Something’s brewing at Sugarfoot Saloon

By Pat Stinson
Sun contributor

And you thought the area’s craft brewers were only making beer in Traverse City.

If Northport is home to the county’s first microbrewery, then Cedar is the cradle of Leelanau’s first brewpub, which began serving pints in April from small batches born humbly in the basement of the Sugarfoot Saloon.

Long known for its Mexican-style fare — including fajitas, enchiladas, burritos, nachos and tostadas, and for its fabulously decadent desserts such as Earthquake Cake, Sombrero Sundae and Apple Cinnamon Delight — Sugarfoot Saloon formed a beer-making partnership with homebrewer Brian Bartos and began tapping his talents earlier this year.

“I thought it would be really nice to have crafted beer for our customers,” said Sugarfoot owner Pete Bardenhagen, who persevered through paperwork required for brewpub licensing, (which took seven months), while Bartos selected equipment and fine-tuned his brew recipes.

When he isn’t controlling sea lamprey populations in Michigan streams as a US Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, Bartos brews up trial batches of beer for the ’Foots. Currently on tap are “Liquid Sunshine” (4.5 percent ABV), described as a citrusy, Belgian wit (wheat) style ale with clementine zest and summery spices, “a taste of sunshine for those cloudy days;” “Bavarian Hefeweizen” (4.5 percent ABV), a light-bodied wheat beer brewed in the German tradition with a smooth, banana flavor and a hint of clove; and a higher octane porter (5.2 percent ABV) that’s “filled with flavor yet deceptively smooth.”

“It’s a good, rich, dark beer,” said porter drinker John Rabideau, a Sugarfoot neighbor and patron and the owner of Grand Traverse Timberpeg, a builder of timber homes.

Next up on the brew menu is a chocolate ale, soon to replace the vanishing “Hefi,” and too new to appear on the bar’s whiteboard descriptions. The saloon’s brew menu currently changes about every three weeks, which is a point of pride for the “pub” and a note of caution for those who fall in love with a particular style. Enjoy it while you can, because it may be gone all too soon.

“I love to experiment,” the brewer explained. “The only one I’ve brewed consistently is ‘Liquid Sunshine’ but, depending on the market, we would like to have a couple flagship beers plus a couple of experimental.”

Bartos is using a half-barrel brewing system, which produces 15.5 gallons or six cases of beer. The mash is kept in a temperature-controlled fermenter and a Kegerator freezer, with a “deep freeze,” allows the brewmaster to create a full range of beer, including ales, Belgian-style ales and lagers.

“We want to appeal to those customers who aren’t into having 12 beers, but want one or two good ‘drinking’ beers,” said Bardenhagen, noting that he has become “more and more of a craft brew drinker” as each new keg is tapped. “It’s fun,” he added.

The brewpub is looking into bottling on site, pending label approvals, and “filling up growlers.” Meanwhile, tap handles for the new brews are being designed by Cedar sign painter Dennis Gerathy.

“I like to try new things,” Bardenhagen said, remembering the time the kitchen tried to change the burrito recipe by serving the lettuce outside the wrap. “It didn’t work out so well,” he explained, smiling, “so we learned not to change too many things.”

Even so, you might want to try the flavorful hangar steak, added to the saloon’s American-style dinner selections, which have grown in popularity. The menu includes stand-outs like broasted chicken, beer-battered shrimp, perch, whitefish almondine, a chicken pot pie praised by Leelanau.com and prime rib. Locally grown vegetables, like the season’s asparagus, are served as they’re available with the entrees.

To some who see the food and drink changes as a signal that the laid-back atmosphere of the old ’Foots is changing, fear not. Decorative chili peppers and festive strings of lights still adorn the bar. The game room still amuses the young and young at heart. An annual Patron Party continues to thank customers with good food and music at Christmastime, and familiar faces (full-timers Heidi Lindeman, 24 years; Carolyn Anderson, 19 years; Kristin Hounsell, eight years; Shawna Thomas, four years; and Becky Kohler, four years) still dish up and serve your long-time favorites.

Owners Karen and Pete Bardenhagen, now in their 24th year of ownership of the “Nacho Ordinary Restaurant,” wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sugarfoot Saloon is located at 4997 S. Harbor Hwy. (a.k.a. County Road 651, at Bodus Rd.) and open every day at 4 p.m. For more information call (231) 228-6166.