Welcome to Dark Horse Brewing one of my favorite breweries in Michigan. Located in Marshall, it is A mere 30 minute drive for us, so Mark and I visit often.
When you drive into the compound, you will note there are several buildings. As there business has grown, they have expanded. The owner is a very creative guy. He gets an idea, pitches it to his Team, and BAM it is a reality.
At the front of the compound is Dark Horse Commons. It has baked goods, house roasted coffee/beans and ice cream. I once had a Plead The 5th beer ice cream from the commons. Yum!
I love to stop in to see what they have because it’s always different. Yesterday I got a cup of Avacado Basil ice cream, it was really tasty. Mark had “Billy’s Blue Balls” which was, of course, blueberry.
In addition to the original Bar, they have added a Merch store that sells their beer, DH clothing and miscellaneous DH items.
When the weather is nice, I enjoy hanging out in the Biergarten. It has it’s own outdoor bar and ample space for plenty of people to spread out. There are little picnic tables for kids and it is dog friendly. The Biergarten offers a crows nest deck, a shaded area below, an outdoor stage and the regular garden tables.
Dark Horse has a wood fired pizza oven and offers some interesting pizza combinations. Additionally you can get salads, sandwiches, soups and apps. On this trip we had Spinachoke Dip with flatbread and Saviticus which is a garlic cheese bread with bacon and jalapeños.
What’s fun to me about Microbreweries, is that they have an ever changing menu, There is always something new. I LOVE trying new things. The outdoor bar doesn’t have the full beer lineup, but if there is something you want then you just go grab it inside and bring it out with you. I wanted to try this limited release New Zebedee Supernaturale, when I went in to grab it I ended up coming out with Jam Session as well. Mark just shook his head. Lol, variety is the spice of life!
Take a moment to follow this link to the description for this beer. It also includes the story of the movie that inspired it.
That’s another thing I love about microbreweries, they are fun loving creative people. Always coming up with crazy new beer recipes and zany new labels. But at Dark Horse, they also throw down some killer events all year long.
Some Dark Horse Events
- The Chicken Wing Thing
- Staff Brew Off
- The DH Smoke Off
- Crawfish Boil
- Donut and Beer Pairings
- And so many more
4 Elf is a spiced winter Ale they make at DH and every year in December they throw the 4 Elf Party. (Note the ad above, those Elves look a lot like the Brewing Team!) Admission is $5 or Free if you dress like an Elf of some kind. People get very imaginative with their Elfware! They turn the compound into a tent city. You buy tickets for beer but the appetizers are included all day and night. Not your ordinary apps, they pull out all the stops….right up to the alligator. They also bring out so many special edition and unique beers for this in addition to their regular lineup (hmmm….not sure ‘regular’ should ever be used in a description about Dark Horse). While your hanging out with a few hundred of your Elf friends drinking awesome beer and eating amazing food, some of the best bands are jamming out on stage.
Last year I used some of my IHG points for a free Hotel night in Marshall and rode in the most unusual Lyft.
So if you like craft beer, zany activities and great food you should visit Dark Horse Brewing in Marshall, Michigan!
The World According to Dev 