Boyne City Taproom Is Ready for Its 10th Anniversary

Food, drinks, and fun await

Over the decades, a number of businesses have occupied the two-story structure at 220 S. Lake St. in Boyne City. Located in the heart of downtown and a stone’s throw from Lake Charlevoix’s sparkling blue water, the Boyne City Taproom is the latest in a long line of occupants at that address, established way back in 1905.

According to Rich Bergmann, who along with Aaron Hagen owns the taproom, the building’s first occupant was Boyne City Hardware, which operated through the 1940s. The outdoor deck on the structure’s south side was once home to Shaw-Naylor Coal & Ice Co.

But while Boyne City Hardware (est. 1975) still operates nearby, the coal and ice company, along with several other bars and restaurants that inhabited the high-ceilinged space from the 1960s on, are long gone. Some of those defunct businesses included Northern Table, Tannery, Coopers, 220, and The Thirsty Goat.

Bergmann and Hagen, who also own the Bridge Street Taproom in Charlevoix, planted their brewery here in 2016, and they’re now preparing to celebrate the Boyne City Taproom’s 10th anniversary.

The Drinks

Serving mostly Michigan based beers and a satisfyingly broad array of shareables, sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and salads, this taproom has a little something for everyone…and the long L-shaped bar is softly lit and welcoming on a cold winter night.

In terms of beer, Mitten State brews are prominently featured. For starters, there’s Big Lake Brewing’s (Holland) 7th Street IPA and Wild Berry Haze IPA. Ludington Bay Brewing Co.’s James Street Brown occupies one of this bar’s 40 taps, as does Austin Brothers Beer Co.’s (Alpena) Woody Wheat. And what Michigan beer menu would be complete without a wee dram of a Short’s Brewing beverage? Alongside dozens of other beers and ciders is, of course, Short’s Locals Light.

Michigan ciders and an Indiana barleywine are also represented via Blake’s Hard Cider Co.’s (Armada) Original Classic Apple Cider, Bee Well Meadery’s (Bellaire) Comfortably Plum cider, and 3 Floyds Brewing’s (Munster, Ind.) American Barleywine, among others.

All these options are reinforced by a curated wine list and a fully stocked bar showcasing a selection of signature cocktails, mocktails, and NA beers.

In fact, a growing segment of the taproom’s business—as it may be in many bars, breweries and party stores across America—is alcohol-free drinks. Some in younger generations are turning away from alcohol use, giving rise to these “virgin” cocktails. Hagen says his wife, Madison, heads up the bar’s mocktail program in both Boyne City and Charlevoix taprooms.

“Mocktails are huge,” Hagen explains. “Our program has changed and evolved, and it’s really doing great.”

The Food

With everyone’s thirst so thoroughly sated, it’s on to the excellent food selection. Boyne City Taproom’s menu is pretty extensive, and it shares similarities with its Bridge Street Taproom sister in Charlevoix.

We browsed all the shareables, entrees, quesadillas, wraps, burgers, soups, and salads before landing on the onion ring basket as a starter. These hefty rings are dynamite with beer and are magnificent when carelessly plunged into their accompanying Taproom Sauce, a creamy dipping concoction that issues a tiny, tasty kick.

For the main course we chose the Rich Ragin’ Grilled Cheese, with its lightly toasted sourdough bread bookending layers of stretchy, stringy smoked gouda and provolone cheeses, thick smoky bacon, and creamy avocado. The onions, jalapeños, and sriracha aioli, deliver a tasty triple punch, but not enough to KO our taste buds. With the hearty sandwich, we opted for the house-made potato chips as a side, though there are a number of other sides available.

The other must-have in the sandwich category is the House Burger. This thick, 8-oz. Certified Angus Beef patty is expertly cooked-to-order and has a fresh and pronounced grilled beef flavor that parlays well with the fresh brioche bun. Served with a haystack of sizzling fries and a good local beer, this is northern Michigan winter dining at its finest.

The entrees take things up a notch: blackened salmon on a bed of rice with vegetables and black bean corn pico; 12 oz. bone-in pork ribeye seared and glazed with garlic teriyaki; Loaded Mac with brisket, bacon, sautéed peppers, onions, and jalapeños in a creamy cheddar mac and cheese on cavatappi noodles, and more.

The Fun

There are things to do at Boyne City Taproom besides eat and drink as well. According to co-owner Aaron Hagen, the taproom hosts monthly beer dinners ($40-$60), which highlight the popular beers of various Michigan breweries as they’re served with menu items not seen on the regular menu. The brewery welcomed an owner of Stormcloud Brewing Company (Frankfort) at its February event.

“[Beer dinners] give our chefs a creative avenue to showcase their skills,” Hagen says. “We do a great job pairing those [special menu items] with beers the breweries want to showcase. Last time we filled the dining room and it was tons of fun.”

Last month’s beer dinner ($40) started off with a welcome beer, then proceeded through four additional food/beer courses. For example, the first pairing featured Stormcloud’s Rainmaker Pale Ale with Siu Mai Chinese Dumplings, while the second food offering featured lemongrass shrimp and the Stormcloud’s 228 Belgian Triple, and so on.

Other events occur at the taproom, too. On the night we visited, they were hosting a succulent plants presentation that drew over 40 people. Attendees heard a short lecture from an expert and even traded some of the plants among themselves—all while enjoying a range of wines, meats, cheeses, fruits, and the entree, fresh sushi.

In fact, that night was one of the Boyne City Taproom’s first public experiments with sushi, and they’ve since added it as a regular Wednesday night special.

Find Boyne City Taproom at 220 S Lake St. in Boyne City. (231) 459-4487; bctaproom.com

View On Our Website