Monday 8th of June 2009 12:32:05 PM

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As we were driving down the Highway, our GPS took us down an exit that looked like a road to nowhere. We drove down the winding roads and finally ended up in a town smaller than the one I live in. The first place we came across was a Welch's plant. The maker of fine juices and jams was smack dab in the middle of town. As soon as we passed the plant, we came across the most colorful town that I had ever seen. The colors came right from the jams and juices of the Welch's plant down the road. Right across the street from these colorful buildings was the colorful building we were seeking, The Old Hat Brewery.

It was afternoon and time for lunch and this was the place to be. Not that it was busy, but the food happened to be delicious. From the Giant Reuben to the fresh Tomato Crab Soup, our palettes were delighted. Bell's Brewery used to have a hand in this brewery, but we found that a gentleman that works for the city (a firefighter, I think) is the owner. He has done a fine job from the decor to the food to the beer. ( Look for the old hat's above the bar to see why it's called Old Hat.) As in most brewpubs, this bartender was equally excited and willing to share his knowledge. We enjoyed many different samplers and even took a growler to go. The pricing was very reasonable and the growlers have been the least expensive that we have encountered, so far (around $12). They have comedy shows on the weekends and bands almost all of the time. The owner has even created a pilsner for his firefighting brothers that is sure to bring even the thirstiest of civil servants to the Old Hat. My one *exception*(and there is always one) at the Old Hat is that the patio was not what I had hoped. It could use some straightening up and a little more brewpub feel. Other than that, It's a great place off the beaten path.

Monday 9th of June 2008 11:46:22 AM

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This place was off the beaten path, but well worth a stop off I-94. It was on the way home after a wedding, so we stopped in for lunch. On the drive we saw several vineyards, and Old Hat makes wine too, in fact. Lawton is a one-stoplight town, and i'm not sure there's even one actual stoplight. The main strip had a sort of old-timey saloon feel to it, thankfully Old Hat was not too played-up in that direction.

The interior has plenty of old wood and brick walls, copper tables, cozy tables and booths with a view of the street outside. Taps behind the bar had quirky handles, like an engine-red fire hydrant and a carved wizard face. Beer styles seemed pretty traditional, nothing too crazy. No IPA or Belgian styles, more German/English varieties. We sat at a booth and had some appetizers and beers. There was a small stage in back for live music, and a large window toward the back where brewing equipment could be seen. A small patio had tables outside too.

Service was friendly, the bartender (maybe an owner?) was also the server, and knew quite a bit about their beers. Check it out if you are in the area, it has that small town charm.

Thursday 29th of March 2007 10:42:56 PM

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You should stop reading this and go watch the portion of the movie "American Beer" that has Old Hat in it. Yes, there was a different owner then, but the vibe still seems to be there (the brewer too).

There were close to 10 or 12 beers at Old Hat when we visited during a recent Michigan brewery tour. We were able to meet both owners of Old Hat during our lunch visit and we pretty much tried all the beers and had a very nice lunch.

The beers seem to lean toward the lager styles, but they did have a very solid Pale Ale and there were some styles that did not shy away from the alcohol content.

There is a whole corner of the bar dedicated to Hats, old hats, broken hats, pretty hats and army hats. There is a hat for you at Old Hat.

There is a tradition at Old Hat where you are supposed to take a thumb tack, 1 dollar bill and two quarters and you put them together and throw them at the ceiling. The weight from the two quarters push the thumbtack through the dollar bill into the ceiling and the quarters fall back down leaving a dollar stuck to the ceiling. Don't ask me what genius started this procedure, but they do it here and from what the owners said, much of the money left on the ceiling in the future will be going to charity.

Give Old Hat a chance if you're headed to Kalamazoo. It's easy to get to and not far off of I-94.