Here are 5 Michigan breweries to watch in 2020

Brian Manzullo | Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Craft beer in Michigan: Quick facts Quick facts about craft beer in Michigan.

It's safe to say 2019 was a turbulent year in the beer world.

While plenty of new craft breweries opened up around the state of Michigan, several others have closed — and others have merged. We saw the state's largest brewery, Founders Brewing Co., sell out to a Spanish beer company and settle a racial discrimination lawsuit that made national headlines. We saw hard seltzer storm into the nightlife scene and cut into the craft beverage market, forcing breweries to adapt with their own lighter-carb options — even Bell's.

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But make no mistake about it: While we may not be seeing the same staggering growth in craft beer we saw earlier this decade, we have never had as many craft beverage options as readily available as we do today. And it's only going to get better as craft breweries discover new, unconventional styles that excite our palates.

Given Michigan's status as one of America's richest beer states, you'll have no problem finding excellent, innovative beer no matter where you go in 2020. But here are five breweries planning big things that you should know about.

Eastern Market Brewing Co.

2019 was a noteworthy year for 3-year-old Eastern Market. 2020 looks to be even bigger for one of the Detroit area's fastest growing breweries.

Last September, Eastern Market Brewing Co. acquired Axle Brewing Co., with plans to open a new taproom at Axle's former Livernois Tap. It plans to bring "creative, progressive and unconventional" beers to the bustling Detroit suburb.

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Since then, plans have been coming together for the taproom; it's now dubbed "Ferndale Project" and is slated to open in February. It now has a head brewer, Michael Kelly, who previously brewed at Ascension Brewing Co. in Novi (more on them later). It has a logo and its own unique merchandise, plus a Facebook page where fans can follow its progress.

While the question remains whether Eastern Market can succeed in an area where Axle didn't, the expansion will allow Eastern Market, known for its hazy Elephant Juice New England IPA (7% ABV) and sour Shock Tart series, to triple its beer production and add new and different styles to its well regarded portfolio.

There are also plans to expand Eastern Market's original 2515 Riopelle location. Dayne Bartscht, managing partner of Eastern Market Brewing Co., said the brewery plans to renovate its event space at 1483 Winder, essentially expanding the taproom out to Winder Street, next to the shuttered BB's Butchers Inn.

Brew Detroit

Though most of the brewing at Brew Detroit is done for other breweries, the 4-year-old contract brewery at 1401 Abbott is making a name for itself with its own brands, several of which you can find in cans at many beer stores.

Cerveza Delray (4.2% ABV) remains one of the most dependable Mexican-style lagers brewed in Michigan, and Yum-Town (4.7%) — a cherry-lime Mexican lager — is a must-try for all light beer fans. It's especially refreshing during the summer with a near-perfect amount of sweetness.

But the beer that's really making noise of late, perhaps because it's wintertime in Michigan, is Cold Brew Detroit (5.8%), a seasonal coffee stout. It's brewed with fresh steeped Germack coffee and flaked oats, and comes with different variants: Churro, Horchata and Mocha Habanero. It's been a hit among enthusiasts this year — the original Cold Brew Detroit has a 3.9 average rating on Untappd — and Brew Detroit has already announced it will return next year with new variants.

(On that note: If you see it on tap, the bourbon barrel-aged version of Cold Brew Detroit is fantastic. At 11.5% ABV, it's quite bold and boozy, but features succulent coffee, chocolate and vanilla notes, with a nice heated finish.)

Also coming in 2020: A new Detroit City FC beer. The now-professional soccer club is co-branding a beer with Brew Detroit called Bring Out Your Dead, a "crushable" session IPA taking the place of Axle Brewing's City American Pale Ale. The brewery will host a release party for Bring Out Your Dead on Feb. 1, 2020, at its Corktown taproom.

Ascension Brewing Co.

If you're looking for the biggest, boldest barrel-aged stout in Michigan today, you might find it at this fast-rising brewery in Novi.

It comes in the form of Gorilla Juice, and it packs a wallop: All its variants hover in the 16-18% ABV range, which means one glass will knock you on your butt. And all of them are deep, creamy and smooth.

