NORTH BRANCH, Mich. (WXYZ) — A new restaurant, brewery, market and more opening in Lapeer County aims to be a destination for metro Detroiters who want to escape to nature.
Bottom Creek is located in North Branch, about an hour and a half north of Detroit, on 500 acres of property originally bought by the owners' granfather.
See around the property in the video below
Danielle Conklin, one of the owners of the brewery, said her grandfather bought the land in the 1980s and after his passing, left it to the grandkids.
"So collectively, myself and my siblings decided that we wanted to create this beautiful destination place for other families to enjoy," Conklin said.
According to the family, property will be anchored by a brewery, restaurant, attached market and a courtyard with a beautiful covered pavilion.
"I think we have something a little more unique and something very special to offer the consumers outside of just coming to a brewery and having a great glass of beer," Conklin said. "We can do that, but we can do that with views and activities and getting people kind of back to nature and unplugging for a little bit."
Inside, there are two levels – a production level and then the mezzanine. Conklin said that people will walk in on the mezzanine and overlook the production floor on the lower level.
Conklin said that the family knows North Branch is a bit of a drive for people in metro Detroit, and so they knew whatever they were going to do needed to be special.
"(It) needed to be something people were going to drive for, needed something that people could really kind of make the day of it and spend hours here enjoying it with their friends, their family, their kids," she said.
The brewery will offer six beers: Ultimate Bison Lager (4.3% ABV, 10 IBU), Moose Tipper DIPA (8.5% ABV, 21 IBU), Goose Chaser IPA (7% ABV, 56.5 IBU), Pub Ale (4.7% ABV, 31 IBU), Whitetail Wit (5.4% ABV, 13.7 IBU) and Farmer Ted's Oatmeal Stout (5.6% ABV, 28.6 IBU).
The restaurant will offer a variety of burgers, pastas, entrees, sides, sandwiches, salads and more.
On top of the brewery and restaurant, there will be two concession stand-like spots on the property that will be open on weekends. One concession stand will serve just beer and cocktails, while another will also food, beer and cocktails.
"So if you are just wanting to hang out at a picnic table by the lake, you can walk up to that concession stand window, you can place your order and you'll be able to pick up your food order and kind of eat it wherever you'd like on the property," Conklin said.
She told us that there's no other place like Bottom Creek.
"This place was so special, and truly to feel what we feel when we're out here, you really have to come and experience it for yourself and you'll know exactly what we mean when there's no other place like it," Conklin said.
The brewery and restaurant officially open on July 11. The plan is to be open Wednesday through Sunday. Bottom Creek is located at 5772 Old State Rd. in North Branch.
