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This is my fav micro brewery in Traverse City, northern Michigan and, actually, the entire Midwest. I've been a fan ever since they opened and the great beer has only gotten better. You will never get a beer that has a fermenting hops smell or taste. The brewmasters here are incredibly talented, dare I say even gifted. Their Ale of the Earth signature is my go to for easy and pleasing drinking. Slightly smoky, just perfect. But I love trying the new beers that rotate constantly. Bummed when I miss the holiday brews, which are always incredible. Then there is the laidback vibe. Wood, cork, concrete, cast iron, painted forest mural and metal air ducts, create a cross between log cabin and industrial chic. No pretense here. I love sitting at a table or bar stool, just chatting with my boyfriend or a beertender, soaking it all up. And while they don't have a kitchen, you can get the most amazing beer cheese made with their own Ale of the Earth, and pretzels. Or chips and dips, Pop Daddy popcorn or some local Great Lakes potato chips. Or... bring your own foodage! Yup, you can bring outside food here. Sometimes they even have a food truck parked right outside. The Korean food truck is my fav. Then there is the outstanding staff. We love them all. Kind, helpful and knowledgeable about all the items on the menu. The merch is pretty cool too. But, because I love this place so much, I hope you avoid it. Stay away. The day I can't get a seat or even get in the door, I will cry.
Aesthetic: very historical, they are a part of the village of what used to be a mental hospital. The table we sat at was an old fridge door of the cold storage building. Industrial feeling as you look around and see the bar and stools. They had their distillery in house and could be seen through a glass wall. Beer: we were able to try 4 different hand picked beers from their great employee. They had a description of every beer we tried. Would recommend to any beer enthusiastic who loves locally made drink. Service: 10/10, he was very passionate about not only his job but the process in which beer is made. He answered all of our questions very excitingly and was very knowledgeable!! He throughly explain the process of how each of beer we tasted was made and what it contained. Overall great experience and would recommend anyone who is looking for a refreshing taste. They even have small batches of beer that are made weekly every Sunday to help change the pace!
Great atmosphere. Nice outdoor space, and great indoor space too. No full meals, just snacks and appetizers. They offer a Community Supported Ales (CSA) subscription program, with options to add locally roasted coffee and/or curated cheese selection. They brew a large selection of in-house beers, covering many styles (Yay!). There are several IPAs and Double IPAs, but they also have a Cider, a Pilsner, a Wheat Ale, an Amber Ale, English dark ale, dark lager, a Belgian Tripel, and an Irish Red. I chose the Old Center Stout. This is pretty dry for a chocolate stout. There are prominent smoky coffee notes. It was not called a milk-stout, but tastes like a milk-stout. It's not a nitro. It's not an oatmeal. it's more acidic (bright) than most stouts. I will try some of the other brews on my next visit.
We found this hidden gem via recommendation from a local friend....so glad we listened to him! This has been our go-to spot when we are up here the past couple years. The staff is SUPER friendly and helpful with choosing a beverage (even for our wine-drinking friend!). Since we have only visited during the Covid season, I am unsure what the inside is like or what the food situation is, but the staff here have handled all the precautions like Champs. We never felt uncomfortable or uneasy. Sitting outside on the patio, with the huge water tower and old state hospital as a back drop is pretty cool. We loved getting a short history lesson about the state hospital from our server! DEFINITELY recommend stopping by Earthen Ales!
I can't say how much we enjoyed this brewery. Located on the grounds of an old mental institution, this entire location is fantastic. It's difficult to explain. Anyway, walking up, this place has a large outdoor area. When you come in there is a ton to see inside. We loved the atmosphere here. We sat at the bar and struck up a conversation with the bartender. One great thing about visiting TC is that there are so many transplants from our hometown. Come to find out, the bartenders wife is also a nurse and we ended up chatting with her a while. She used to work at the DMC. It was fun to compare old battle stories! It was fun to hear what life is lie in TC vs the hustle and bustle of the metro Detroit area. They had a great selection of beers that we really enjoyed. Between the atmosphere, the friendly staff, and the beer this spot gets 5 stars! They have a tagabrew so that's a bonus for sure. We loved it here and would most certainly come back!
