Oakland County Brew Weekend

Oakland County is a true gem in the Metro Detroit brew scene. Great shopping, sights, and restaurants make for a well-rounded brew weekend. But it's not just eating, drinking, and shopping. Oakland County is home to the comedy club where some famous comedians got their start. There are also stops for thrill-seekers who are ready for heart-pounding, adrenaline-spiking quests. There’s so much to do, you’ll be making plans to come back.

If you're new to the craft beer scene or a seasoned hophead, Oakland County is welcoming to all. You can download the Brew Trail Pass and start exploring or follow this step-by-step itinerary for two days on the Detroit Brew Trail in Oakland County.

Oakland County is located northeast of downtown Detroit and is made up of Ferndale, Novi, Auburn Hills, Farmington Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Pontiac, and other great communities.

The 48-hour Oakland County Detroit Brew Trail Itinerary will take you step-by-step through a weekend of fun in Oakland County. Breweries are of course a highlight with other interesting stops along the way. Great restaurants, interesting shops, amazing adventures, and picture-perfect memories are the stars of this two-day getaway. Whether you’re from Metro Detroit or just here for a visit, you’ll love what Oakland County has to offer.

The Brew Trail Pass makes it easy to find great breweries, mark your progress on the trail, and earn prizes.

Just sign up at Visit Detroit, open the email on your phone and save the pass to your home screen. When you’re at the brewery, check in to start earning prizes.

With all of the Brew Trail information at your fingertips, it’s easy to rack up lots of check-in points to use toward fantastic prizes. In just a few moments, the pass is on your phone and you’re ready to hit the trail. While you’re at each stop, check in on the pass and have your waitress or bartender enter their code to make sure you’re check-in counts toward the Brew Trail prizes.

5 check-ins – Custom Brew Trail Coozie

+ Detroit Brew Trail Sticker

10 check-ins – Custom Brew Trail Bottle Opener

+ Detroit Brew Trail Sticker

15 check-ins – Custom Brew Trail Pint Glass + Custom Coasters

+ Detroit Brew Trail Sticker + an automatic entry into the grand prize drawing!

+3 additional check-ins – Every three additional check-ins is an additional entry into the grand prize drawing

The Townsend Hotel

The Townsend Hotel is a premium, 4-star hotel in Oakland County. Named one of the “World’s Best Hotels” by TRAVEL + LEISURE Magazine and one of the “World’s Best Places to Stay” by Conde’ Nast, you can’t go wrong at the Townsend Hotel.

Hotel Royal Oak

Hotel Royal Oak is a fun and trendy retro hotel. With corn hole and hammocks for outdoor fun and funky remodeled rooms, it’s an excellent place for a memorable brew trail weekend.

Uber, Lyft, and Taxi services are all available in Oakland County. You’ll need some wheels to get from place to place on the Brew Tour. MoGo, the bike share system, is available in Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Royal Oak, Oak Park, Berkley, and Detroit. Or, if you’d rather hire a car for the day, Corporate Cars is a great option.

Bike or walk Ferndale for Boutique Shopping and Street Art

Downtown Ferndale has tons of unique shops, crafts, vintage resellers, and more. Spend the morning browsing or biking downtown.

Tasting: Cadillac Straits Brewing Company

If your group loves hops or not, Cadillac Straits Brewing Company has something to make everyone hoppy. Not only do they have excellent craft beer, they also have, wine, mead, cider, kombucha, and more.

Lunch: Ferndale Project

The Ferndale Project is known for its fun and innovative brews. The food is fresh and exceptional. Try the Smashburger, Jalen’s Farmhouse Wrap, or an Heirloom Tomato Sandwich.

Rust Belt Market

The Rust Belt Market is where you can grab a drink and walk around exploring over 40 independently owned and operated small businesses. You’ll love the creative pieces, and unique finds you’ll nab at the Rust Belt Market.

