Traverse City Breweries and Distilleries

Not everyone in a group wants a wine day, and Traverse City itself is the answer: 19 breweries, 4 distilleries, and 2 cideries in and around town, close enough together that nobody spends the day driving. This is the city tasting day for mixed groups.

Breweries (19)

Nocturnal Bloom Brewing: Small, well-reviewed lager-leaning brewery on the south side with indoor and patio space; a strong newer contender.
Tank Space on 8th: Earthen Ales' Eighth Street satellite taproom, with a smash-burger spot next door and Tandem cider on tap. Food on site: snacks.
Loco Boys Brewing Company: Brewery and Mexican kitchen just off the main drag on West Front; well-regarded food alongside the house beer. Food on site: kitchen.
Silver Spruce Brewing Company: Spacious Eighth Street brewery from an Asheville-trained husband-and-wife team. Precise traditional styles; rotating food truck. Food on site: snacks.
Right Brain Brewery: Renovated warehouse brewery with pinball, pizza, and 15 to 25 rotating taps, plus local wine, cider, and mead. Famously unusual beer names. Food on site: pizza.
Brewery Terra Firma: Michigan's first certified agricultural brewery, on a farm south of town with a bonfire patio. Sustainable methods, broad traditional range. Food on site: kitchen.
The Workshop Brewing Company: Garland Street brewery with live music and a seasonal, locally sourced menu. Approachable, community feel. Food on site: kitchen.
North Peak Brewing Company: Downtown brewpub in a former candy factory with two floors and a full menu. A long-running TC fixture. Food on site: kitchen.
The Filling Station Microbrewery: Brewery in a restored railroad depot with wood-fired pizza and a greenhouse-like heated patio. Kids can watch the trains. Food on site: pizza.
Mackinaw Brewing Company: Front Street brewpub open since 1997 with a full menu (the olive burger and French onion soup get named). Central and reliable. Food on site: kitchen.
Rare Bird Brewpub: Popular brewpub with roughly six house beers, a large guest-tap list, a full liquor bar, and a strong kitchen. A common first stop. Food on site: kitchen.
MiddleCoast Brewing: Brewery anchoring the State Street Market food hall, with games, coffee, and pub fare. Now occupies the former Brewery Ferment / Monkey Fist space. Food on site: kitchen.
Earthen Ales: Hidden brewery under the water tower at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, around the corner from Left Foot Charley. Relaxed and well-loved.
Beggars Brewery: Small south-side brewery (Chums Corner area). Very limited live data in this snapshot, so confirm everything before relying on it.
Lake Ann Brewing Company: Cozy village brewery west of TC with a lively summer patio, live music, and a semi-festival feel. Dogs and outside food welcome.
Stone Hound Brewing Company: Brewery east of TC right on the bike trail, with a rotating tap list and farm-raised smash burgers. Dog friendly, music stage. Food on site: kitchen.
Bravo Zulu Brewing: Military-themed brewery on US-31 in Williamsburg with about nine taps, a big open tasting room, and a pizza stand in the lot. Food on site: snacks.
Short's Brewing Pull Barn (Elk Rapids): Short's production brewery and taproom in Elk Rapids (about 25 minutes northeast of TC), pouring beers you cannot get elsewhere. The flagship pub is in Bellaire.
Farm Club: Restaurant, Farm Market & Brewery: Farm, market, restaurant, and brewery on Lake Leelanau Drive, on the route between TC and Leelanau. Clean, seasonal cooking and house beer and cider. Food on site: kitchen.

Distilleries (4)

Grand Traverse Distillery: One of Michigan's oldest craft distilleries, with production tours and tastings. The downtown Front Street tasting room is a separate listing.
Grand Traverse Distillery Tasting Room (Downtown): Downtown Front Street tasting room and retail shop for Grand Traverse Distillery. Walkable with the rest of the downtown cluster.
Traverse City Whiskey Co. - The Stillhouse: Tasting room and craft cocktail bar for TC Whiskey Co in the SoFo district, with production tours and a food truck. Cherry whiskey is the signature. Food on site: snacks.
Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge: Downtown cocktail lounge and tasting room for Mammoth Distilling (based in Central Lake). The blend-your-own-bourbon experience is a highlight.