I'm not sure which to start with, the beer or the service. Both are excellent! Kudos for their amazing Covid-19 protocols! This is hands down the best run business I've been to for keeping you safe and inebriated in the middle of a global pandemic. Most places I won't even go to for take-out, let alone a sit down experience. Here the tables are actually 6' apart! The staff wear gloves and masks. They wipe down the tables. There is sanitizer at each table. All of this is so simple, yet so rare. Felt super safe the entire time. Now in to the beer! Super tasty. Excellent balance. Great for a summertime sit. They don't play music outside so you can sit and unwind in peace. Maybe bring a snack because they don't serve food, but the beer is so tasty, who need anything else. Jamie and Andrew have created a legitimate oasis in the middle of a global pandemic. Wish I could come more often, but I don't live in the area. But if you do, go! It's one of the businesses you'll want to be there after all this is done.
I'm going to give this place a 4.5. The staff? Awesome. This clearly isn't their first rodeo. They were quick to help, made suggestions, and offered to clean up after our pizza pig-out. And all that on their first night open??? See what I mean: Not their first rodeo. Then, the place has some relaxing and enjoyable decor (my friend particularly liked the birch trees painted on the wall). The seats were decent enough to hang for a couple hours without numbing up the tail bone. Beer-wise, I enjoyed their offerings. They had 3 IPAs... so if that's your thing, then this is your place. The reason for minus 0.5: - bathroom hand dryer interrupted our discussions (from outside the bathroom)... and boy do I hate hand dryers in the bathroom - not much in the way of food (we ordered pizza from down the street and brought it in); but great they let us do that. :) Overall, this place is awesome. I'm so glad to have a place without TVs, nice staff, and good beer.
This is a cute spot tucked in behind the old state hospital in a building with a few other businesses in as well. We came on a hot summers day and enjoyed the outside seating next to the huge water tower. That reminds me. Once you get on the old state hospital grounds look for the water tower and head that way. Our service was immaculate and we tried everything on the menu-beer wise. They don't have food but you can bring food in and there are some places to grab food within walking distance. I didn't have a beer that blew me a way but they were all pretty easy to drink. The outside seating was typical outdoor furniture with bright colors, umbrellas and a comfortable atmosphere. I wasn't inside for long but the bar ran long and the rest of the seating ran along side it. Be sure to grab the ale trail while you're there and start getting your stamps at the Breweries on the trail!
This place is great only have been here twice but I love it great beer knowledge staff and good service would highly recommend checking out.
Stopped in to check out more local brews. I had the Lime Wit. First taste was pretty good but tastes a smidge musty. Atmosphere is pretty low key. Music and one TV with a football game. Bartender is good and offered tastings. Not worth going out of your way but if you're at Commons, stop in
1 year ago
This is a great place to grab a drink - kid friendly as they have sodas and lemonade. My husband enjoyed his beer - we ordered inside and sat outside in the sunshine - the umbrellas were nice though, so it wasn't too hot. Friendly service and easy to grab food from the nearby Korean food truck. read more
1 year ago
This brewery is located right in the Traverse City Commons. The bartender was extremely friendly and let us try anything we liked before placing our order. They have lots of seating and seating outdoors as well. You do have to order inside. They do have a limited food menu, however we didn't eat while we were there. read more
One of our favorite breweries to visit when we're in the area. Earthen Ales has a chill welcoming vibe, and you can tell by the number of locals who are more than willing to share their space. that this is not just a touristy oriented establishment. Their tap list is buried and has something for everybody. Our favorites are their juniper, rye IPA and I am a huge fan of their smoked brown. We can't wait to return. read more
11 months ago
