This month, my beer quest took me to the open road to check out a couple of well-known beer gardens that this magazine actually brought to my attention, The Wrought Iron Grill and Joe's Gizzard City.

I had checked out the website and saw a couple of really cool videos about Joe's signature beer, Cock-A-Doodle-Brew, and was intrigued. When I ordered the beer, I saw it was brewed by a well-respected brewery in Bay City called Tri-City Brewers. I poured the beer into my glass and it appeared to be a light, blonde ale. However, when I took the first sip, I was greeted with an abundance of delicious hops and a malty finish, not what I expected from the appearance. It almost seemed to me like a very light-bodied pale ale. I was very impressed with drinkability of the beer, as it maintained the integrity of a solid microbrew. As a matter of fact, I liked it so much, I took a six-pack to go.

The expedition then took me to the sprawling suburb of Corunna, Owosso. The Wrought Iron Grill has 10 handles, nine of which were Michigan Brews. Its tap list was impressive as was its bottle list. I stayed away from the beers I have sampled before such as Bell's Oberon and the Founders' Devil Dancer, but found my happy place with a pint of the Arcadia Sky High Rye as well as a shorty of Short's Brewery Nicie Spicie. I wanted to give Jolly Pumpkin's Luciernaga a try, but simply ran out of time. With nine micro brews regularly on tap and a variety of great bottles, the Wrought Iron Grill won me over. If you are from the area, the Mug Club is the way to go to be able to sample of the tantalizing goodness Owner John Lowman brings. Also, visit its website to see a list of upcoming beer dinners, a great way to sample many micro brews and pair them with great cuisine. If there is a better watering hole to find craft beer in the county, I have not come across it.

So there you have it. Two great excuses to hit the road and drink a few cold craft brews. Plan on spending a little time at both Joe's and Wrought Iron Grill, as both small town experiences add up to big time flavor.