We wrote about Ascension during Summer Beer Festival in Ypsilanti, where founder/owner Adam Czap and crew served samples of their Peanut Butter Gorilla Juice, a 16%-ABV stout brewed with peanut butter, vanilla beans and cacao nibs, aged in bourbon barrels for at least six months. It was among the best beers at the festival.

This month, the seasonal Gorilla Juice series returned in full force, with new variants such as Double Marshmallow and Cookies Or Better — both of which rate better than 4.35 on Untappd — and a release party that hosted hundreds of craft beer enthusiasts. A charity release of the 4-pack Single Barrel Gorilla Juice Reserve and stout glass sold out in less than a minute online.

While it might be difficult to find more Gorilla Juice in the wild this winter, you can bet it'll return (Pro tip: Keep an eye out for it at any of this year's Michigan Brewers Guild beer festivals, where you're sure to find Ascension). And the rampant popularity has to bode well for Ascension, which is making a name for itself while being surrounded by other well renowned breweries such as Drafting Table in Wixom and Witch's Hat in South Lyon.

Old Nation Brewing Co.

Okay, so Old Nation is no longer a brewery that sneaks up on anybody. Largely thanks to the rampant popularity of M-43 and other juicy New England IPA offerings, Old Nation went from selling around 7,600 barrels of beer in-state in 2017 to more than 17,000 in 2018, sixth-highest in the state, according to state tax data.

But Old Nation now offers more than New England IPAs — starting with the B-43.

B-43 is a low-carb, haze-less Brut IPA, with a similar alcohol content (7%) but only three grams of carbohydrates. It's clear in color, has the crisp and dry characteristics you can expect of a Brut IPA, and has no residual sugar. It's like the "Champagne of Beers" except, you know, it's actually like a champagne beer.

This is just one recent example of Old Nation branching well beyond M-43 as it barrels into 2020. There's also its Pils (5%), which just released in cans; it's crisp and flavorful with a hop kick. The malty Vienna Style Lager (5%), which debuted last year, is well rounded with tasty caramel and biscuit notes.

The real Old Nation beer to try this winter, if you can find it? The ME-MI, brewed in collaboration with Foundation Brewing Company, might be the best triple IPA in the state. It's a juicy burst of pineapple, guava and tropical fruit, and it hides its 10.08% ABV incredibly well.

Founders Brewing Co.

Where do we begin when it comes to Michigan's largest brewery?

The biggest change will be with ownership: The 90% majority sale to Spanish beer giant Mahou San Miguel takes effect at the turn of the new year. While co-founders Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers each retain 5% ownership, there will be questions regarding Founders' day-to-day operations — which Stevens and Engbers maintain will remain autonomous — and the quality of its beer going forward.

Speaking of beer, however, Founders has a few major changes planned. Kentucky Breakfast Stout, the gold standard for barrel-aged chocolate coffee stouts in Michigan, goes year-round starting in March. Another year-round addition, Unraveled IPA, debuts in March. The heralded Red's Rye IPA returns to cans. Devil Dancer, a kick-to-the-pants Triple IPA, is back on tap this winter.

And then there's the Detroit taproom. Amid the saga surrounding the racial discrimination lawsuit last fall, Founders closed the popular establishment at 456 Charlotte St. in early November, with sights set on reopening it in 2020 when the timing's right. Founders said 100% of the profits from the taproom will go to local charities and community organizations through at least 2022.

That said, there's still no word yet on when the taproom will open. Stevens and Engbers had floated in November that it could be January or February, but nothing is set in stone. The Grand Rapids location remains under normal operation.

Your turn: There are hundreds of breweries in Michigan, and they all have big plans for the next year. Which Michigan breweries are you keeping an eye on heading into 2020? Let us know in the comments.

Spirits of Detroit writer Brian Manzullo covers craft alcohol for the Free Press. Contact him: bmanzullo@freepress.com and on Untappd, bmanzullo and Twitter, @BrianManzullo and @SpiritsofDET.