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Photo courtesy of Griffin Claw Brewing Company
If you love ordering a flight because it turns one drink into a full tasting experience, Metro Detroit gives you plenty of reasons to get out and explore. The best stops are creating experiences around house spirits, rotating beer selections, cocktail programs, and more that actually make the tasting more memorable. Some spots are ideal for whiskey lovers who want to compare barrel character and proof, while others are better for beer fans who want to work through a lineup with wings, burgers, or a giant pretzel on the table.
Empire Kitchen & Cocktails
3148 Woodward Avenue, Detroit
Empire Kitchen & Cocktails is a great fit for anyone who wants the beverage part of the night to feel stylish, lively, and tied to a strong dinner. While not a traditional brewery or distillery stop, it belongs in this conversation because cocktail-driven destinations are often where a tasting night begins or ends, especially if you want to pair drinks with a full meal instead of just snacking through a flight. Empire’s drink trees are a great option, with choices ranging from Lemon Drops and Teas to Margaritas. The food menu gives you plenty to build around, with dishes like Spicy Crispy Shrimp, honey garlic half chickens, braised short ribs, and fresh pizzas. That kind of menu works especially well when you want to move from one drink flavor to another and keep the evening feeling elevated. If your ideal beverage outing includes a lounge-like atmosphere, polished cocktails, and food substantial enough to anchor the night, Empire Kitchen & Cocktails makes that easy.
North End Taproom
111 South Main Street, Royal Oak
North End Taproom has the kind of setup that makes beer flights feel relaxed and genuinely fun. This is the sort of place where you can settle in, look over the tap list, and build a tasting around different styles without overthinking it. Whether you are in the mood for something crisp and easy-drinking, a hop-forward pour, or a richer seasonal option, a taproom like this invites comparison in the best way. As a self-pour experience, there are 40 taps of craft beverages where you pay by the ounce. The food side helps too, because classic beer-friendly fare makes sampling more enjoyable and easier to stretch into a longer visit. Start with crispy green beans or Whitefish Dip, transition to shrimp tacos or wings, or gravitate to a Garlic Burger topped with fried onions. For beer lovers who want variety without fuss, North End Taproom is an easy choice.
Two James Spirits
2445 Michigan Avenue, Detroit
Two James Spirits is one of the places that really shows why spirit flights deserve as much attention as beer flights. If you enjoy noticing what different grains and production choices do to a pour, this is where Metro Detroit gets especially interesting. Two James has built its name around distinct house-made spirits, and tasting through bottles like Doctor Bird Rum, Grass Widow Bourbon, Catcher’s Rye, and Old Cockney Gin gives you a real sense of range. A visit here is not just about trying whiskey or rum in isolation. It is about comparing structure, sweetness, spice, notes, and finish across a lineup made with clear personality. Cocktails built from those spirits add another dimension, because once you have tasted a spirit neat or in a flight, it’s fun to see how it behaves in a more layered drink. For anyone serious about exploring Detroit’s craft spirits scene, Two James is a rewarding stop on the list, especially if you’re interested in touring their Distillery.
The Laundry
125 West Shiawassee Avenue, Fenton
The Laundry is a smart choice if you want your beverage outing to feel like a full-time rather than a quick visit. This is the kind of place where the food matters just as much as the drinks, which makes it especially useful for groups who want a little of both. A main menu built around steak, seafood, pasta, and polished comfort dishes creates natural opportunities for pairing, and that changes the pace of the experience in a good way. Instead of moving quickly through a sampler, you can settle in, order thoughtfully, and let the drinks complement the meal. As for flights, they range from mini matcha lattes to a build-your-own mimosa experience alongside brunch favorites. The Laundry brings balance, making it a strong addition to a Metro Detroit beverage itinerary.
Square One Eats & Treats
4750 West Walton Boulevard, Waterford Township
Square One Eats & Treats adds a more casual, playful stop to the mix, and that variety is part of what makes a roundup like this useful. Not every beverage-centered outing has to feel serious. Sometimes you want a place that keeps things easy, welcoming, and flexible, especially if your group includes people who are just as interested in burgers, fries, and appetizers as they are in drinks. Square One fits that role well. Try their Dirty Soda Flight, with flavors ranging from Cherry Coke to Orange Creamsicle, or an iced coffee variety alongside brunch. With comfort-focused food and brunch treats like Cinnamon Roll Casserole in the mix, it offers a stop that feels local and low-pressure while still working as part of a broader food-and-drink crawl. It is the kind of place that gives your itinerary a breather without taking you out of the spirit of trying something new.
Griffin Claw Brewing Company
575 South Eton Street, Birmingham
2265 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills
Griffin Claw Brewing Company is an exciting spot in Metro Detroit for anyone who wants a flight experience with a real range. It already has a strong brewery appeal, so beer fans can come in expecting a solid lineup of house brews and seasonal pours, but what makes it especially notable in this roundup is the attention it gives spirits flights. As the Griffin Claw Brewing Company team explains: “Griffin Claw Brewing Company offers flights of its house-distilled and barrel-aged spirits at both its Birmingham and Rochester Hills locations. Guests can mix and match any combination of spirits in .75 oz tasters, including the 100-proof Flying Buffalo Bourbon, a high-rye whiskey aged in fresh oak barrels, and the Night Owl Coffee Whiskey, which blends single-barrel American whiskey with locally made Super Duper cold brew coffee, sugar, and vanilla. The lineup also features the 100-proof Rail District Rye Whiskey, a rare 100% rye malt whiskey aged in new charred oak and crafted using a mash filter for an ultra-smooth finish, plus a 7-year Barrel Strength American Whiskey bottled at 132.8 proof that delivers bold character while remaining surprisingly smooth. Additional options include 2- or 6-year Screamin’ Pumpkin Whiskey distilled from Griffin Claw’s popular Screamin’ Pumpkin ale with pumpkin spice; Krupnik, a Polish-style honey liqueur made from six-time distilled grain vodka aged in white oak with honey and warming spices; and a slightly sweet Peach Whiskey.” It’s a serious lineup, and it gives guests the chance to compare flavors and notes, all in one place. On the food side, favorite items like soft pretzels, wings, burgers, and other pub staples make those flights even more enjoyable and keep the experience grounded in exactly what a good brewery visit should be.
These spots make a strong case for Metro Detroit as a place where flight culture goes well beyond a simple board of beers. You can build an evening around cocktails and dinner, focus on whiskey at a distillery, settle into a taproom for rotating craft pours, or choose a brewery that also treats house spirits as a major part of the experience. There’s real variety, real personality, and plenty to taste if you are willing to explore one flight at a time.
