The first time you pull up to Ellison Brewery and Spirits in East Lansing, you’ll probably think you’re in the wrong place. Seriously. It’s tucked away in an industrial park off Sheldon Road, surrounded by warehouses and businesses that definitely don’t sell barrel-aged stouts or artisanal gin. It looks like a place where you'd buy wholesale carpet, not a world-class hazy IPA.
But that's the thing.
The best places in the Michigan beer scene are usually the ones that don't try too hard to look like a "destination." Since opening in 2015, Ellison has basically operated on the philosophy that if the liquid in the glass is good enough, people will find them. And they did. They found them in droves.
The Identity Crisis That Actually Works
Most breweries pick a lane. You’re either the Belgian farmhouse place, the "hops-or-die" IPA factory, or the fancy distillery with $18 cocktails. Ellison Brewery and Spirits decided to do all of it at once. That sounds like a recipe for being mediocre at three things instead of great at one, but Aaron Elsing and his team managed to pull off a weirdly successful pivot early on.
They aren't just a brewery. They are a full-scale distillery.
This matters because Michigan law is notoriously finicky about how you can serve alcohol. By having both licenses, Ellison created a space where the "non-beer" friend actually has something incredible to drink. We aren't talking about bottom-shelf well drinks here. We’re talking about spirits that win medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Their vodka and gin are legit. Their bourbon program? It’s arguably more ambitious than their beer program these days, which is saying something considering how much people freak out over their "Gravity" series.
What People Get Wrong About the Beer
If you talk to a "beer geek" about Ellison, they’re going to bring up "Relativity." It’s their flagship Juice IPA, and for a long time, it was the gold standard for the New England Style IPA in Mid-Michigan. It’s hazy, it’s tropical, and it doesn't have that biting bitterness that makes your tongue feel like it’s been sandblasted.
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But focusing only on the hazies is a mistake.
The real magic is in the stouts. If you ever see a bottle of "Gravity" on a shelf—buy it. Don't think. Just get it. They do these massive, high-gravity imperial stouts that spend months (sometimes years) sitting in used bourbon barrels. The result is something that tastes less like beer and more like a liquid brownie mixed with a glass of high-end whiskey. It’s thick. It’s viscous. It’ll put you on the floor if you aren't careful because the ABV often pushes past 14%.
Honestly, the consistency is what’s impressive. You go to some of these hype breweries and one batch is amazing while the next tastes like onions. Ellison has stayed remarkably stable, even as they expanded into their Indianapolis location—which, by the way, brought a much-needed Michigan flair to the Indiana scene.
The Distillery Side is a Different Beast
Let’s talk about the spirits for a second.
Most people walk into a brewery and ignore the shiny copper stills in the corner. That’s a mistake here. Their gin is particularly interesting because it doesn't just taste like a Christmas tree. It’s balanced. It makes a gin and tonic feel like a sophisticated choice rather than a "I don't know what else to order" choice.
And then there’s the bourbon.
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Distilling is a waiting game. You can’t rush age. Ellison has been patient. They’ve moved from sourced juice to their own distillates, and the complexity is starting to show. They’re experimenting with different finishes—sherry casks, port pipes, you name it. It gives the taproom a vibe that’s half-neighborhood-pub and half-speakeasy. You might see a college professor from MSU sitting next to a construction worker, one drinking a light lager and the other sipping a neat pour of single-barrel rye. It’s a weird cross-section of humanity that only happens in Lansing.
The Food and the Vibe
Let’s be real: industrial park taprooms can be cold. Concrete floors, metal chairs, echoing noise. Ellison manages to avoid the "refrigerator" feel by keeping things centered on the bar.
The food isn't an afterthought. They do the wood-fired pizza thing, which, okay, everyone does now. But their crust actually has a chew to it. It’s charred in the right spots. It’s the kind of food you need when you’re drinking an 8% IPA. They also do a lot of elevated pub fare—think high-quality spent-grain pretzels and sandwiches that don't just feel like they came out of a microwave in the back.
It’s loud. It’s often crowded. If there’s an MSU game on, forget about getting a seat quickly. But that’s part of the charm. It feels like a community hub that just happens to be hidden behind a row of shipping containers.
The Industry Impact
You have to look at what Ellison did for the Lansing beer scene. Before they showed up, the options were a bit more traditional. You had your classic brewpubs, but nobody was really pushing the envelope on the "hype" styles or the heavy-duty barrel aging. Ellison raised the bar. They forced other local spots to step up their game, especially regarding hop saturation and water chemistry.
They also survived the 2020-2022 era, which was a graveyard for mid-sized breweries. They did it by leaning into distribution and canning. You can find Relativity in grocery stores across the state now. That’s a huge feat for a place that started as a small-scale operation in an industrial unit.
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Addressing the "Hype" Factor
Is it overrated?
That depends on what you like. If you want a quiet, library-like atmosphere where you can contemplate a 3% ABV pilsner, Ellison might be a bit much for you on a Friday night. It’s high-energy. The flavors are loud. The beers are big. The spirits are bold. It’s not a place for subtlety.
But if you want to see what happens when a group of people get really obsessed with the science of fermentation and distillation, it’s arguably the best spot in the region. They aren't trying to be Founders or Bell’s. They’re staying smaller, weirder, and more experimental.
Actionable Tips for Your Visit
Don't just wing it. If you're going to Ellison, do it right.
- Check the Tap List Online First: They rotate through stuff fast. If they have a "Gravity" variant on tap, drop everything and go.
- The "Flight" Strategy: Since they do beer and spirits, get a beer flight but ask for a small taster of a spirit on the side. It’s the best way to understand the range of what they’re doing.
- Park Carefully: The lot is small and shared with other businesses. Don't be that person who blocks a bay door for a nearby warehouse.
- Growler/Howler Fills: They do them, but check which beers are eligible. Some of the high-end stouts are bottle-only or draft-only because of the cost of production.
- Look for the Cans: Their canning line is often running, and getting a fresh 4-pack of whatever IPA just dropped is a better experience than buying it at a liquor store three weeks later.
- The Indy Location: If you’re in Indianapolis, the Ellison outpost there has a slightly different menu but the same soul. It’s worth the detour if you're traveling down I-465.
Ellison Brewery and Spirits remains a cornerstone because they didn't chase every single trend. They found a few things they were world-class at—hazy IPAs, massive stouts, and clean spirits—and they stuck to them. In a world of "smoothie sours" that taste like literal puréed fruit, Ellison still tastes like beer. And that's becoming a rare thing.
Next Steps for the Michigan Beer Traveler
If you're planning a trip, start at the East Lansing location around 4:00 PM on a weekday to beat the rush. Order a Relativity to start—it’s the benchmark. Then move into the seasonal or experimental taps. If you’re a whiskey fan, ask the bartender about their latest small-batch release; often, there are bottles available at the taproom that never make it to the general public. Keep an eye on their social media for "Bottle Drop" announcements, especially in the winter months when the heavy stouts are released.