8 Greater Lansing breweries share their best 2022 beer successes and plans for 2023
Old Nation Brewing Co. owner and brewer Travis Fritts said there’s a point when he’s crafting a beer at which he has to make himself stop trying to improve it.
As a craftsman, he has to recognize when he’s reached his goal and fight the urge to try to improve the brew, “because at that moment, that golden moment, continuing to improve it just makes it worse,” he said.
This year, Fritts said he found that golden moment with Low Orbit, a New England India pale ale the brewer’s been working on for close to two years. He finally released the beer this fall.
The result of his years-long tinkering was a lower alcohol by volume New England-style IPA offering the same aromatic impact and soft mouth feel as higher ABV offerings. The beer has been a real bright spot, he said.
And Fritts isn’t the only one who had an exciting beer release in 2022; many local brewers released beers, ranging from a guava IPA to a banana clove hefeweizen.
Here are eight Lansing area breweries, their best beer success in 2022, and their exciting plans moving forward into 2023.
BrickHaven Brewing Co.
200 E. Jefferson St., Grand Ledge
Greatest 2022 Success: Six Foot Sombrero Mexican style lager
BrickHaven Brewing Company owner and brewer Ed Huston said the Six Foot Sombrero was intended to be brewed once a year for release on Cinco de Mayo. But everyone liked it so much, he has trouble keeping it on draft, he told the Lansing State Journal.
Plans for 2023
“I'm looking forward to brewing a Vienna lager for release in the spring and a couple of new recipes for next year that are still in development that should be a lot of fun, but I don't want to give any hints as of yet,” Huston said. “Cheers!”
Also on tap: This microbrewery is also a winery with hard cider, mead and small-batch sodas. Its "must have" menu includes weekly specials, starters, sandwiches, salads and desserts.
Dimes Brewhouse
145 N. Bridge St., Dimondale
Greatest 2022 Success: Brewing is Dancing Guava IPA
Dimes Brewhouse manager and brewer Nick Mulder said the name for the guava IPA came from a fun brew session with lots of loud music and dancing.
The brewery made a half batch of the IPA, not knowing if it would go over well, then sold out in a couple weeks. So they brewed a full batch shortly after, he said.
He said the beer worked for multiple types of beer drinkers, like the “hop heads,” people who love IPAs, and people who love fruit or sour beers.
“I loved it,” Mulder said. “I'm mostly, I would say, an IPA fan, but it was kind of that perfect crossover between, you know, fruity, almost sour, and then just a nice, hoppy IPA.”
Plans for 2023
Mulder said Dimes Brewhouse doesn’t have any specific brew names or beers planned, but they are excited to do more crisp, easy-drinking lagers.
"It seems like people, especially in the beer industry, eventually kind of come around to that,” he said. “Like people when they first get into craft beer are like all about the crazier the better. But then the longer you're in craft beer, eventually you just come full circle and you want a nice, crisp, light lager.”
Also on tap: This village brewery also serves cider, wine, mead, kombucha and soda. Its food menu includes snacks and specialty sandwiches.
EagleMonk Pub and Brewery
4906 W. Mount Hope Highway, Lansing
Greatest 2022 Success: Oktoberfest and Max’s Mitten Crystal IPA
Dan Buonodono, co-owner and brewer for the brewery, had two successes to share.
The first was this year’s Oktoberfest, because it “just flew out the door.”
But the funnest and perhaps most successful beer in the long run is Max’s Mitten Crystal IPA. Not only does it use all local ingredients, like hops from Charlotte and grain from Okemos, but it’s named after Buonodono's 19-month-old grandson, Max.
Plans for 2023
Buonodono said he’ll probably release something he hasn’t developed and designed yet, but it will be with local ingredients, “because those are the special ones.” He also thinks he’ll tweak his Oktoberfest in 2023 to make it even better, maltier.
“I'd have to think long and hard about 2023 because it's just not here yet,” he said. “Kind of busy in 2022 here.”
Also on tap: This microbrewery and pub offers wine, cider and soda, too. Its food menu includes snacks, pizzas, paninis, salads and desserts.
Ellison Brewery and Spirits
4903 Dawn Ave., East Lansing
Greatest 2022 Success: Morally Compromised New England IPA
The brewery and distillery’s head of sales and marketing Mark Logusz said its biggest 2022 success was sort of a surprise.
In this age of New England IPAs, where every brewery has one, including Ellison, they didn’t think Morally Compromised would sell as quickly as it did.
"But it really tastes like a New England IPA from New England, as opposed to a midwestern or Michigan interpretation of a New England IPA,” he said.
Plans for 2023
Ellison has a lot of things in the works for 2023, including launching a nonalcoholic beer brand for “dry January” and its annual favorite Gravity series of beers, hopefully in the first quarter, Logusz said.
But the biggest development will be launching its REO Town location, a multi-year project. The business is getting final approvals and intends to start hiring in mid-December and train staff into January.
“It’s going to be a big year,” Logusz said.
Also on tap: Ellison specializes in craft beer, spirits and gastropub food options. Food includes appetizers and pizza.
Lansing Brewing Co.
