Inside: Witch’s Hat Brewery in South Lyon

related items

Detroit Metromix bar and club reviews

The nightlife scene is thriving and Metromix doesn't miss a...

Witch's Hat Brewing Company

Status: The newest mark in South Lyon is the recently opened Witch's Hat Brewery. The small town brewery crafts its beers with a unique twist and style, drawing a steady flow of local beer-lovers to its cozy confines.

“The first day we opened, we had a line for 13 hours and we sold out of all our beer,” says co-owner Erin Cottongim, 26, of South Lyon. “We want that cozy, inviting feel so people can mingle, mix and meet new people. If there were more seats and more room then people probably wouldn’t do that.”

The brewery's name is derived from the historical town landmark where the husband and wife duo were married.  Every beer served is brewed on site. Experimental batches are tanked and brewed in-house for a day or two and are then swallowed up quickly.

Co-owner Ryan Cottongim, 31, says it’s a home brewer’s dream to be able to spend the workday brewing a good, solid batch of specialty malts for customers to enjoy. 

Gear: There is no dress code here. In fact, people have come in wearing everything from kilts to ties; that’s right, they’ve seen it all, so come as you are, and come comfy.

Mood: The 1,600-square-foot spot serves up lagers, wines and ‘giggle juice’ for just 38 people, but once the weather breaks, patrons can also throw some back in the outdoor seating area. Table tops are adorned with beer caps and local art. Swag hangs on the walls, and glass-blown beer mugs sparkle among the stainless steel beer tanks. Think you might have had too much to drink? Test your limits with the in-store breathalyzer located by the bathrooms.

“We want people to feel comfortable, and we are very adamant about greeting and making everyone feel welcome,” says Erin.

“Craft beer fans are all the same and they can talk about beer for hours and it never gets old,” Ryan says. “Saturdays and Sundays we get a lot of town traffic, but we also get people from Ohio and Wisconsin making a stop here. It’s neat to see that people are coming here because of us.”

Pick me up: The selection of Witches Hat’s brews rotates so there's always something new to try. Menu staples include Holy Confusion, their pride and joy barley style ale; Train Hopper, an India pale ale; Lyger common ale; Bear-Ass Wheat hefeweizen; the 1908 (the year the South Lyon train depot burnt down) smoked wheat ale; and Edward’s Portly Brown, where 5 percent of all sales from this ale goes to the Huron Valley Humane Society. House-blended wines are also available from the Sandhill Crane Vineyards.

“Some have been home brewed for years and some we came up with here,” Ryan says. “Many are hop forward, but we shoot for balance.”

There is no kitchen, although guests are welcome to bring food of their own inside.

Pints range $1-$4.50, while specialty beers can go up to $6.50 for a 10 oz. pour. Or perhaps try a sampler with any five, 5 oz. pours of the different beers currently on tap for $6.50.

Entertainment: Although the spot is too small for live entertainment, the brewery does offer annual mug club memberships, which includes a 20 oz. pour instead of a 16 oz. pour, $1 off drafts everyday, half-off growlers on Tuesdays, a free t-shirt and pint glass, a snifter of Holy Confusion and first dibs on all specialty release beers for $50. There’s also plenty of Witch's Hat merchandise for sale, including pint glasses, t-shirts, hoodies and hand-blown mugs.