This content was originally published by The Hop Review, a digital magazine that joined the Hop Culture family in March 2020.
This piece was written by Tom White.
During a busy trip to the Detroit suburbs, I got the chance to make a very quick stop off at CJ’s Brewing Company in Commerce Township, MI.
This was an extremely quick visit and isn’t something I’d usually feel inclined to write about. However, I was so impressed with the place that I feel it worth a mention here. As usual, I gravitated towards their IPA offering, the Vat 33 IPA. Those I was with ordered the American Wheat. Pretty typical offerings with pretty standard names.
As I may have noted before, my favourite beer in the world is Half Acre’s Daisy Cutter. To put it simply, CJ’s Vat 33 is the closest I have ever had to equaling this great beer. They use a combination of Amarillo and Cascade hops which gives the beer the memorable citrus and floral aroma that is so distinctive of this beer. They do a great job of balancing the fairly strong bitterness of the beer with the awesome fruityness presented by those distinctive hops. If it weren’t for the fact that this beer is only available 5 hours drive from Chicago, I would definitely be a frequent customer.
Unfortunately, due to the circumstances I wasn’t able to try any of CJ’s other brews though the American Wheat was well received by the others in the group. On a side note, the food was excellent with special mention to their amazing fries and the building interior was a great example of a brewery that is proud of what it brews. CJ’s also has a second location in Plymouth, MI.
If you find yourself in the suburbs of Detroit, I would highly recommend paying a visit to CJ’s and if you’re a fan of IPAs, sample their Vat 33!