Where Beer is King
Once upon a time, in the magical kingdom of Shelby Township, lived a captivating couple — Sir Ray and Lady Lisa. Sir Ray was a wizard; his spellbinding potions were called "beer" by the populace. And Lady Lisa possessed a beguiling charm and warmth that all the good people in the kingdom adored. Then, a long, long time ago (but not too long — four years on August 31, to be exact), Sir Ray and Lady Lisa decided to combine their considerable powers in a lovely and enchanting place called "Sherwood," and thus, Sherwood Brewing Company was born.
Ray had already been brewing for several years and saw brewpubs were scarce in this particular corner of Macomb County. He makes beers that are just one parameter off from the "standard styles," specialty brews that would be considered Frankensteins by "proper beer authorities," but beers his customers love nonetheless — a wheat IPA, a hopped amber. You like hops? So does Ray. The Green River Wheat IPA, on tap now, is a holy hopmonster. Coming soon is the dry-hopped Asylum Amber, as well as the Daily Grind Kona Porter, Entire Buzz Honey Porter and Mistress Jade's Hemp Ale. Their Buxom BlonDDe Ale is one of their most popular beers, on tap year-round and light enough in both color and body to appeal to the quantity-over-quality types of beer consumers, but with enough depth to also appeal to the aficionados as a stellar golden ale.
Next is their food: everything is made fresh, from scratch, in-house. The only thing in their freezer is ice cream, which they also make using their housemade beers, wines and sodas (their porter ice cream will make you never want to hear the names "Ben" or "Jerry" again). They try to utilize as much of their own products in their food as possible, like their bold and spicy beer sauce and garlic and wine sauce for their pizzas. They've added a lot more vegetarian fare to their menu, one of the most popular being the Hippie Burger. This burger is made with a veggie patty, field greens, Provolone, grilled onions, tomato and a pesto mayo drawn out in a peace sign. The verdict? I can't believe it's not meat! Their pizzas are also exceptional, with soft, chewy dough, flavorful sauces and choice toppings. The chicken pesto pizza is a new addition with grilled chicken, Swiss cheese, red onion and homemade pesto sauce. For something a bit lighter, try the grilled chicken salad with field greens, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, grilled chicken, herbed croutons, red onion and housemade raspberry vinaigrette.
But what sets Sherwood apart from other brewpubs is the atmosphere: Lisa knows most of her customers by name and greets them each as they walk in. Hanging out at this bar is like hanging out in your own living room, except someone else does all the cooking and cleaning. This is beyond just "friendly" — this is a warm embrace where all are welcome and they are sincerely glad you came. They may not be Robin Hood and his Merry Men, but the company you'll keep at Sherwood is just as loyal and true. | RDW
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