Highest-rated beer in Michigan

Written by:
June 20, 2024
Alexey Andr Tkachenko // Shutterstock

Highest-rated beer in Michigan

After more than a decade of massive growth, the beer industry is experiencing a slowdown. According to the Brewers Association, in 2024, nationwide closings of brewpubs and taprooms outpaced openings for the first time in 14 years, and overall beer production volume decreased by 1.2%.

Changing consumer preferences factor into this decline. The convenience of ready-to-drink cocktails has increased spirits sales, but many people are simply opting to drink less. A January 2025 survey from NCSolutions found that almost half of Americans plan to cut back on their drinking in 2025.

To achieve this goal, some people are shifting to non-alcoholic drinks, including NA beers. This has created demand for higher-quality NA beers, including non-alcoholic IPAs and stouts. Other consumers are opting for moderation, looking for session beers and light beers that are still full of flavor.

That said, hop-forward beers are still popular—for example, hazy IPAs were the most popular entrant in the 2025 World Beer Cup. Fruit beers are also having a moment, with cherry and raspberry leading the pack in a 2024 report from Research and Markets, while drinkers looking for sweeter options can find brewers experimenting with candy-infused beers. Many beer makers are revisiting regional flavors on traditional styles, such as Czech pilsners, Mexican lagers, and Vienna lagers. At the same time, craft brewers continue to push the envelope to find new ways to excite beer lovers, often using unusual ingredients like sage, peppercorn, watermelon, and garlic.

Among all these different options, certain beers still appeal to hopheads more than others. Stacker compiled a list of the best beers from Michigan using data from BeerAdvocate and sorted them according to their weighted ranking. Beers without images were excluded. Only beers that made BeerAdvocate's top 100 list by state were included.

#30. Raspberry Wild One

- Rating: 4.32 (202 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 6.5%
- Brewery: Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#29. Plead The 5th Imperial Stout

- Rating: 4.30 (4,119 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Dark Horse Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#28. Night Fury - Bourbon Barrel-Aged Traxxx

- Rating: 4.34 (211 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.8%
- Brewery: Witch's Hat Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#27. Buckley Reserve #2

- Rating: 4.50 (46 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 15.0%
- Brewery: Transient Artisan Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#26. Buckley

- Rating: 4.35 (301 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 14.0%
- Brewery: Transient Artisan Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#25. Bring the Ruckley

- Rating: 4.49 (59 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 14.5%
- Brewery: Transient Artisan Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#24. Soursmith Black Raspberry

- Rating: 4.46 (76 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 5.1%
- Brewery: Arclight Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#23. Hazel's Nuts

- Rating: 4.36 (565 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Odd Side Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#22. Black Note - Vanilla

- Rating: 4.42 (127 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.5%
- Brewery: Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#21. Boss Tweed

- Rating: 4.36 (778 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 9.3%
- Brewery: Old Nation Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#20. Hipster Brunch Stout

- Rating: 4.36 (891 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Odd Side Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#19. Raspberry Eisbock

- Rating: 4.38 (1,348 ratings)
- Type: Eisbock
- ABV: 15.5%
- Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#18. M-43

- Rating: 4.39 (1,325 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.8%
- Brewery: Old Nation Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#17. Blueberry Eisbock

- Rating: 4.46 (162 ratings)
- Type: Eisbock
- ABV: 15.5%
- Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#16. Bourbon Barrel-Aged Barley Wine

- Rating: 4.42 (793 ratings)
- Type: English Barleywine
- ABV: 14.5%
- Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#15. Barrel-Aged Black Biscuit

- Rating: 4.47 (282 ratings)
- Type: Old Ale
- ABV: 11.1%
- Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#14. Kentuckley

- Rating: 4.48 (257 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 14.5%
- Brewery: Transient Artisan Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#13. Solstice Stout

- Rating: 4.50 (176 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 16.0%
- Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#12. Rye Hipster Brunch Stout

- Rating: 4.46 (498 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Odd Side Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#11. Hopslam Ale

- Rating: 4.45 (14,053 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 10.0%
- Brewery: Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#10. Expedition Stout - Bourbon Barrel-Aged

- Rating: 4.47 (810 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.4%
- Brewery: Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#9. No Rules

- Rating: 4.48 (1,423 ratings)
- Type: Imperial Porter
- ABV: 15.0%
- Brewery: Perrin Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#8. KBS - Maple Mackinac Fudge

- Rating: 4.49 (949 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#7. Canuckley

- Rating: 4.54 (226 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 14.5%
- Brewery: Transient Artisan Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#6. Breakfast Stout

- Rating: 4.51 (17,987 ratings)
- Type: Oatmeal Stout
- ABV: 8.3%
- Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#5. Plead The 5th - Bourbon Barrel-Aged

- Rating: 4.52 (3,377 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Dark Horse Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#4. Black Note Stout

- Rating: 4.54 (4,988 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.2%
- Brewery: Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#3. Fourth Dementia - Bourbon Barrel-Aged

- Rating: 4.55 (2,090 ratings)
- Type: Old Ale
- ABV: 13.6%
- Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#2. KBS

- Rating: 4.60 (14,212 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 12.0%
- Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#1. CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout)

- Rating: 4.64 (6,809 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.7%
- Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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