The 5 Best Kalamazoo Beer Spots To Hit Up
By Ben Kramer in Food on Nov 10, 2015 7:25PM
Photo via Leigh Ann Theisen
America is one nation under a groove. Kalamazoo is one nation under several brews. Much like Chicago, its beer culture is top-notch, supplying the nation with award winning beers and Midwestern favorites. For the Chicago beer drinker who's looking to travel, take a look up North. Kalamazoo delivers, and these locations represent their city well.
Kalamazoo Beer Exchange
Inspired by the Stock Exchange, this place is an adult drinking game. Featuring 28 beers on tap from across the country, and the world, the prices for each brew are not set in stone, but instead fluctuate. Every 15 minutes, one beer may jump a dollar while another falls 50 cents. How and why does this happen? Well, it depends on the popularity of the beer. If people are buying lots of Founders Porter, for example, then the price will increase, but once people start buying less of it (possibly due to high pricing) the price drops. There's a quiet thrill in playing the market, and anticipating when the market will crash. Yes, the market crashes, and when it does all beer plummets to its lowest possible price. So that Founders Porter from earlier may have been sitting at 7 dollars, but with the crash it's now 4.50. The crash only lasts for 5 minutes, but servers are quick to get to each table, ensuring you're able to take advantage of the moment. A large space, the Exchange is able to house many market goers, and offers fine food to pair with your liquid investments.
The Kalamazoo Beer Exchange is located at 211 E. Water St., Kalamazoo, MI. Phone number (269)-532-1188. For more info click here.
Bell's Comstock Brewery
The Comstock Brewery (where the company packages the majority of its beer) is a 12 minute drive from the original brewery in downtown Kalamazoo. The Comstock site currently is in expansion, clearly visible by the skeletal frame of a new building being constructed beside its facilities. Bell's is the 8th largest craft brewery in the country, which is cool to know, but its size is only fully realized when you see it in person. Fermenting tanks taller than your apartment, bottling/canning lines as long and winding as a course in Mario Kart, and gigantic, 100 year old open wood fermenters, formerly from Stroh Brewery Company (a relic and inspiration to Bell's and breweries across Michigan) are but one of many things you'll see firsthand on the tour. For people who like to see the guts and gears of a brewery, this is a must, with tours happening every Saturday, at noon and 4 p.m. The tours are free, but if you're going with a large group the brewery asks you contact their Tour Coordinator a week in advance so they can make the proper arrangements.
Bell's Comstock Brewery is located at 8938 Krum Ave, Galesburg, MI. Bell's Corporate phone number is (269)-382-2338. For more info click here.
Bell's Eccentric Cafe
Photo via Leigh Ann Theisen
So long as you're checking out Bell's, or Kalamazoo in general, it's necessary to visit the Bell's Eccentric Cafe. It's a beautiful spot, as evident in the photo above. Hosting anywhere between 30 to 40 Bell's beers on tap, the vast majority are batches made for the Cafe only, brewed at the original brewery next door. It's here you can find rarities such as Bell's Uberon, their bourbon barrel aged version of Oberon, their summer wheat ale. Along with slanging brews, The Cafe has a kitchen, and also serves as a venue, with acts such as Of Montreal and Greensky Bluegrass playing there in the past. It's also connected to the Bell's General Store, where you can get growler fills, Bell's apparel and home brewing equipment.
Bell's Eccentric Cafe is located at 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo, MI. Phone number (269)-382-2332. For more info click here.
Arcadia Brewing Company Kalamazoo
Headquartered in Battle Creek, MI, Arcadia opened their Kalamazoo pub in 2014. It's a cozy, communal, simple space, with open seating. In terms of food, it takes a Texas BBQ approach. Customers must order food at the counter (they make great brisket, ribs, and cornbread) while a server will take your drink order at your table. Beer wise, Arcadia is focused on crafting British-style ales, going as far as to import malted barley from England for their brews. While their selection is excellent, beers to try include “Cereal Killer Barleywine”, a big, dry, malty brew that took Gold for “Wood and Barrel Aged Strong Beers” at the Great American Beer Festival in 2009, and “IPA”, a balanced, biscuity, English style India Pale Ale that possesses a milder hop profile than most American IPA's. It took Silver in the IPA category for 2015's GABF.
Arcadia Brewing Company Kalamazoo is located at 701 E. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI. Phone number (269)-276-0458. For more info click here.
Photo via Leigh Ann Theisen.
Brite Eyes Brewing Co.
It's the quaintest place on the list, and the only one where you can order a beer with your breakfast. While a deli-style menu makes up the afternoon/evening list, Egg Scramblers dominate breakfast. “Farmer”, a Scrambler of 3 eggs, sausage, provolone, mushrooms, green peppers, and white onion, paired with hash browns and toast, is a safe way to start your day. Serving locally roasted coffee, including a Nitro Cold Brew for 4 dollars, this small establishment also does a rotating selection of their house beers, which they brew on a one barrel system. If it's available, have their blonde ale with breakfast. It's a light beer that complements the heartiness of the Scramblers.
Brite Eyes Brewing Co. is located at 1156 S. Burdick St., Kalamazoo, MI. Phone number (269)-220-5001. For more info click here.