Stiggs Brewery celebrates the heritage of Michigan’s north woods with delicious beer and food in a historic railway office in Boyne City.
Stiggs Brewery & Kitchen in Boyne City
Boyne City may not be the first town that comes to mind when you are thinking about the upper lower peninsula of Michigan, but it should be. This little town boasts a growing art scene and live music venue at the Freshwater Art Gallery and a lot of craft beer. In addition to a bounty of Michigan beers available at the Boyne City Tap Room and 7 Monks, you can find beer lovingly crafted at Stiggs Brewing & Kitchen.
We first met the guys from Stiggs Brewery at the Detroit Fall Beer Fest in 2017. Owner and founder Mike Castiglione (aka Stiggs) mentioned that he would be happy to give us a tour the next time we were up that way. Our recent trip to the U.P. included a stop in Petoskey on New Year’s eve, so we made plans to check out Stiggs Brewery.
It could have been the sub-zero temperatures or just that the brewery building looked fantastic in the northern twilight glow. Either way there was a romantic and inviting quality to Stiggs Brewery and we hadn’t even made it inside the door.
Stepping inside we found the space to be warm, pleasant, and captivating. With a large, sturdy bar and tables tucked along the walls, the décor is hearty and easy going.
Touring with Stiggs
We met Mike shortly after arriving and he gave us a tour of where the magic happens. The brewery building previously had been the Boyne City, Gaylord, and Alpena railroad office. It was built in 1899 and later moved to its current location at 112 S. Park Street.
Mike mentioned that they wanted to preserve the historical character of the building and pay homage to the lumber industry, which had been pivotal to the development of Boyne City. It took them two years to renovate the building. During which, he found an old ledger that a relative of his had used decades ago. You have got to love it when your relatives reach forward through time to touch you.
Stiggs Brewery is fast approaching their one-year anniversary. They have a party planned for January 20th and some barrel-aged goodness to share with their customers. Mike gave us a taste of a wonderful porter that he plans to age in some additional bourbon barrels they have acquired. This will be part of future releases to be distributed in a fun and friendly 22oz bomber bottle size. Perfect for sharing with your buddies.
Our tour also included a look at these marvelous refrigerator doors from a morgue that only cost $50 bucks! Ok, they really aren’t from a morgue, but it sounds cool right?
Beer and Food
After our tour, we headed back to our table to enjoy flights of beer and dinner. I had the Whitefish sandwich and would highly recommend it. It was like an awesome tuna fish sandwich, only way better! You can’t go wrong with any of Stiggs Brewery beers. The table favorites were the vivacious and hoppy Coldwell Banker IPA and the burly Sneaky Squirrel strong ale.
More Than Just Great Beer
As if great beer and food weren’t enough, Stiggs Brewery hosts local musicians to entertain their guests. During our visit, we checked out The Shifties LIVE featuring Nathan Bates on guitar and Josh Hall on keyboards.
The next time you hear the north calling you to come visit, head on over to Stiggs Brewery & Kitchen in Boyne City. You’ll find plenty of great beer and food served up by friendly people to make you feel right at home. Drop in the gallery for a few more pictures from our visit.
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