This is my fav micro brewery in Traverse City, northern Michigan and, actually, the entire Midwest. I've been a fan ever since they opened and the great beer has only gotten better. You will never get a beer that has a fermenting hops smell or taste. The brewmasters here are incredibly talented, dare I say even gifted. Their Ale of the Earth signature is my go to for easy and pleasing drinking. Slightly smoky, just perfect. But I love trying the new beers that rotate constantly. Bummed when I miss the holiday brews, which are always incredible. Then there is the laidback vibe. Wood, cork, concrete, cast iron, painted forest mural and metal air ducts, create a cross between log cabin and industrial chic. No pretense here. I love sitting at a table or bar stool, just chatting with my boyfriend or a beertender, soaking it all up. And while they don't have a kitchen, you can get the most amazing beer cheese made with their own Ale of the Earth, and pretzels. Or chips and dips, Pop Daddy popcorn or some local Great Lakes potato chips. Or... bring your own foodage! Yup, you can bring outside food here. Sometimes they even have a food truck parked right outside. The Korean food truck is my fav. Then there is the outstanding staff. We love them all. Kind, helpful and knowledgeable about all the items on the menu. The merch is pretty cool too. But, because I love this place so much, I hope you avoid it. Stay away. The day I can't get a seat or even get in the door, I will cry. read more
3 years ago
Aesthetic: very historical, they are a part of the village of what used to be a mental hospital. The table we sat at was an old fridge door of the cold storage building. Industrial feeling as you look around and see the bar and stools. They had their distillery in house and could be seen through a glass wall. Beer: we were able to try 4 different hand picked beers from their great employee. They had a description of every beer we tried. Would recommend to any beer enthusiastic who loves locally made drink. Service: 10/10, he was very passionate about not only his job but the process in which beer is made. He answered all of our questions very excitingly and was very knowledgeable!! He throughly explain the process of how each of beer we tasted was made and what it contained. Overall great experience and would recommend anyone who is looking for a refreshing taste. They even have small batches of beer that are made weekly every Sunday to help change the pace! read more
Great atmosphere. Nice outdoor space, and great indoor space too. No full meals, just snacks and appetizers. They offer a Community Supported Ales (CSA) subscription program, with options to add locally roasted coffee and/or curated cheese selection. They brew a large selection of in-house beers, covering many styles (Yay!). There are several IPAs and Double IPAs, but they also have a Cider, a Pilsner, a Wheat Ale, an Amber Ale, English dark ale, dark lager, a Belgian Tripel, and an Irish Red. I chose the Old Center Stout. This is pretty dry for a chocolate stout. There are prominent smoky coffee notes. It was not called a milk-stout, but tastes like a milk-stout. It's not a nitro. It's not an oatmeal. it's more acidic (bright) than most stouts. I will try some of the other brews on my next visit. read more
We found this hidden gem via recommendation from a local friend....so glad we listened to him! This has been our go-to spot when we are up here the past couple years. The staff is SUPER friendly and helpful with choosing a beverage (even for our wine-drinking friend!). Since we have only visited during the Covid season, I am unsure what the inside is like or what the food situation is, but the staff here have handled all the precautions like Champs. We never felt uncomfortable or uneasy. Sitting outside on the patio, with the huge water tower and old state hospital as a back drop is pretty cool. We loved getting a short history lesson about the state hospital from our server! DEFINITELY recommend stopping by Earthen Ales! read more
I can't say how much we enjoyed this brewery. Located on the grounds of an old mental institution, this entire location is fantastic. It's difficult to explain. Anyway, walking up, this place has a large outdoor area. When you come in there is a ton to see inside. We loved the atmosphere here. We sat at the bar and struck up a conversation with the bartender. One great thing about visiting TC is that there are so many transplants from our hometown. Come to find out, the bartenders wife is also a nurse and we ended up chatting with her a while. She used to work at the DMC. It was fun to compare old battle stories! It was fun to hear what life is lie in TC vs the hustle and bustle of the metro Detroit area. They had a great selection of beers that we really enjoyed. Between the atmosphere, the friendly staff, and the beer this spot gets 5 stars! They have a tagabrew so that's a bonus for sure. We loved it here and would most certainly come back! read more
6 years ago
