50 Best Michigan Beers to Drink in 2026
Michigan beer is too large, too old and too weird for a polite little top ten. The state helped build modern American IPA, barrel-aged stout, fruit beer and oak-fermented sour ale while keeping room for wheat beer, porter, lager and Upper Peninsula taproom staples.
This ranked 50 starts with the beers that changed the national conversation, then works outward through Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Detroit, the lakeshore and the U.P. Big breweries earn several places, but they do not get the whole board.
50 Best Michigan Beers to Drink in 2026
Start with the first ten for Michigan’s essential beer history, then keep going through regional flagships, tart oak-aged ales, seasonal releases and unapologetic dessert beer.
Two Hearted Ale
Brewed by Bell’s Brewery
grapefruit, pine, floral Centennial hops, pale malt and a firm dry finish
BAR NOTES
Two Hearted made a single hop feel expansive, using Centennial for grapefruit, flowers and pine over a sturdy malt base. It remains Michigan’s clearest national beer landmark.
Drink it fresh with burgers, grilled fish or sharp cheddar, where the bitterness clears fat and the citrus keeps every bite lively.
KBS
Brewed by Founders Brewing Co.
coffee, dark chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, oak and a warming finish
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KBS helped turn bourbon barrel-aged stout from a brewery curiosity into a national release-day event. Coffee and chocolate remain visible beneath bourbon, vanilla and oak.
Use a small glass near cellar temperature with chocolate dessert, smoked meat or blue cheese, and let the beer unfold slowly rather than chasing the first blast of bourbon.
M-43
Brewed by Old Nation Brewing Co.
orange, pineapple, soft oats, low bitterness and a plush juicy finish
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M-43 proved that a Michigan brewery outside the largest cities could help define the region’s hazy IPA wave. The soft body carries orange and pineapple without sharp bitterness.
Keep it cold and drink it near release with spicy chicken, tacos or aged cheddar. A gentle pour protects the aroma and leaves settled hop material behind.
Hopslam Ale
Brewed by Bell’s Brewery
grapefruit, mango, pine, honey and a powerful warming finish
BAR NOTES
Hopslam combines a massive hop charge with honey, creating a winter double IPA that feels floral and citrusy before its ten-percent strength becomes obvious.
Share the can or pace the glass with spicy food and strong cheese. Freshness matters, because the vivid hop aroma is the point rather than long-term aging.
Dragon’s Milk
Brewed by New Holland Brewing
dark chocolate, roasted malt, bourbon, vanilla and a smooth warming close
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Dragon’s Milk brought bourbon barrel stout into year-round distribution without stripping away the chocolate, oak and warming character that made the category special.
Serve it in a small glass near cellar temperature with brownies, smoked brisket or aged Gouda. The bourbon integrates better after ten patient minutes.
Oberon Ale
Brewed by Bell’s Brewery
orange, soft wheat, gentle spice, light fruit and a lively finish
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Oberon is less a seasonal release than a Michigan calendar event. Soft wheat, citrus and a lightly spicy fermentation profile make it immediately recognizable without heavy flavoring.
Pour it into a wheat-beer glass with grilled chicken, salads or lake-day food. A slice of orange is optional; freshness and cold carbonation matter more.
Breakfast Stout
Brewed by Founders Brewing Co.
coffee, bittersweet chocolate, oats, roast and a dense silky finish
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Breakfast Stout layers coffee and chocolate over an oatmeal-rich body without becoming frosting in a bottle. It helped establish Founders as a dark-beer heavyweight before KBS exploded.
Let it warm in a small glass and pair it with chocolate cake, smoked meat or an actual late breakfast. Cold temperatures mute the coffee and roast detail.
La Roja
Brewed by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
tart cherry, oak, caramel, earth and a dry funky finish
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La Roja shows why Jolly Pumpkin became America’s defining all-oak sour brewery. Caramelized amber malt meets acidity, funk and wood without needing fruit-purée spectacle.
Serve it cool in a tulip with roast pork, funky cheese or mushroom dishes. A wider glass lets the oak, acidity and fermentation character separate.
