Sister Lakes Brewing Company 10th Anniversary

Celebrating 10 Years of fabulous beers, food, and community with a backyard jam at Sister Lakes Brewing Company in Dowagiac. 

Sister Lakes Brewing Company 10th Anniversary

We barely got out of the car before someone leaving Sister Lakes Brewing Company said hello. The gentleman said, “You know, for the longest time, no one wanted to take my picture.” I said, “Oh, man, surely that can’t be true.” The man smiled and said, “That was until I got the right sign!” He then lifted up his arms to reveal two stellar tattoos—one arm saying “Rock N Roll” and the other “Heavy Metal.” I smiled, he smiled, we shook hands, and he said, “Have a great day!” Clearly, our adventure at Sister Lakes Brewing was going to be fun.

Appropriately named, Sister Lakes Brewing Company is tucked away in the Sister Lakes area near Dowagiac in the Southwestern corner of Michigan. Our adventure plan was to visit during their 10th-anniversary festival and enjoy great beer, food, and live music. 

Exploring Sister Lakes Brewing

The inside of Sister Lakes Brewing is open and inviting, with a mix of small and larger communal tables. A long bar features high-backed chairs. For sports enthusiasts, there are a number of big-screen TVs set up around the pub. There is even a small arcade with pinball and arcade games. 

While the inside is stellar, Sister Lakes shines on the outside. Off the pub is a patio with covered tables. The backyard features a huge tent and lots of picnic tables. It feels like you are at a neighborhood park, except this one serves beer and food.

10th Anniversary Festival

What started as a passion for homebrewing became Sister Lakes Brewing in 2016. The brewery is family-owned with brothers Brian, Joe, and David, along with their father, Jerry Morin. They were all on hand and full of smiles and warm welcomes. 

Each year, Sister Lakes Brewing throws a party to celebrate not only its start, but the community at large. The Morin family has long roots in the area, with Jerry’s father having purchased a cottage on Round Lake (one of the Sister Lakes) in the 1930s. Many of their relatives also live or vacation in the area. These deep ties to the area resulted in a brewery that is intensely focused on its community. I suppose that is why the Sister Lakes Anniversary party felt so much like a neighborhood cookout.

The festival included an early afternoon filled with family activities, including a petting zoo, yard games, face painting, and a tie-dye t-shirt-making tent.

As you would hope, there were plenty of excellent Sister Lakes Brewing beers and food available. Speaking of beers, while all are delicious, my go-tos were Grandpa Stormy Pilsner and Donkey’s 1st Batch Altbier. The Alt was beautifully balanced with a warm, malty finish. The pilsner was bright and sunshine clean.

Kick Out The Jams

While beer, food, fun, and games are all well and good, the cherry on top for this party was the jams.

David Gans and the Broken Angels

David Gans and the Broken Angels played a soothing set of Grateful Dead and Beatles covers laced with original music. Along the way, they explored the textures of sound from pillowy soft to fresh green meadows of melody. Joining David on stage were Janis Wallin (bass), Joe Day (keyboards), and Brett Baxter (drums). They each took turns on lead vocals, casting spells with both their instruments and their voices. 

Mr. Blotto

The mark of a great jam band is the ebb and flow. The music becomes a living being. Using communal energy, it inhales harmony and exhales melodies while bathing everything in the peace of its thrumming heart. Chicago’s Mr. Blotto is all about the ebb and flow. One look around at the crowd, and you could tell they felt it too.

The band features Paul Bolger (vocals/acoustic guitar), Mike Bolger (bass/vocals), Mark Hague (lead guitar/vocals), Steve Ball (keyboards), and Alan Baster (drums). They played an outstanding set of long-form jams, invoking the Grateful Dead at their best. All the cosmic grandeur and chill vibes topped off an exceptional celebration at Sister Lakes Brewing Company. Happy Anniversary, and here is to many more!

Pictures

Check out more photos from the Sister Lakes Brewing Company 10th Anniversary celebration in our gallery.

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