Drinks · Weekend

Oakland County Brew Weekend: Ferndale Taprooms to a Rochester Brewpub

Ferndale taprooms, mead and house-distilled cocktails, Michigan's oldest comedy club, then Sunday at a brewpub inside an old Rochester knitting mill.

stops: 9
length: Weekend
areas: 5

Ferndale and Royal Oak sit side by side on Woodward just north of the city line, and both are full of places that pour what they make. Spend Saturday tasting your way across Ferndale, laugh it off at Michigan's oldest comedy club, then head up to Rochester on Sunday for a Dodge-family mansion and a brewpub in an old mill. One rule: whoever's drinking isn't driving.

Saturday: Ferndale and Royal Oak

12:00
Urbanrest Brewing Company
Ferndale — Metro Detroit
Kick off in a roomy brewery taproom on Wolcott Street, where you sit right next to the brewing gear. Order tasting pours, check the food-truck calendar, and grab a board of local cheese and meat to line your stomach for the day.

Short ride across Ferndale to Jarvis Street.
13:45
B. Nektar Taproom
Ferndale — Metro Detroit
B. Nektar has been making mead in Ferndale since 2006, and this is where the day takes a turn away from the usual beer bar: meads, ciders, experimental pours and non-alcoholic options too. Outside food is welcome.

Short ride over to Livernois Avenue.
15:15
Ferndale Project
Ferndale — Metro Detroit
Ferndale Project is where the experimental stuff lives: fruit-forward sours, stouts and lighter styles, with Eastern Market Brewing's flagship beers on tap alongside, plus food on site. Check the current tap list before you go.

Short ride into downtown Ferndale, to Vester Avenue.
17:00
Belle's Lounge by Valentine Distilling
Ferndale — Metro Detroit
Time to switch from beer to cocktails: Belle's is Valentine Distilling's lounge, and every drink is built on spirits made at the nearby distillery. This is the cocktail spot; distillery tours run separately at the Wanda Street plant and need booking.

Short ride north on Woodward into downtown Royal Oak.
19:30
Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle
Royal Oak
Catch a stand-up show at Michigan's oldest continuously operating comedy club. Mark Ridley opened it in 1979, it's been in Royal Oak since 1990, and a young Tim Allen worked out his act on this stage. Book on the club's site, where you'll see who's on.

Walk through downtown up to North Main Street.
22:00
Hyatt Place Detroit/Royal Oak
Royal Oak · Downtown (North Main Street)
Hyatt Place sits on North Main Street within walking distance of downtown Royal Oak's bars, so nobody needs to drive after the show. Breakfast is included, which you'll appreciate on Sunday morning.

Sunday morning, drive north to Rochester Hills.

Sunday: Rochester

10:30
Meadow Brook Hall
Rochester Hills
Before the next pint: John Dodge's widow, Matilda Dodge Wilson, built this 88,000-square-foot Tudor Revival mansion between 1926 and 1929. It's now a house museum on the Oakland University campus that still holds most of its original furniture and art. Check tour times on the official site.

Short drive into downtown Rochester, to Water Street.
13:00
Rochester Mills Beer Co.
Downtown Rochester
Lunch and a pint in an old knitting mill: Rochester Mills has brewed its own ales and lagers in the Western Knitting Mill building since 1998, with the original hardwood floors, exposed brick and wooden beams still in place, plus pool tables and a patio.

A few minutes' walk to Main Street.
15:30
O'Connor's Public House
Downtown Rochester
Wrap up at an Irish pub on Rochester's Main Street that runs its own live music calendar. Check who's playing on the pub's music page, and if you're the driver, this is your soda stop.

Head back toward Detroit from here; anyone who's been drinking takes a cab.

Good to know

Start small: Urbanrest pours tasting-size glasses, so you'll still remember the lineup by dinner.
Hop between Ferndale stops by cab or a short ride, and book your bed in Royal Oak so you can walk home after the comedy show.
B. Nektar lets you bring your own food, so grab a sandwich to go on the way in.
Check the Comedy Castle lineup and Meadow Brook Hall tour times on their official sites before you go.