Marquette brewery gets national recognition

What's happening: Blackrocks Brewery has been named one of the top 25 breweries in the nation by VinePair, a national digital media company that covers news and trends in the drink industry. The honor was cited in a recently published article, "The 25 Best Breweries in the Country Right Now, According to Beer Bars."  The microbrewery was recommended by HopCat Beverage Manager Justin Pollock. Blackrocks has been a staple at the West Michigan chain bar and restaurant.

How it happened: Blackrocks was included for its regularly available keg offerings, namely its Grand Rabbits cream ale. This is the first time the brewery has been included in any national recognition list for quality and success. Blackrocks was named a top U.P. brewery by the Detroit Free Press in 2019 and listed among the top Michigan breweries by brewing groups Matador and Bison Brew in 2022. 

What they're saying: “There’s a ton of great beer coming out of the U.P., but the guys at Blackrocks Brewery in Marquette have been doing something special for a while now. We regularly pour Grand Rabbits, a dry-hopped cream ale that is equal parts gentle and crisp,” Pollock said. “(Blackrocks co-founders) David Manson, Andy Langlois, and team consistently put out really high-quality beer, and that’s important, but they’re also just really damn nice people and for that, they’ll always have a handle at our place.”

What's a premium beer bar: Finding a bar that has numerous tap lines dedicated to some of the finest American beers is difficult to find in the Upper Peninsula. HopCat, for example, has locations across the lower peninsula but none in the U.P. While there are many microbreweries to sample across the region, those taprooms are only available to beer produced by the company based on Michigan liquor licensing laws. Finding more social gimmicks like karaoke or focusing on a better food menu usually classifies most local watering holes in a different category.

Representing the area: Blackrocks was the only Michigan brewery included on the list. It was also only one of two Midwest breweries to be recognized, listed alongside CLAG Brewing in Sandusky, Ohio. Most of the other breweries were from either major cities or from Colorado and Washington.