518 E. Shiawassee St., Lansing
Greatest 2022 Success: New Flagship IPA Northern Escape
Since Chris Ward took over as head brewer for the brewery late last year, he’s had an opportunity to bring a new perspective to the table.
And one takeaway was the opportunity to transition from the Angry Mayor IPA to something newer and fresher as its flagship IPA: Northern Escape.
“Northern Escape perfectly encapsulates an escape from the daily grind to more peaceful, beautiful scenery,” he told the State Journal. “Bursting with citrus and pine, bitter but not harsh, malty but not too sweet, it is a well-balanced IPA that can be embraced by everyone.”
Plans for 2023
The brewery is excited to continue freshening its core lineup and increase its distribution, including some big changes.
In addition to three new seasonal beers to round out its lineup, and the recent addition of Northern Escape, Lansing Brewing Co. will have two or three new beers that will replace some of its existing brews in an attempt to have a more rounded, well-received lineup, Ward said.
He couldn’t confirm any of the new offerings yet, but said people can look forward to a bold new line of beers that will be loved and give people a reason to give the brewery another shot if it didn’t win them over in the past.
Also on tap: This brewery in the heart of Lansing's Stadium District offers beer, spirits and wine. Its happy hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Food options include sandwiches, burgers, street tacos and dessert.
Midtown Brewing Co.
402 S. Washington Square, Lansing
Greatest 2022 Success: Offering Anti-Hero IPA from Revolution Brewing
Manager Heath Sartorius said the Lansing brewery tends to keep the standard beers, but it does constantly swap out the beers it has available from other breweries.
He said the brewery brought on the Anti-Hero IPA from Revolution Brewing in October and some proceeds went to breast cancer research, which was “a fun success for us.”
The brewery also started serving a brunch buffet and a beer of the month with the beer served in a bigger mug with the company’s logo and the firefighters union symbol on it.
Plans for 2023
Sartorius said the company will try and take full advantage of the beer of the month this upcoming year.
"The big thing in 2023 is we're going to start trying to find beers to promote each lunch that we think specifically would be great for people to come in and try and that kind of fits with the flavor of each month,” he said. “You know, maybe some ales or stouts in the winter and then shandies in the summer.”
Also on tap: This local pub and craft brewery serves house drafts and locally sourced pub grub in a low-key atmosphere. Food includes appetizers, soups, salads, burgers and "Midtown Favorites."
Old Nation Brewing Co.
1500 W. Grand River Ave., Williamston
Greatest 2022 Success: Low Orbit New England IPA
For years, the Old Nation brewers asked themselves how they could make a lower alcohol by volume New England-style IPA. After two years of experimenting, Low Orbit is the answer at 4.5% ABV.
Fritts said it’s a hop-forward beer using mostly Pacific Northwest hops that have been popularized in the last seven years or so. It was released in October in Michigan and is doing well, and they hope to have it in every Michigan chain by this spring.
He expects it to be in other Great Lakes markets in the next couple months. In January and February it will spread across the country to states like Georgia, Maine and Colorado, and at some point this spring they plan to send a few pallets overseas to Europe, Fritts said.
“In a climate like we've experienced in the last 12 months or so, it has been a huge bright spot in our year so far,” he said.
Plans for 2023
Fritts said the brewery did a short release of an Italian-style Pilsner called Rubikon that had a “fantastic” response, so it will re-release it in March as a seasonal package through the summer.
And then a year-round package he's excited about is sort of an offshoot of the dry hop idea using more modern, cutting-edge hops, with a dry hop lager called Boreal.
Also on tap: Old Nation tests its newest beers at its pub, the best place for folks to try the beers as they're being developed. Its food menu includes appetizers, daily specials, burgers, sandwiches and entrees.
Sleepwalker Spirits and Ale
1101 S. Washington Ave., Lansing
Greatest 2022 Success: Hefeweizen Bavaria Hysteria
This REO Town microbrewery’s founder, head brewer and president Jeremy Sprague said he’s been working on a hefeweizen, a Bavarian wheat beer called Bavaria Hysteria, that he finally locked down in November.
Although the REO Town IPA was also delicious, Sprague said the hefeweizen was his favorite. He described it as a nice, pungent banana clove taste and he let it ferment at higher temperatures to get there.
“A little more warmth can bring out some fun flavors,” he said.
Plans for 2023
A beer Sprague is excited to re-release in 2023 is a hazy IPA. It's named "Bingo Wings" after the flab of skin under someone’s arms that wiggle when they wave them about after winning at bingo, he said.
“It’s tricky to make hazies stay hazy for a really long time,” Sprague said.
He plans to brew it in December and release in January, in the hope it will be more of a staple this time around.
Another release will be a 12-month, bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout in February called God Complex, which, like many of Sleepwalker’s items, is named through the lens of psychology, he said.
Also on tap: This microbrewery and restaurant's other house-fermented products include craft seltzer, wine and hard cider. Popular food items include breadsticks and "meathead" pizza. Other items include poutine and the "Every Day I'm Brusselin' Loaded Fries."
Contact Bryce Airgood at 517-267-0448 or bairgood@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing area breweries share best beer success in 2022, plans for 2023
