5 bike and brew tours for easy, breezy, and boozy Michigan afternoons

When the weather warms up, it’s time to strap on a helmet, kick your bike pedals into high gear, and taste some of the best breweries Michigan has to offer.

Warm weather calls for two things: adventure and leisure. Now, those might sound diametrically opposed, but if you live in Michigan, where the weather is mostly agreeable from spring to fall (most of the year!), you can check both of these tasks off of your to-do list at the same time by doing a bout of biking and brewing. (Er, you won’t be doing any actual brewing, but it sounds better that way.)

What do we mean? You should take a bike ride, guided or not, and indulge in some palate-quenching beer either at the end of your journey or interspersed throughout. (Just remember to take plenty of time to sober up before hitting the streets again.) It’s the ultimate self-care, incorporating exercise, fresh air, and a skosh of alcohol into a laid-back day. You can breathe, enjoy the breeze, and simply be.

Thankfully, you don’t have to come up with your own route, either, as long as you live in or can easily visit Traverse City, Detroit, or Grand Haven, which all have organized bike-and-brew events. Here’s how you can get in on the action (and relaxing).

1. Kayak, Bike and Brew (Traverse City)

Address: 436 W Front St, Traverse City, MI 49684

Cost: $69+

Description: One of the best-known options for bicycling and imbibing in The Great Lakes State is Traverse City’s Kayak, Bike and Brew (KBB), which offers options for hitting the water, trails, and brewery just as its name suggests. KBB’s guided tours allow you to taste drinks from three different local breweries, each of which is situated near the river. The route has been carefully curated so you don’t have to trek too far in your biking or kayaking gear to get from the river to the breweries.

When you book with KBB, you meet up at the business’ storefront (cutely called The Lounge), and you depart as a group from there. Along the way, you’ll taste-test brews from Rare Bird Brewpub, Right Brain Brewery, The Filling Station Microbrewery, and more. When you’re done, you’ll debrief at The Lounge and have the opportunity to enjoy more drinks with your group.

How long do these trips last, you might ask? Well, they typically last between four and five hours, as KBB doesn’t want to rush you on the road (or the river) or through your drinks. The tours typically start at 10:30 in the morning and end around 3 in the afternoon.

Overall, KBB appears to be a reliable option for enjoying a sunny day. Its online reviews are mostly positive, though folks have commented that you may not enjoy it as much if you don’t love beer since the tour is heavy on enjoying drinks. “I had so much fun on this tour! The bike was easy and scenic,” one reviewer wrote. “The breweries were all different and had a great selection.” What’s more, enough time is scheduled for the tour that you’re even able to grab some grub at the breweries to really put these local establishments’ mettle to the test, which reviewers seem to enjoy.

2. Michigan Brew Tours (Detroit)

Address: Lagerhaus No. 5 (1529 Adelaide St, Detroit, MI 48207)

Cost: $79

Description: Michigan Brew Tours offers a variety of tours, but one of the most interesting ones in its ranks is the Detroit Beer History Biking Tour. On this tour, you get to taste some of the best brews that Motor City has to offer. You get to check out a few local breweries and learn a lot about Detroit’s brewing history, which is actually deeper than you may realize. For example, according to the Detroit Historical Society, the city’s “first recognized brewer” began calling Detroit home in 1706, and the rest is history.

The Detroit Beer History Biking Tour lasts for four hours (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.), giving you plenty of time to soak up the sun and some new fun facts without rushing through your drinks. According to the event’s Eventbrite page, you should expect to bike for 7.5 miles on this tour, and you’ll be led by the company’s founder, John Turnage. What will you be tasting? We’re so glad you asked. On this tour, you’ll stop for fine local brews at Pfeiffer Brewing Co., Atwater Brewing Detroit, and more.

Note: This tour is only offered on occasion, so you’ll want to keep an eye on Michigan Brew Tours’ website for upcoming dates. At the time of writing, the next bike tours are scheduled for July 28 and September 21, 2024.

3. Mi Bike Tours (Grand Haven)

Address: 1434 Colfax Ave, Grand Haven, MI 49417

Cost: $50

Description: Through Mi Bike Tours, you can do a bike and coffee tour, a bike and dinner tour at sunset, and a custom one if you pay up. Oh, and did we forget the Afternoon Brew option? This three-hour tour lasts from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., giving you an idyllic afternoon escape with enough time to still enjoy your evening.

