Arcadia Brewing Co.
Client Brewer
in Elk Rapids,
Michigan,
United States 🇺🇸
Owned by
Short's Brewing Company
Associated with 2 Venues
Established in 1996
In 1996, our first 25 barrel batch was brewed on a Brick Kettle Brewing System from England at our Battle Creek, MI location. Fast-forward – today every batch is produced in our 50 barrel American-made brewhouse at our Kalamazoo Riverfront Brewery, Pub and Garden. Our 20th Anniversary in 2016 ushered in a new era of brewing possibilities with the installation of two new 100bbl closed fermentation tanks giving us the ability to use new yeast strains while we continue to brew classic Arcadia Ales using our distinctive, proprietary yeast strain in our traditional, open fermenters. The ability to brew with new yeast strains opens up the Arcadia Brewing Company portfolio of offerings, allowing our brewers to be creative in ways that were not previously accessible and broadening the scope of beers produced. With these changes, we still keep our promise to use only the finest domestic and English malted barley, along with the highest quality hops available from the Pacific Northwest and Michigan.
Admin Note: Formerly named Arcadia Brewing Co. In the spring of 2014, Arcadia completed a new production facility in Kalamazoo, MI. The Battle Creek facility closed in 2016. The company ceased all operations in September 2019.
In June 2020, the Superfluid Supply Co. division of Short's Brewing announced its purchase of Arcadia's beer brands and intellectual property. Whitsun Ale was the first release with plans to resurrect other recipes in the future as well.
maniac (11822) reviewed Loch Down from Arcadia Brewing Co. 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Dark brown body with a small creamy tan head. Sweet slightly tart rum soaked fruit aroma. Sweet caramel, molassas, and rum soaked fruit flavor. --- Beer merged from original tick of Loch Down Scotch Ale on 22 May 2017 at 21:24 - Score: 7. Original review text: Clear dark brown mod med cream tan head. Toffee bready arma. Toffee caramel bready flav. Med full bod mod carb. 7/4/7/3/13 3.4
Hibba (858) reviewed Imperial Stout from Arcadia Brewing Co. 19 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle into glass, pours a dark dark brown, you can smell the richness...dark roasted malt and hazelnut with a bit of mocha and dark chocolate...toasty and tasty coffee beans in their liquid form, enhanced with some alcohol and sweetness..yummy...:)
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
Quite dark, but not the darkest. It showed some red-brown at the edges of the glass. Minimal head. Unusual aroma for an impy: oxidized (more cardboard than sherry unfortunately) burnt chocolate milk. There’s a sinus burn from alcohol, possible fusels. Heavily roasted flavor up front, moderately acrid. I’m not getting the fruits other raters have mentioned - rather it seems all ashy roast with perhaps a touch of licorice. Pretty one-dimensional, reminds me of Siberian Night in this regard. Oily palate, lingering hoppy bitter finish.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
Pour is a dark woth with a smallish white head. Aroma is extrelemy hoppy for an old ale but this only helps. I also get some caramel and yeast. Flavor is very much dark fruit with some caramel and molasses. Very tasty and easy to drink. Alcohol does not get in the way.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Ok, I am at least keeping the bottle for the rating. This is not a company I am particularly fond but I decided to try this one none the less. Sampled from a 22 oz brown bottle this beer poured a murky dark brown color with a large tan head. The aroma was rather faint but had elements of sweet caramel and molasses. The flavor was bitter, and fruity at first followed by a sweet caramel, molasses and ripe fruit element. and finishing with a dry and somewhat bitter roasty chocolate. Fairly complex and interesting though I found that I enjoyed the beer less and less with each sip.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
I am officially done with Arcadia, this is my last stop on the Battle Creek express. Ths was the first Arcadia beer that caught my eye a while ago. On my jouney to this beer I made a few stops, which were really disappointing. It reached an apex at the Scotch Ale, which I really dislike and unfortunately I see similar characteristics in this beer. The aroma is high on "bean," best way I can describe it. A grassy hop, which is a turn off as welland some faint bleach like aroma. The worst part is there is some good roastiness that gets muddled in all this. The taste is fine enough with full roastiness and a slight herbal hop finish. Carbonation is average, medium body and a coffee aftertaste. From now I will save my pennies for a different brewery.
cheap (9607) reviewed Starboard Stout from Arcadia Brewing Co. 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5
A new arrival at my local beer store, the Beer Store in Moon. Starboard Stout by Arcadia. Now that I know it’s a sweet stout, things are looking up. 12 oz brown bottle. Pop the lid and you get a notable stout aroma laced with the effluvium of chocolate milk. Opaque blackish brown and the head is dark tan, almost brown. Lots of baronial streaming bubbles can be seen rising on the inside of the glass. Makes me think about the streams I can’t see due to the opaqueness. Very wallah initial impressions on the taste buds, a creamy roastyness that is easy to enjoy. There are some overly roasted (burnt?) bitter hints laying in wait behind the major flavors. This gradually builds to leave a burned wet wood paresthesia at the back of your throat. Nice palate and the carbonation is just about right. Very nice colorful lacing rides the side of the glass, and that brown color foam makes it ludic to watch. Overall this is a decent brew, mostly because I really enjoy the sweet stout style. Not quite as good as Mackeson, Wild goose or Sammy Smiths but much better than Bells Cherry Stout. On par with Bells Double Cream and Mendicino Winter ale. Finish is not bad considering the building medium incondite bitterness on the back of the tongue.
radagast83 (13601) reviewed London Style Porter from Arcadia Brewing Co. 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Bottle. Dark brown. Aroma is that of chocolate and roastedness. Flavor is a nice blend of malts, chocolate, cream, and caramels. I initially wasn’t sure about this one, but this is one solid porter. Alcohol is well masked.
Frothingslosh (19444) reviewed Cocoa Loco from Arcadia Brewing Co. 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6
Sampled on draft at Rivertowne Inn in North Huntingdon PA this beer poured a black color with a small tan head. The aroma was lightly sweet and roasty with a floral hop undertone. The flavor was bitter and roasty with a lactose like element and a fairly strong alcohol burn. There is a hint of chocolate that comes through on the long and bitter finish. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy though a little thinner than I expected. A bit more chocolate comes out as the beer warms but the chocolate is rather subtle given the name.
maniac (11822) reviewed Nut Brown Ale from Arcadia Brewing Co. 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Clear deep ruby body with a small off-white head. Sweet nutty aroma. Dry caramel and nutty flavor.