easy or hard it is to take a turn on a busy night. When I went with my parents, who were visiting for the weekend, and my boyfriend, it was pretty full and we still managed to play a couple games while enjoying our beers and popcorn.

Last clutch feature? The beergarden, or, if you’re at Brewery Becker, the Biere Garden. It’s massive and beautifully kept, abutting the railroad tracks that cut through Main St., and they’ve strategically placed heating lamps among the tables—I’m hoping this means it’ll be open well into the fall season, because we’ll definitely be back. After all, it’s almost time for Oktoberfest!

Final verdict: Brewery Becker is beyond good to the last drop.