21+ · About 0.8 miles · Walkable
The Frankenmuth Main Street Bar Crawl
Frankenmuth has been brewing beer since 1862, and nearly every stop worth a toast sits on one long, walkable stretch of Main Street. Start at the north end, follow the street south toward the Cass River, and finish at the riverfront.
- Buy from a business with a blue window decal, in an official Frankenmuth Social District cup.
- District hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., every day.
- Finish your cup before you walk into the next bar. Drinks can't go into any place that sells alcohol, or into a shop with a red decal.
- Stay inside the district. When you reach a "Pint of No Return" sticker on the sidewalk, finish up, toss the cup, or turn around.
- Public restrooms are at the Frankenmuth Visitor Center, 635 S. Main St.
The route
Listed north to south, in walking order. Stops 1 to 9 are on Main Street, and the last one is at River Place Shops by the river.
Start: north end of Main Street
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St. Julian Wine Co.
127 S. Main St.
Start with a wine tasting at the north end of town before the crowds pick up further south.
WineTastings -
Frankenmuth Brewery
425 S. Main St.
The heart of the crawl. Beer has been brewed on this spot by the Cass River since 1862, and it bills itself as Michigan's oldest brewery. In warm weather, grab a lager on the patio overlooking the river.
BreweryRiver patioFood -
Te Fiti Tiki
525 S. Main St.
A tropical break in the middle of Little Bavaria. A good change of pace between beer stops.
Tiki drinks -
Frank's Muth
561 S. Main St.
Right in the downtown cluster, so it's an easy hop to the next two stops.
Social District -
T.Dub's Pizzeria & Pub
565 S. Main St.
Halfway point. Pizza and a pint here keeps the rest of the night on track.
PubPizza -
Prost Wine Bar & Charcuterie
576 1/2 S. Main St.
A full bar with craft beer, cocktails and wines on tap, plus charcuterie boards to share. "Prost!" is German for cheers.
WineCocktailsCharcuterie -
Tiffany's
656 S. Main St.
A bar and grill in a historic building from the early 1900s, good for a casual round.
Bar & grill -
Bavarian Inn Restaurant
713 S. Main St.
Home of the Glockenspiel tower. Time your stop for a show, then have a drink at the bar.
GlockenspielBar -
Zehnder's of Frankenmuth
730 S. Main St.
Directly across the street from the Bavarian Inn. Here the chicken dinners are as much a part of the town's story as the beer.
ClassicBar -
River Place Shops
925 S. Main St.
Finish at the riverfront village, where several stops sit a few steps apart:
- Cass River Bar & Grill (Suite D-1)
- Grand Traverse Distillery tasting room (Suite B-6), with Michigan-made vodka, whiskey and gin
- Modern Craft Winery (Suite E-1)
- Cherry Republic (Suite H-2)
Finish: the Cass River riverfront
The zero-proof route
Not drinking, driving, or bringing someone under 21? These five stops on the same walk have real non-alcoholic options, not just a glass of water. We checked each one against the business's own menu or website in October 2026. Menus change, so ask your server what's on today.
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St. Julian Wine Co.
127 S. Main St.
St. Julian makes alcohol-free sparkling juices, and its tasting rooms welcome kids, so everyone gets a glass.
Sparkling juiceKid-friendly -
Frankenmuth Brewery
425 S. Main St.
The brewery makes its own craft sodas in house with cane sugar and vanilla: Frankie's Root Bier and an Orange Cream Soda. Get either one as a float.
House root beerFloats -
Bavarian Inn Restaurant
713 S. Main St.
Your stop for non-alcoholic beer. Its drink menu lists four, including Erdinger N/A and Bitburger Drive. There's also a locally brewed draft root beer and flavored lemonades, and the Glockenspiel is right outside.
N/A beerDraft root beerLemonade -
Zehnder's of Frankenmuth
730 S. Main St.
Right across the street. Zehnder's has its own non-alcoholic drink list, with a root beer float, the Bavarian Cooler (ice cream blended with Oreos and strawberry) and fruity mocktails.
MocktailsFloats -
Cherry Republic
River Place Shops, 925 S. Main St.
Finish at the river with Michigan cherry sodas and other cherry treats. Visitors say you can often sample the sodas before you buy.
Cherry sodaSnacks
Social District cups are for alcoholic drinks. With a soda in hand, just follow each business's rules about taking drinks outside.
Add-ons and detours
North Main Street
For a longer night, start further north at daVinci's Italian Restaurant (524 N. Main), Lazy Dog Pizza Co. (534 N. Main) or Flavor Caribbean Cuisine (418 N. Main). All three are in the Social District.
Off Main
Poblano's Mexican Grill & Cantina is a block off Main at 171 E. Jefferson St., good for margaritas. The Mill at Zehnder Park (701 Mill St.) and the Bavarian Inn Lodge, across the covered bridge, are also in the district.
Not drinking?
The same walk works for everyone. Follow the zero-proof route for root beer, sparkling juice and N/A beer, with fudge, pretzels and a Glockenspiel show along the way.
Plan it right
Best times
Weekend afternoons are busiest. Festival weekends, like Oktoberfest (third weekend of September) and the World Expo of Beer (third weekend of May), turn the whole town into a party. See the events calendar.
Getting home
Never drink and drive. Frankenmuth is a small town and rides can be scarce late at night, so book a room within walking distance or pick a sober driver before the first round.
Pace yourself
You don't need a drink at every stop. Share a flight, order a soft drink, eat at the halfway point and drink water between rounds.
You must be 21 or older to drink alcohol. Please drink responsibly. This guide is for planning only; follow staff, posted rules and the law. Businesses change hours and menus, so call ahead or check their pages. Run a bar on Main Street and want something updated? Tell us.