Ore Dock Brewing Company - lower room - 2016

Ore Dock Brewing Company - upper community room - 2016 - 4

Ore Dock Brewing Company Reclamation beer bottle

The Ore Dock Brewing Company is a

craft brewery Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...

Marquette, Michigan Marquette ( ) is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,629 at the 2020 United States Census, which makes it the largest city in the Upper Peninsula. Marquette serves as the seat of government of Marquett ...

, that opened in 2012. It takes its name from the

ore dock An ore dock is a large structure used for loading ore (typically from railway cars or ore jennies) onto ships, which then carry the ore to steelworks or to transshipment points. Most known ore docks were constructed near iron mines on the upper ...

s in the city, used to load iron ore pellets onto

lake freighter Lake freighters, or lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that operate on the Great Lakes of North America. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. Since the late 19th century, lakers have carried bulk cargoes of m ...

s. Historian Russell Magnaghi has written that in the years since its founding, the brewery has "become a Marquette focal point and tourist destination.".

History

Ore Dock opened in May 2012. It began bottling its beer in two years later, and selling it outside of Marquette County in 2015. At this time, the brewery had enough capacity to brew 2,500 barrels per year—having expanded shortly before that from 850 barrels. In 2018, Ore Dock sold 1,631 barrels of beer within Michigan, making it the forty-first largest brewer in the state. This total was down from 1,754 in 2017, but up from 1,566 in 2016. In 2021, the brewery received a $25,000 State of Michigan Match on Main Street grant.

Beer

Ore Dock's beer is based on traditional Belgian and American styles. , their most popular beers were the "Reclamation" IPA and "Dream Weaver," a Belgian ale with citrus and chamomile. Reclamation, which news sources have described as Ore Dock's flagship beer, is named for recycled material that was reused in constructing the brewery. The beer, described by Ore Dock's head brewer as a "mid-coast" IPA that "not as hop-forward as its west coast counterparts, nor is it as malty as what you often find out east," won the 2014 Beverage Tasting Institute World Beer Championships Gold Medal. In 2019, Ore Dock began selling

hard seltzer Hard seltzer, adult seltzer, mature seltzer, spiked seltzer and hard sparkling alcohol water is a type of highball drink containing seltzer (carbonated water), alcohol, and often fruit flavorings. In the US the alcohol is usually made by fermenti ...

, becoming the first Upper Peninsula brewery to offer the product.

Location

The brewery is located in a former

automobile repair shop An automobile repair shop (also known regionally as a garage or a workshop) is an establishment where automobiles are repaired by auto mechanics and technicians. Types Automotive garages and repair shops can be divided into following categor ...

and the second floor of an adjoining building, which functions as a community and event space. Described as "a loft space full of reclaimed barn wood," the spaces include material from the auto garage that inhabited the spaces before the brewery moved in. The upstairs community space, charged with putting on events that emphasize visual arts and musical acts, hosts fundraisers, lectures, weddings, private parties, and musical acts. In 2022, the brewing purchased an adjoining building at 214 S. Front St. with the intent to demolish and create a beer garden in its place. They also announced their intent to increase their size and brewing capacity. , these projects will require a private investment estimated at .

Recognition

In 2013, Ore Dock was ranked by ''

MLive MLive Media Group, originally known as Booth Newspapers, or Booth Michigan, is a media group that produces newspapers in the state of Michigan. Founded by George Gough Booth with his two brothers, Booth Newspapers was sold to Advance Publication ...

'' as one of the best new breweries in the state of Michigan. One year later, it was the only brewery from the Upper Peninsula mentioned by ''

Thrillist Thrillist is an online media website covering food, drink, travel and entertainment. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in New York City, United States. In October 2016, Thrillist merged with internet brands '' The Dodo'', NowThis News ...

'' in a ranking of every state by its beer. It was recommended in ''The New York Times'' travel section in 2017, and

Yelp Yelp Inc. is an American company that develops the Yelp.com website and the Yelp mobile app, which publish crowd-sourced reviews about businesses. It also operates Yelp Guest Manager, a table reservation service. It is headquartered in San Fra ...

named it the best brewery in Michigan in 2022.

Endnotes

References

External links

Official siteList of beersOre Dock Brewing Company (''Marquette Magazine'')Ore Dock Brewing Co. hits the shelvesLearning about the Ore Dock Brewing Company’s green business model
{{Breweries in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan 2012 establishments in Michigan Companies based in Marquette, Michigan Beer brewing companies based in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan American companies established in 2012