All Day IPA
Brewed by Founders Brewing Co.
grapefruit, pine, light malt, crisp bitterness and a dry repeatable finish
BAR NOTES
All Day IPA made lower-strength hop beer commercially serious. It keeps grapefruit, pine and firm bitterness while avoiding the sweetness and alcohol that tire out a long afternoon.
Drink it fresh from a can or simple glass with pizza, burgers or trail snacks. The practical strength is part of the achievement, not a compromise.
Expedition Stout
Brewed by Bell’s Brewery
dark chocolate, molasses, roast, dark fruit and a bitter warming finish
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Expedition is a formidable imperial stout built on roast, dark fruit and bitterness rather than pastry additions. Its structure allows careful aging without requiring a bourbon barrel.
Serve a fresh bottle for sharper roast or age one for softer dark-fruit character. Use a small glass with blue cheese, chocolate or a quiet final course.
Crooked Tree IPA
Brewed by Dark Horse Brewing Co.
grapefruit, pine, biscuit malt, floral hops and a clean bitter finish
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Crooked Tree preserves a clear, bitter American IPA identity amid Michigan’s flood of haze. Grapefruit and pine ride over enough biscuit malt to keep the finish grounded.
Drink it fresh with pizza, grilled meat or sharp cheddar. The classic bitterness is especially useful beside fatty food and spicy sauce.
Soft Parade Shandy
Brewed by Short’s Brewing Company
strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, lemon and a sweet-tart sparkling finish
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Soft Parade Shandy lightens Short’s berry-heavy flagship with lemonade character and brisk carbonation. It keeps the brewery’s playful fruit identity while becoming far easier in hot weather.
Serve it very cold with picnic food, spicy snacks or a fruit dessert. Judge it as refreshment, not as a miniature IPA or a traditional German radler.
Backwoods Bastard
Brewed by Founders Brewing Co.
caramel, toffee, bourbon, vanilla, dark fruit and warming oak
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Backwoods Bastard sends Dirty Bastard’s caramel-heavy Scotch ale into bourbon barrels. Toffee, dark fruit and vanilla become enormous without losing the malt structure underneath.
Pour it near cellar temperature in a small glass with bread pudding, smoked meat or aged cheddar. Time in the glass smooths the alcohol and exposes more dried fruit.
Hazy Hearted
Brewed by Bell’s Brewery
tropical fruit, orange, soft grain, restrained bitterness and a juicy finish
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Hazy Hearted lets Bell’s approach contemporary IPA through a softer body and tropical hop profile. It feels related to Two Hearted without pretending clarity and bitterness are the only path.
Buy it fresh and pair it with tacos, spicy chicken or strong cheese. A clean glass and gentle pour preserve the most volatile fruit aroma.
Elephant Juice
Brewed by Eastern Market Brewing Co.
mandarin, tangerine, orange peel, soft malt and a plush finish
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Elephant Juice gives Detroit a vivid hazy IPA flagship built around mandarin and tangerine character. The citrus feels concentrated, but the finish retains enough grip to stay beerlike.
Drink it young with spicy noodles, wings or aged cheese. Keep the can cold and pour slowly so hop sediment does not flatten the bright citrus aroma.
The Poet
Brewed by New Holland Brewing
coffee, cocoa, oats, gentle roast and a smooth dry finish
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The Poet delivers oatmeal-stout texture and roast at a strength that works for an entire pint. Coffee and cocoa stay balanced instead of turning into dessert syrup.
Serve it cool with roast chicken, burgers or chocolate cookies. As it warms, the oats soften the roast and reveal a more rounded cocoa finish.
Rubaeus
Brewed by Founders Brewing Co.
ripe raspberry, gentle tartness, pale malt and a bright jammy finish
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Rubaeus uses raspberry as the central ingredient rather than a faint garnish. The fruit feels ripe and aromatic, while gentle tartness keeps the beer from becoming cloying.
Serve it cold with goat cheese, chocolate dessert or spicy food. A clean glass highlights the ruby color and keeps the fresh berry aroma from disappearing.