Arcadia Brewing Co.

Client Brewer in Elk Rapids, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸
Owned by Short's Brewing Company
Associated with 2 Venues

Established in 1996

Contact
211 Industrial Park Dr, Elk Rapids, MI, 49629, United States
Description
For over 20 years, Arcadia Ales has been committed to a British Inspired – American Brewed stable of beers. We aspire to brew beers that achieve brilliance through balance – ales that satisfy the senses with complex flavor while providing pure refreshment that leaves you wanting more.

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.

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7.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Bottled. Frpm Indianapolis August 2004. Deep black stout with a brown creamy head. Smell of vanilla fudge as soon as bottle is opened. Sweet cacao and licorice in aroma, with notes of alcohol and roasted coffee. Roasted coffee and sweet smokey malt with pleasant lactic notes with alcohol coming out very discreetly. Licorice comes out as beer warms up. Very smooth and restrained. Yummy IS!

Tried from Bottle on 13 Feb 2005 at 16:23


7
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

I got this one in my beer club. I have never heard of the brewer before. Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer pours a bronze color with a small tan head. The aroma is strong, bitter and grapefruity. The flavor is light malt, a hint of nut and strong sour grapefruit. The flavor fades a bit weakly on the finish. A decent IPA but nothing special.

Tried from Bottle on 04 Feb 2005 at 15:26


7.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

A pitch black beer with a disappearing dark brown head. Both the aroma and flavor are sweet with notes of chocolate and roasted malt.

Tried on 17 Jan 2005 at 14:23


5.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Pour is almost jet black with a small brown head. Aroma is faint but you get some malts in there. Flavor is chocolate malts with some nutty aftertaste. Decent.

Tried on 04 Jan 2005 at 17:48


8
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle Pours black with dark brown edges nd a very robust creamy tan head. The smokey bittersweet chocolate aroma is right up front. There is also a bit of that porter sour tang as well. Falvors are a nice busy, multi-faceted medley of smoke, coffee dark woody notes and a little sweet spicey flavor. Fairly dry, and not heavy but smooth and easy on the carbonation. Pleasant, no surprises trailer that is slighlty dry. I had a few dissapointing porters lately, this one restores my faith in the style. Thanks Secret Santa whomever you are.

Tried from Bottle on 25 Dec 2004 at 20:15


6.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

This beer is a dark copper color with a medium beige head that disappeared rapidly. Thin and sticky lacing. The aroma is fruity, with some citrus hops and spice. Medium-bodied with a somewhat off-balance flavor profile. Piney hops, sour fruit and malt don’t seem to gel much. The finish is pine and grapefruit, with a sourness that is difficult to characterize. Not a bad beer by any means, and maybe I missed something but this beer just didn’t click for me on some levels.

Tried on 20 Dec 2004 at 11:57


8.5
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle Pours a very thick black witha dense creamy brown head and lacing that is thick, fine and resiliant. Aroma is a rich chocolately, licorice with plenty of molassas and an marked but not over powering alcohol note. Flavors are sharp smokey and quite bitter. They seem to work together well though and the feel is very smooth. Finish is bitter and of charcoal but somewhat short lived and clean. Very nice brew. Thanks to Secret Santa !

Tried from Bottle on 11 Dec 2004 at 23:58


7.9
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle. Well, MBG Festival mystery still unsolved, but since it says Batch 999 right on the label, I’m rating this one right here. Pours a very strong reddish-copper-amber. Large bubbles, good light beige head, bottle condtioned and unfiltered. What’s with all of the 3 and 4 appearance ratings?? This stuff is bottle conditioned, unfiltered, has a large head, lacing and a wonderfully deep red-amber appearance. Aroma of soily, spicy hops, not terribly bitter, or citric, just extremely juicy. Has that hop-tea sort of aroma, like you are smelling the very leaves that have been boiled. Flavor is bold at first, with spicy hops up front, followed by biscuity malt, light doughy chewiness, more spicy hops notes, and finally a good dose of sweet malty backbone. I have the distinct flavor of honey lingering on the aftertaste on my palate. This is one of the best finishes/aftertastes I’ve had in a while. Medium-full body, no wateriness or thinning. Quite resemblant to the LaConner dry hopped IPA (not as bitter) but similar malt structure (if a touch sweeter than laconner) with an equally good body. No alcohol notes perceptible. Fantastic stuff, wish I had bought the whole six pack.Rerate bottle, in a blind IPA tasting I picked this one as my least favorite of the 5 (this, stone, victory, smutty, bear republic) which is strange. Granted, none of them were particularly bad, so this wasnt terrible. Though I thought it would shine through more, especially as I just had it. It seemed much more aggressive last time. Much more mellow, light bitterness and candied flavors, dry toasty notes, some astringency problems, much less flavorful than I recall. Hmm. I’m going to knock it down a few points, but yet another rerate is in order.
Earlier Rating: 8/4/2004 Total Score: 2.8
2004 draught at the MBG beer fest. batch 999. Pours a light orange almost honey yellow-golden. Moderate but fleeting white head. Smells lightly spicy, quite floral and dry, with some paperiness. Hops are quite refined and toned down, no juicy fresh hops bitterness or piny/sap delight here, but that’s ok. Still smells pretty tasty. Flavor begins with a dry, lightly phenolic/alcoholic shot, which quickly develops in to a grassy/herbal hops flavor. This beer is quite the hops adventure, never getting too bitter or absurd, but never really disappearing either. Unfortunately, the malt was fleeting and in the extreme background. What I found was a light honey flavor that sort of lingered on the palate along with the hops. Interesting and hoppy, but didnt make anyone that I sampled with go back for more.

Tried from Bottle on 06 Dec 2004 at 19:06


7.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Orange-red body, lots of tiny yeast particles. Thin/medium off-white head. Caramely aroma with lots of piney, spicy hops and citrus, creating a perfumey iced-tea quality. Flavor is very fruity, caramely and sweet with plenty of bitter earthy hops in the finish. The hops, despite being strong, do not assault the palate. Long aftertaste. Not a bitter (please change this!) and probably not a Double IPA as has been suggested; this is simply a very tasty regular ol’ IPA in my book.

Tried on 23 Nov 2004 at 14:21


5.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5

Clear copper coloured body with a very thin off-white head. Aroma of pale malt, old hops (this bottle is over a year old), caramel and some cardboard. Light-bodied; Strong astringent hops with some floral qualities and little else. A decent maltiness roams long with some hops that finish strong and bitter. Aftertaste is pungent hops and very little else. Overall, a decent beer, not a great bitter, but good enough to get an average score. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased by my mom from Merchant’s in Dearborn, Michigan on 12-November-2004.

Tried from Bottle on 12 Nov 2004 at 23:41