I'm not sure which to start with, the beer or the service. Both are excellent! Kudos for their amazing Covid-19 protocols! This is hands down the best run business I've been to for keeping you safe and inebriated in the middle of a global pandemic. Most places I won't even go to for take-out, let alone a sit down experience. Here the tables are actually 6' apart! The staff wear gloves and masks. They wipe down the tables. There is sanitizer at each table. All of this is so simple, yet so rare. Felt super safe the entire time. Now in to the beer! Super tasty. Excellent balance. Great for a summertime sit. They don't play music outside so you can sit and unwind in peace. Maybe bring a snack because they don't serve food, but the beer is so tasty, who need anything else. Jamie and Andrew have created a legitimate oasis in the middle of a global pandemic. Wish I could come more often, but I don't live in the area. But if you do, go! It's one of the businesses you'll want to be there after all this is done. read more
I'm going to give this place a 4.5. The staff? Awesome. This clearly isn't their first rodeo. They were quick to help, made suggestions, and offered to clean up after our pizza pig-out. And all that on their first night open??? See what I mean: Not their first rodeo. Then, the place has some relaxing and enjoyable decor (my friend particularly liked the birch trees painted on the wall). The seats were decent enough to hang for a couple hours without numbing up the tail bone. Beer-wise, I enjoyed their offerings. They had 3 IPAs... so if that's your thing, then this is your place. The reason for minus 0.5: - bathroom hand dryer interrupted our discussions (from outside the bathroom)... and boy do I hate hand dryers in the bathroom - not much in the way of food (we ordered pizza from down the street and brought it in); but great they let us do that. :) Overall, this place is awesome. I'm so glad to have a place without TVs, nice staff, and good beer. read more
3 years ago
9 years ago
This is a cute spot tucked in behind the old state hospital in a building with a few other businesses in as well. We came on a hot summers day and enjoyed the outside seating next to the huge water tower. That reminds me. Once you get on the old state hospital grounds look for the water tower and head that way. Our service was immaculate and we tried everything on the menu-beer wise. They don't have food but you can bring food in and there are some places to grab food within walking distance. I didn't have a beer that blew me a way but they were all pretty easy to drink. The outside seating was typical outdoor furniture with bright colors, umbrellas and a comfortable atmosphere. I wasn't inside for long but the bar ran long and the rest of the seating ran along side it. Be sure to grab the ale trail while you're there and start getting your stamps at the Breweries on the trail! read more
4 years ago
6 years ago
This place is great only have been here twice but I love it great beer knowledge staff and good service would highly recommend checking out. read more
3 years ago
8 years ago
8 years ago
Stopped in to check out more local brews. I had the Lime Wit. First taste was pretty good but tastes a smidge musty. Atmosphere is pretty low key. Music and one TV with a football game. Bartender is good and offered tastings. Not worth going out of your way but if you're at Commons, stop in read more
6 years ago
9 years ago
10 years ago
Beers were surprisingly good for not being an IPA fan (there were three unique IPA's on tap). Great vibe and the brewers behind the bar we're very nice and friendly. Look forward to our next visit! read more
10 years ago
Tasty beers and very friendly atmosphere. Right in Grand Traverse Commons near lots of shops, eateries and Left Foot Charlie's tasting room. Stop by and give the beers a try! read more
9 years ago
9 years ago
We stopped by on a Monday afternoon and the owners were here and we had the opportunity to get to know them. They're so nice and knowledgeable! Earthen Ales has only been open 6 months but they're very comfortable in their environment. Some places are in fumble formation when they just open, but not Earthen Ales. The beer is done well and you can bring your own food in (or grab a bag of chips or kettle corn). It's worth the visit! read more
7 years ago
7 years ago
9 years ago
Probably my favorite beer in Traverse City. Great owners who are friendly and welcoming. Be sure to try the Sweetbrier Wheat. read more
8 years ago
9 years ago
Clean & comfortable brewery with great selections. The Lone Bellow Baltic porter & the Ale of the Earth were delicious! They have snacks from local vendors (jalapeño cherry dip & chips were great). Just a nice place to hangout for a bit & have a good beer. Nice patio if you want to sit outside. I recommend stopping by for sure. read more
6 years ago
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