Dinner: One-Eyed Betty’s

One-Eyed Betty’s is a Beer Garten, restaurant, and bar for the beer lover and food connoisseur. Try the Scottish Salmon and the Sweaty Betty.

Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle

Have a laugh at the place where Tim Allen and Dave Coulier started their comedy careers. The shows are hand-picked, so you know you’ll be entertained. Plus, you never know who might stop in. Comedians such as Ron White, Lewis Black, Keegan Michael Key, David Copperfield, and Brian Regan have stopped by to catch a show or do a guest set.

Valentine Distilling Co. Cocktail Lounge

After the show, stop by the intimate cocktail lounge that’s lavishly decorated to look swanky, industrial, and trendy all at the same time. The drinks are as fresh and unique as the setting. If you’d like to see the distillery, schedule a distillery tour on Fridays at 6:30 pm. Note that the Cocktail Lounge and Distillery are at different locations.

Breakfast: The Breakfast Club of Novi

The breakfast Club of Novi starts with fresh, premium ingredients to craft classic breakfast fare and unique specials. Try the Banana Coconut Cream French Toast or a breakfast bowl. Don’t forget about the freshly squeezed juices, Chai Lattes, Herbal Teas, and locally owned Becharas Bros coffee.

Explore Novi

Novi has a lot to offer, so check with your group and decide which adventure is best for this trip. Some favorites include Twelve Oaks Mall, Tree Runner Adventure Park, and Villa Barr Park.

Twelve Oaks Mall

Twelve Oaks Mall has almost 200 stores, shops, and restaurants and is a top shopping destination in Metro Detroit. Nordstrom, Macy’s, and The Cheesecake Factory are just a few of the offerings.

Tree Runner Adventure Park

For the more adventurous groups, Tree Runner Adventure Park offers the perfect opportunity to make amazing memories. With 5 acres of treetop fun including zip lines, trails, 130 challenges, and more it’s a top attraction in the area.

Villa Barr Art Park

For the art and architecture enthusiasts, you can wander the grounds of the former home of David Barr and dancer Beth Dwaihy Barr. The site features their home, studio, and multiple sculptures in a park-like setting. Enjoy the marriage between nature, art, and architecture at Villa Barr.

Lunch: Ascension Brewing Company

You can’t go wrong at Ascension Brewing Company, where they specialize in “Beer made for everyone.” For food, try the BA Bacon Board – yes, it’s chocolate bacon, caramelized bacon, caramel sea salt bacon, and double chocolate jalapeno bacon. Then move on to Truffle Fries and Ninja Pig.

Adventure On

In the second half of the day, choose another Novi adventure. Options abound, including putt-putt, axe throwing, escape rooms, Full Throttle Adrenaline Park, and more.

Full Throttle Adrenaline Park

Speed demons will love Full Throttle with indoor go-kart racing and virtual reality.

BATL Axe Throwing and Bar

Whether you’re an expert ax thrower or a novice, you’ll have a great time honing your skills at BATL Axe Throwing.

Escape Room Novi

Put your skills, senses, and knowledge to the test as you and your group try to figure out the puzzles in Escape Room Novi. With a variety of rooms to choose from, your group is sure to be entertained.

Novi Putting Edge

Rain or shine, this indoor, black-lit putt-putt course is loads of fun. Courses include jungle, ocean, and outer space.

Draught Horse Brewery

Celebrate the memories you made and all of the Brew Trail check-ins you scored at Draught Horse Brewery. The perfect way to end a two-day getaway in Metro Detroit. Make a toast to your group and good times with a Prickly Pear Shandy, then dig into a Hungry Horse Trio.

Oakland County might be just the beginning of your Detroit Brew Trail adventures. Check out other highlighted trails for many more great times in the D. Other paths on the trail include Macomb County Path, Wayne County Path, and Downtown Detroit Path. Each path highlights incredible breweries and has fabulous experiences to enjoy along the way. Whichever path you choose, you’re bound to have a great time and experience top craft beer. Cheers!