2020 was not a great year for getting out and experiencing new places. Luckily that year has been stuffed in the trash and in 2021 the world is slowly getting back to some resemblance of normalcy. As beer geeks I know many of us are chomping at the bit to get back out there and belly up to a bar again. Good! That’s exactly what you should be doing! All 3 of the breweries we’re recommending today either opened their doors in the middle of the pandemic or right before everything went downhill last year. Check these guys out! 

Loaded Dice Brewery

Creativity is one of the things that really excites me in craft beer. Located in Troy, Michigan sits Loaded Dice Breweing. Like many breweries the owner comes from a home brewing background. That creativity has carried over in the best way possible.  Loaded Dice has earned a reputation for cranking out some truly crazy beers. The feature photo for this article is a sour ale made from blue sour patch kids. That beer was a collaboration with Artic Circle Brewing, but it highlights how crazy Loaded Dice can get with beer. And the crazy beers always deliver unique and flavor packed brews. That doesn’t mean the gang at Loaded Dice can’t swing more traditional styles of beer. Their Czech Pilsner is a wonderful example of this. Perfect on a hot day, infinitely crushable, and still manages to have its own spin on the style. Taps change pretty frequently too, so swing by often. Every time I’ve visited Loaded Dice I’ve found at least 2 new beers to try. Food trucks are on site pretty much every night, and the brewery is located right next to a tattoo parlor, what else could you possibly want? 

Copper Hop Brewing Co.

It’s hard to ignore a brewery with a beautiful taproom, Copper Hop has absolutely nailed that aesthetic. Basically everywhere you look you’ll see warming copper (of course) accented perfectly with wood. It’s very warm and inviting, oh and the beer is fantastic too! That’s definitely a priority when going to a brewery. Personally I love the Kolsch. Copper Hop’s take on the style is in a lot of ways true to form but it’s just a little sweeter than most. Thus making the beer malty, refreshing and an excellent choice for the warmer months. Like IPA’s? This is the brewery for you! As this article is being written Copper Hop has 6 different varieties of IPA on tap. That includes the acclaimed Gin Barrel IPA, jump on that while you still can. If you’re not feeling beer both wine and cider are readily available as well.  Food trucks are regularly parked at the brewery too, which of course we love. Whatever you do, don’t leave without a crowler or two, they’re definitely clutch when you get back home. 

Ferndale Project 

Go hang out in Ferndale, I really can’t stress that enough. While you’re there make your way to Ferndale Project. Over the course of the last 15 months I think you’d be hard pressed to find a brewery that did more to support their community than Ferndale Project. Aside from being pillars of the community they make world class beers. They rock funky sours, rich stouts, dank IPA’s and pretty much everything in between. Ferndale Project is considered the experimental arm of Eastern Market Brewing Company. As a direct result of that the beers wearing the Ferndale Project moniker tend to be, well experimental. This isn’t to say that the quality suffers at all. Actually quite the opposite. I tend to reach for more traditional styles of beer but, I have fallen in love with every Ferndale Project beer I’ve tried. You can also find a selection of Eastern Market Brewing Company beers on site. EMBC beers tend to skew a something a little more traditional while still being inventive. You should expect to be sitting on their massive patio when you get there. Keep that in mind and dress appropriately for the weather. Patio or not, I can assure you that it only takes 1 visit to become a massive fan of this brewery. 

We try really hard not to dwell on 2020 on Sommbeer. Still there were some good things that came out of the last year. All 3 of the breweries are shining examples of that. In each and every one of these spots you’re going to find amazing beer. More importantly you’ll find amazing people. We preach about how great the craft beer community is all the time on Sommbeer. Each one of these brewers enrich that community, and it’s great to finally see them open.  After a year of isolation I can’t think of anything that we need more than a beer, and reconnecting with our beer brethren.