Cideries (2)

Northern Natural Cider House: Downtown Front Street cider house and tasting room for the organic Northern Natural cidery and winery. Vegan-friendly kitchen; cider and wine flights. Food on site: kitchen.
Taproot Cider House: Cider-focused downtown restaurant and bar with a deep rotating draft list. A pour house showcasing many regional ciders rather than an on-site producer. Food on site: kitchen.

Mixing town stops with a peninsula? The one-day itineraries include a city loop, and group planning covers pacing and the designated-driver question.

Traverse City hours

Beggars Brewery (Traverse City): call ahead for current hours. Plan about 50 minutes.
Bravo Zulu Brewing (Williamsburg): call ahead for current hours at +1 231-943-1459. Plan about 50 minutes.
Brewery Terra Firma (Traverse City): Mon 2pm-8pm, Tue 2pm-10pm, Wed 2pm-8pm, Thu-Sat 12pm-10pm, Sun 12pm-9pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
Earthen Ales (Traverse City): Mon 1pm-8pm, Tue-Fri 1pm-9pm, Sat 12pm-9pm, Sun 12pm-8pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
Farm Club: Restaurant, Farm Market & Brewery (Traverse City): Tue-Sun 8am-9pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
Grand Traverse Distillery (Traverse City): Mon-Thu 11am-5:30pm, Fri-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 11am-4pm. Plan about 45 minutes.
Grand Traverse Distillery Tasting Room (Downtown) (Traverse City): Mon-Thu 11am-8pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11am-6pm. Plan about 45 minutes.
Lake Ann Brewing Company (Lake Ann): Mon 4pm-9pm, Tue-Sat 12pm-11pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
Loco Boys Brewing Company (Traverse City): Mon-Sun 12pm-10pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
Mackinaw Brewing Company (Traverse City): call ahead for current hours at +1 231-933-1100. Plan about 50 minutes.
Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge (Traverse City): Mon-Thu 12pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-12pm, Sun 12pm-10pm. Plan about 45 minutes.
MiddleCoast Brewing (Traverse City): Mon-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11am-8pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
Nocturnal Bloom Brewing (Traverse City): Mon-Wed 2pm-9pm, Thu 12pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 12pm-9pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
North Peak Brewing Company (Traverse City): Mon-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 12pm-8pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
Northern Natural Cider House (Traverse City): call ahead for current hours at +1 231-889-0064. Plan about 40 minutes.
Rare Bird Brewpub (Traverse City): call ahead for current hours at +1 231-943-2053. Plan about 50 minutes.
Right Brain Brewery (Traverse City): Mon-Wed 11am-9pm, Thu-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11am-9pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
Short's Brewing Pull Barn (Elk Rapids) (Elk Rapids): Mon-Sun 11am-10pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
Silver Spruce Brewing Company (Traverse City): Mon-Tue 12pm-9pm, Wed-Thu 12pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-10:30pm, Sun 12pm-9pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
Stone Hound Brewing Company (Williamsburg): Mon-Sun 10am-11pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
Tank Space on 8th (Traverse City): Mon 2pm-8pm, Tue-Thu 2pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-10pm, Sun 12pm-8pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
Taproot Cider House (Traverse City): Mon-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 12pm-9pm. Plan about 40 minutes.
The Filling Station Microbrewery (Traverse City): Mon 11am-10pm, Thu-Sun 11am-10pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
The Workshop Brewing Company (Traverse City): Mon-Thu 12pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-10pm. Plan about 50 minutes.
Traverse City Whiskey Co. - The Stillhouse (Traverse City): Mon-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 10am-11pm, Sun 10am-8pm. Plan about 45 minutes.