Kalamazoo has always been an industrial city since 1883. Gibson Guitars, Allied Paper Corporation, and Checker Motors Company have factories here. It is also known to have the best breweries and distilleries in the region.

Craft Beer Mecca

Kalamazoo’s brewing history dates back to the 1830s. The city is now the frontrunner to craft beer art, with about 15 breweries creating their own flavor. Locals loved their beer so much they’ve made a holiday for it. National Beer Day falls every 7th of April and there’s no better place to celebrate it than Kalamazoo.

We hope that this will help your Kalamazoo pub hopping and beer tour an experience to remember.

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe

Let’s get it started with the company that started the craft beer mania. In 1983, Larry Bell started brewing and opened his homebrew supply store. It operated under the name of Kalamazoo Brewing Supply Company. In 1985, He brewed the Great Lakes Amber Ale also known as the Amber Ale. Since then, Bell’s Brewery has become the trailblazer in craft beer science.

Larry Bell is an inspiration to aspiring brewers in the Great Lakes region. They were the first to open an Onsite Pub in Michigan called Bell’s Eccentric Cafe at 355 E Kalamazoo Avenue.

Hopcat

Popular not only for their craft beers, their food menu pairs with the beer menu perfectly. From burgers to fries to chicken wings, every beer lover’s favorite is on the menu.

Hopcat’s mission is to bring you a great beer. This pub offers 100 beers on tap every day and a variety of regional and global flavors in bottles. If you’re not a beer person, they feature wines and cocktails at the bar. Hopcat is a short walk from Bell’s, Arcadia, and other downtown breweries making it perfect for your next pub crawl!

It may be a beer bar but they welcome families and also offer kid’s menus. People under 21 can come in before 9 pm and smoking is only in designated areas.

Kalamazoo Beer Exchange

The pub’s ambiance came straight out of Wall Street and the NYSE. Your beer experience will never drop even if the bubbles have all gone out! They serve draught beers priced on real-time sales like in the stock market.

The occasional “market crash” would drop the beer price to it’s all-time low. It’s a relaxing place with billiard tables and a giant screen showing real-time beer prices. They also serve non-alcoholic beverages and different foods and cocktails by the bar.

Kalamazoo is a beer lover’s haven. It is also a good community with a rich history built on the backs of its workforce and industry. Kalamazoo is a beer lovers paradise.

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