Bottom Creek teasers hint at destination brewery, event venue near Detroit

Bottom Creek is shaping up to be more than a new place to grab a pint off the highway. The project is being readied at 5772 Old State Rd. in North Branch, with an early summer 2026 opening planned for a property the owners are pitching as a restaurant, brewery, event space and nature getaway.

That matters in a corner of Sanilac County where a destination stop can pull double duty: serve local regulars and give Metro Detroit day-trippers a reason to keep driving north. Bottom Creek’s online presentation leans hard into that idea, promising craft beer, a full food menu and space for weekend events rather than a simple taproom with a few stools and a bar rail.

The scale backs up the pitch. Pophouse describes the project as a brewery, restaurant, event space and gift shop spread across 600 acres. C.E. Gleeson Constructors says the build is 16,000 square feet and carries an estimated $15 million price tag, with an open-air pavilion and custom engineered exposed heavy timber framing. The contractor also says white oak harvested from the property is being used for some columns and interior finishes, a detail that gives the project a local, built-from-the-land feel.

For beer drinkers, the bigger question is what that size and setting will mean in practice. Bottom Creek is clearly being designed for more than walk-in traffic. The event angle points to birthdays, receptions, live music and seasonal programming that can keep the grounds active beyond the normal lunch-and-dinner rush. The food program also widens the appeal, especially in a region where brewery visits often hinge on whether the kitchen is strong enough to make the trip feel worth it.

The venue is entering a crowded Michigan beer landscape, but one that still has room for a well-executed destination. The Michigan Brewers Guild says there are about 400 breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs operating in the state. North Branch itself had a population of 1,096 at the 2020 census, which makes the size of this project especially striking.

The event calendar is already starting to take shape. Bandsintown lists Waylon Hanel as set to perform at Bottom Creek in North Branch on June 13, 2026, a sign that the site is being positioned as a live-music stop before the first beers are poured. If Bottom Creek delivers on the promise behind its concept, North Branch could end up with a rare hybrid: a brewery, a wedding and concert venue, and a rural escape all in one stop.