This past weekend we hauled it up to Thompsonville, Michigan (a short four drive from metro-Detroit) for a weekend of fun, friends, and of course beer! The nice folks at Crystal Mountain Resort and Spa invited us up for their second annual Michigan Beer and Brat Festival. I had never been to Crystal Mountain before, and found it adorable! A lot of the facilities looked fairly new, and beautiful bungalows dotted the village at the base of the ski hills.
This was also my first time visiting a ski resort in the spring/summer. There were actually a lot of things to do at the resort without the snow. A short walk from our condo was a heated pool and hot tub, rock wall, ice cream shop, two golf courses, restaurants, and the alpine slide. The great staff at Crystal let us take a few rides down the slides, which were embedded in the side of one of the ski hills. We took the chair lift to the top in order to battle to the bottom. I may have lost both times, and got stuck on the chair lift, but it was fun sliding down a mountain in the sun.
Although there were plenty of activities to partake in during the weekend, our main draw of coming to the resort was for the famed Michigan Beer and Brat Festival. From 2pm – 9pm on Saturday, spread across the lawn outside the main lodge, there were over 15 breweries sporting over 50 different Michigan microbrews and 5 food stands serving up gourmet brats. I never knew brats came in so many amazing flavors! From jalapeno blue cheese, to bacon and cheddar, Philly Cheese, to Oberon with orange zest, there was a style for everyone. My favorites were the white cheddar & asparagus and the morel mushroom brats.
There were several great beers to choose from to wash down all the food. Like our friends Becks and Andy from Detroit Moxie, I really enjoyed The Livery out of Benton Harbor. Their Maillot Jaune, a golden French Farmhouse Ale, was superb! Other favorites were the Coal Stokers Blackberry Ale from Mt. Pleasant Brewing Co., and the seasonal Nicie Spicie from Short’s Brewing.
The best part of the festival were all the great, smiling people! There were over 2500 guests and not all of them human. Crystal is a dog friendly resort, with several lodging options that are pet friendly. Had I known, I totally would have brought Layla, although she probably would have eaten all the brats.
We were sad to have to leave, but will definitely be back up this winter to see if Crystal is just as fun in the colder months. Thanks again to all the great people that put on the Beer and Brat Festival, it has been forever added to my summer to do list.
