White Pine Trail and West Michigan Brewery Experiences ~ Brewery Vivant, Cedar Springs Brewing Company, Rockford Brewery

April 2017

At Brewery Vivant

Brewery Vivant

Brewery Vivant is a pretty cool place. The beer and food we have had has always been excellent, and this visit was no different. We shared the beer cheese pretzels and a "limited time" dessert, because the menu said the dessert paired well with Undertaker beer (which I was having). Everything was delicious, and we had our growler filled before we left. Brewery Vivant is located on Cherry Street near Eastown.

Taken from our table at Cedar Springs Brewing Company

Cedar Springs Brewing Company, Friday afternoon

We had not been overly impressed when we visited Cedar Springs Brewing Company shortly after it had opened; all aspects had been disappointing - beer, food, and service. They are listed in the new Grand Rapids Brewsader Passport, so we decided to give it another try since we were in the area. I am glad we did, because this visit was much better than our first visit. Better service, better beer, and better food. Our host told us they had recently changed the menu.

Our brews and a shared appetizer at Cedar Springs Brewing Co
Sloppy Fries - delicious!

Rockford Brewing Company, Friday afternoon

Rockford Brewing Company is located on the White Pine Trail, and they now offer a limited menu. The first time we visited, they did not offer food, although you could bring food in. We thought the beer this visit was similar to our first experience; merely "okay" with nothing particularly unique or outstanding. We did not have anything to eat, although the sandwiches looked good. The atmosphere is pleasant, and the fact that it is located adjacent to White Pine Trail makes it a great stopping point.

View from White Pine Trail north of Rockford

White Pine Trail - Rockford and Cedar Springs, Michigan

The White Pine Trail is paved from Sand Lake, Michigan to the south. The second two breweries listed in this blog post are easily accessible from the trail in Cedar Springs and Rockford, along with several restaurants and stores. Rockford Brewing Company is located next to the trail, and Cedar Springs Brewing Company is only a block and a half from the trailhead. The trail goes alongside Rouge River near downtown Rockford.

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