The cozy taproom at ABC, complete with a ceiling of mug club ceramics. |
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 |
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 4th 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. |
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 |
Halfway through our pierogis. It was definitely a team effort. |
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.