Round Barn Winery, Distillery & Brewery
I first got acquainted with Round Barn because my friend, Robbie, was working there as an Assistant Winemaker. He has since switched to Distilling. When we visit there, it’s fun to get a chance to tour the site and see all the interesting things they have going on behind the scenes.
Round Barn is a group of properties owned by the Moersch family in the Berrien Springs and Baroda areas of Southwest Michigan. They are a Travel Destination that is easy to get to from Michigan, Indiana or Chicago and are worth making the trip to see what they are about. It’s easy to make a day out of visiting their properties. If you choose to stay over, there are plenty of hotels in nearby St. Joseph.
Beer List
Round barn has a Beer Barn where they offer a wide variety of beer styles for you to try. You can order a pint, a flight or get cocktails made with their wine and spirits. A Signature favorite cocktail they make is the Crantini made with their DiVine Vodka and Cranberry Wine. In the summer, they also open up the lower portion of the barn to serve wine slushies and other such amazing concoctions.
Two of their year round beers are their Kolsch-style Ale and their indecision Amber Ale which is described as a copper-colored brew featuring plenty of hop character and a dark malt backbone. They also feature a wide range of rotating Seasonal Beers like the Oronoko Cocoa – a chocolate milk stout, Vacation – a Belgian Witbier, and Hop Dealer – an American IPA. Barley Fife – an English Dry Stout, Oh Rye Goodness – a Brown Rye Ale and Wood – an Oaked IPA are some of the Limited Release Beers that pop up throughout the year. Needless to say there is something for every taste.
Events
From the end of Spring through Halloween you can be Jammin’ in the Vineyard with weekend entertainment at the Round Barn. They bring in bands and food trucks so you can make a day of it. Most of their events are merely a $5 cover charge (which can be waived if you do a tasting first). The lawn is available for folks to bring in blankets or folding chairs and just hang out.
Round Barn Wine Tasting Info
If you would like to do some wine tasting, You can do a regular wine tasting at the Tasting bar in the lower area of the Round Barn. But for a very cool experience, book a seated tasting upstairs. A small group of 8-10 are seated in a private booth with their own Tasting Consultant. It costs a little more, but it’s worth it for the extra detail and attention given to the process. The girls and I did this for my 50th birthday and it was awesome.
Spirits
As I mentioned, in addition to Beer and wine, they also distill their own spirits. I always go home with a bottle of their 269 Gin, it’s so good! Very herbaceous. They also make Rum, Tequila, Whiskey, Bourbon and Vodka. They pretty much have the spirits covered.
Because they have grown so much over the years, they have expanded into the town of Baroda for their brewery production facilities. Near the production facility is The Public House, a Pub they own that features, appetizers, salads, sandwiches and a wicked pizza! I suggest if you are planning a trip to Round Barn, that you finish up with a bite to eat at the Public House.
The Public House
Every Year for the 4th of July, they have bands and cocktails behind the Public House. Baroda puts on a nice fireworks show that can be viewed quite well from this party. We have made the trip a few times and it’s always a great time.
Other Fun Facts about Round Barn
In addition to the Round Barn and the Public House, they have a Tasting Room in Union Pier. Also part of their holdings is Free Run Cellars which is a nearby winery that offers a different type of wine tasting experience. You can get top-notch food pairings matched with their exceptional small batch wines. While Round Barn offers a fun-filled lively environment, Free Run is more relaxed and sophisticated. Try both as they are only a few minutes apart on the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail.
Last year Round Barn purchased nearby Tabor Hill Winery. This offered both additional Production space and Vineyards which around Barn was in need of. The Tabor Hill site also has a Fine Dining restaurant. That brings them to 3 Wineries, a Brewery, a Distillery, 2 Restaurants, Vineyards and multiple Production areas. This makes the Collection of holdings by the Moersch family not only large, but diverse.
I have stuffed lots of links into the post to help you plan a trip out to the South West corner of the state of Michigan for a Wine Trail Adventure. When you do, make sure to include Round Barn Winery, Distillery & Brewery on your itinerary and perhaps a meal at the Public House too.
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