Wolverine State Brewing Co.

Microbrewery in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸
Associated Venue: Wolverine State Brewing Co. - Out of business

Established in 2006

Contact
2019 W Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103, United States
Description
In Michigan, we have a knack for being creative in less-than-ideal situations. Take Wolverine State Brewing Co., for example. Matt Roy and Trevor Thrall, WSBC’s founders, took a bad snowstorm, a Jeep, and a northbound route on I-75 and turned it into Michigan’s only lager-focused microbrewery.
The snowstorm delayed their trip for several hours, and, to kill the time, they started talking about the huge amount of beer they had stuffed in their cooler for their guys’ weekend. They had microbrews from all over Michigan, imports from Europe, St. Louis, and Milwaukee…
But, as they talked, they realized something was missing: a regular Michigan beer — a kickass, easily-approachable beer that all Michiganders could rejoice over. They spent the remaining hours wishing for such a thing to exist before realizing that they could either keep complaining, or they could do it themselves. And that’s how the idea for Wolverine Premium Lager, our flagship brew, was born.
A few years and a few additions later, we’re operating as the first and only all-lager microbrewery in the state of Michigan. We’re constantly pushing the envelope with what a lager can do -- we experiment with combined cultures, high-gravity lagers, and best-quality ingredients for the most balanced, unique, and innovative beers possible. Our Brewmaster, Oliver, along with brewer Karl and cellarmen Rick and Brandon, spend every day fanatically creating, caring for, and bottling each and every lager. We hope you love drinking it as much as we love making it!

Sold to new ownership in 2025, with the taproom closed, but plans to continue production and distribution of the brand.

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7.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Bottled. Poured a dark maroon brown. Some malts cereal and liquorish. Pretty good.

Tried from Bottle on 20 May 2025 at 01:40


5.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6

S: bread - light spice - biscuits A: clear copper body - fast-dying tan head T: yeastie - allspice - pretzels P: rustic - nutty - bitter throughout O: true-to-style - very malt-forward - relatively simplistic 12 ounce can - Kroger Marketplace (grocery): Southgate, Michigan - purchased: 12-November-2023 - US$10,99/mixed six pack - sampled: 23-October-2024

Tried from Can on 24 Oct 2024 at 16:26


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

On tap at the brewery. Pours a clear deep amber with a slight purple hue and a white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has slightly tart cherry, light clove and some sweet wheat underlying. Flavor has a combination of earthy wheat and light tart black cherry with a bit of sweetness backing.

Tried from Draft on 30 Aug 2024 at 17:01


8.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle. Dark brown, creamy foam. Aroma: bourbon, caramel, vanilla, a bit of metal, sweet and winey. Taste: alcohol, a lot of bourbon, caramel, very warm, vanilla, a little jam, cool brew!

Tried from Bottle on 18 Mar 2023 at 07:08


7.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

2016 bottle drunk 1/2/23. Clear dark mahogany. Beige head to ring. Chocolate bourbon, melanoidin, with vanilla and toast. Light alcohol and spice with moderate fruitiness. Soft and fruity, lots of bourbon, chocolate vanilla, spice, fruit. Fig, prune, raisin. Nicely attenuated, lots of bourbon. Hell of a lager, pushing it on the bourbon but in great shape for almost 7 years old.

Tried from Bottle on 02 Jan 2023 at 22:47


6.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Sampled from the tap at the brewery. Pours a clear deep gold with a white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has light pine and a bit of citrus rind with a bit of hay and earthy grass underlying. Flavor has earthy grass and light pine with a bit of citrus rind and hay in the finish.

Tried from Draft on 11 Jun 2022 at 21:50


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

Sampled from the tap at the brewery. Pours a clear straw yellow with a white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has a good amount of candied peach with some slightly tart apple supporting. Flavor combines light candied peach and apple with a slight tart bite underlying.

Tried from Draft on 11 Jun 2022 at 21:38


6.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Sampled from the tap at the brewery. Pours a clear amber red with a tan head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has light sweet grains and bread with just a high of hay underlying. Flavor has bread throughout with a hint of sweetness and a touch of hay backing.

Tried from Draft on 11 Jun 2022 at 21:27


6.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Sampled from the tap at the brewpub. Pours a clear amber with a copper hue and an off white head that dissipates slowly to the edges. Aroma has lots of light grains and a bit of sweetness with a good amount of bread supporting. Flavor has light sweet grains and bread with a touch of straw in the finish.

Tried from Draft on 27 Feb 2022 at 18:27


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

Sampled from the tap at the brewpub. Pours a clear gold with a white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has notes of grass and hay with a bit of straw and sweet grain underlying. Flavor has grass throughout with a hint of pine and a backbone of hay and light straw.

Tried from Draft on 27 Feb 2022 at 18:19