Keeping a good balance of leisure and activity, this tour will see you visit three breweries across Grand Haven: Grand Armory Brewing, Odd Side Ales, and Burzurk Brewing Company. The best part, though, if you ask us is that you end the tour at Norm’s Ice Cream, letting you cleanse your palate with everyone’s favorite frozen dessert. What could be more perfect on a warm day after bicycling for a few hours?

Folks who have completed the beer tour through Mi Bike Tours appear to love it. The tour’s Tripadvisor only has 10 reviews logged at the time of writing, but all 10 reviews have given the 10 a perfect 5-star rating. “We had so much fun on this tour! … Great way to get some exercise and enjoy the town’s spots! Highly recommend!” one user wrote in their review.

What’s more, many of the reviewers note that they particularly adored their tour guides for their wealth of knowledge of the area and their patience with folks having various levels of biking experience and stamina. One user even reported finding coffee to drink because they don’t drink beer — and that they still had the best time. Overall, it seems like this bike and brew tour is a surefire hit.

4. TC Cycle Pub (Traverse City)

Address: 642 Railroad Pl, Traverse City, MI 49686

Cost: $250-$399

Description: TC Cycle Pub’s beer-and-bike tour is a little different than the others on this list. Instead of everyone operating their own bikes, everyone must work together with their pedaling to propel a large bike that fits between seven and 14 people. This is why this tour appears, at least at first glance, to have such a steep price tag compared to the others on this list. The price covers the entire group — TC Cycle Pub doesn’t book individual seats — so you’re actually only paying a fraction of the price listed above. 

Don’t worry; we did the math so you don’t have to. If the day you go is on the lower end of the business’ scale, you can expect to pay about $36 per person for a group of seven or about $18 for a group of 14. At the highest price, you’re looking at $57 per person for a group of seven or about 29 for a group of 14. Not bad, and you’re not bringing your own bike like at other places! Don’t worry if you have a smaller group, either, as TC Cycle Pub offers Circle Cycle tours, which are literally shaped in a circle and can host as few as four people. For a group of four to eight people, you can expect to pay a combined $149 to $219.

Enough talk about money, though. We’re sure you’re interested to hear what you’ll be tasting while co-pedaling this bike across the city. The bike has pretty free reign of the city, according to the company’s FAQ, and each two-hour bike ride comes with a designated driver from the company, who will aid in providing a smooth and safe experience. Still, it seems that where you go is up to your group. Watering hole options include Coin Slot Arcade Bar, The Shed Beer Garden, and The Workshop Brewing Company, though TC Cycle Pub also recommends various restaurants and dessert spots.

“We booked two of the pub cycles for my dad’s 70th birthday and it was such a hit!  Everyone from my 6 year old son to my 91 year old grandma was able to participate and have the best time,” one Google reviewer wrote of their trip, and this appears to be a resounding sentiment. Most reviews mention that the drivers are very friendly and knowledgeable.

5. Gears & Beers (Detroit)

Address: Belle Isle Boat House (E Picnic Way, Detroit, MI 48207)

Cost: $50-$75

Description: Gears & Beers is a unique entry on this list for a couple of reasons. The first is that it’s an annual event, meaning you can’t simply book and do the tour any time like you can the others. The second factor that makes it so unique is its non-guided option. At this event, there are three different routes: a non-guided 10-mile route and guided 15-mile and 25-mile routes. This way, you can choose to have a little more freedom if you’d like, though the non-guided option still comes with a detailed map to help keep you from getting too lost.

Note that the price for the event rises the closer you get to the event, so when tickets first go on sale early in the year, they’re $50, while you can pay $75 the day of the event —September 28 for 2024 — for last-minute whimsy.

Gears & Beers appears to be a well-oiled machine, providing limited bike service to event attendees should anything go awry. The event’s partnerships with local businesses also means bikers will get to taste-test beers at several establishments, as well as try food at many places. Thankfully, especially since this event can go all the way up to 35 miles (the 25-mile route notes that it actually ranges from 25 to 35), the day culminates in a pizza and drinking party for everyone to unwind after spending the day under the Detroit sun.

If this event sounds fantastic, it’s because it is, at least when poring over past attendees’ reviews. “It was a wonderful variety of food and drinks. This is an event I would like to attend next year,” one person wrote in a Groupon review. Others love how there’s a photo opportunity included with your ticket, so you’ll always have something to remember this event by. Ultimately, no matter if you choose a once-a-year event like Gears & Beers or one you can do anytime, taking a boozy trip around Michigan might just be the move this year.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.