Upper Hand® Brewery is located in the Delta Landing/Delta County Airport business park, about two miles southwest of beautiful downtown Escanaba. If you turn off of M-35 down Airport Road, we are on the south side of the road past the dog park, Delta County Airport, and Portage Creek. Look for our sign—you can’t miss it. Or, if you can find a cell signal, just pop our address in the ol’ Google: 3525 Airport Road, Escanaba, MI 49829.
You betcha! We offer more outdoor seating than you can shake a stick at, loads of great merchandise, classic U.P. snacks, and of course: Iconic U.P. beer! Come on by and see our brewery, grab a 6-pack to-go, say hi to Walter (our moose), and enjoy a peck and a pint.
Indoor seating is limited (we prefer cozy), but we’ve got more outdoor seating than you can shake a stick at, loads of great merchandise, classic U.P. snacks, and of course: Iconic U.P. beer! We may not have a full kitchen, but we do offer loads of iconic U.P. snacks that are perfect for picnics and road trips! Think jerky, cheese curds, chips & dip, and of course: our world-famous boneless chicken dinner (that’s pickled eggs for all you non-Yoopers). Need something a little more rib-sticking? Outside food is most welcome here!
Our most recent hours are always listed at the bottom of our webpage.
We do not conduct public tours on a regular basis. From time to time, we donate certificates for private tours and tastings to various non-profit organizations. Watch for one at your favorite organization’s fundraiser!
Of course! Our Drink U.P. Party Store & Patio carries a huge variety of all your old and new favorites, available to go in cans. We even have 19.2 oz Tall Boys that we can fill with any draft beer of your choosing. Be sure to pick up enough for your friends!
Apart from the Drink U.P. Party Store & Patio, you can find our beer at stores, bars, and restaurants across the State of Michigan.
If you'd like your local watering hole to carry Upper Hand® beer, let us know and we’ll stop in. Or check out our Beer Finder to find where our beer is hiding in your neck of the woods.
Our founder, Larry Bell, is the same guy who founded Bell’s® Brewery way back in 1985. Larry always dreamed of opening a brewery in the Upper Peninsula—and little vestiges of those dreams can be found in many of the classic Bell’s® brands, which pay tribute to the U.P. in their names and label artwork. His dream became a reality when we broke ground on our 20-barrel brewhouse in Escanaba in 2013.
Maybe! Check out our Careers page for the most up-to-date job postings at both Bell’s® Brewery and Upper Hand® Brewery.
All of our beers are made with hops, barley, water, and yeast. Some of our beers also include locally-sourced wheat, oats, and rye. We occasionally make beers with other interesting ingredients, including but not limited to real fruit, maple syrup, and honey—if we do, those ingredients are always listed on the can. All Upper Hand beers are vegetarian. Because they contain barley and occasionally wheat, all Upper Hand beers contain some quantity of gluten.
We sell tons of constantly rotating merchandise through both our taproom and our online store. Hook yourself U.P.!
Upper Hand® Brewery cannot ship beer directly to consumers. It’s illegal here in Michigan.
When Upper Hand® first opened, we packaged our beers in 12oz glass bottles. Our little brewery quickly grew larger than our bottling line could accommodate. Presented with the reality of needing to purchase a new filling machine, we decided to make the investment in a can filler versus a new bottle filler. Cans are lighter in weight and less expensive to produce and ship—a savings we were able to pass on directly to our customers. Cans are impermeable to ultraviolet light, which negatively affects beer and produces that familiar “skunky” character. Cans are smaller and more portable, and they are allowed in more environments, while bottles present unique safety and quality concerns associated with broken glass. Lastly, despite everything you’ve grown up learning, both bottles and cans are inert, so neither contributes flavors or aromas to beer.
We’d tell you, but then we’d have to kill you.