Photo: The ed17, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Blackrocks Brewery opened in 2010 in an old house on North Third Street in Marquette. Its founders, David Manson and Andy Langlois, started with a small brewing system and a taproom that felt like a living room.
The name comes from the black rock cliffs at Presque Isle Park, a favorite spot for cliff jumping into Lake Superior.
Growth
Demand grew fast. The brewery added a larger production facility in the city so it could can and distribute beer across Michigan. Its 51K IPA became its best-known beer.
The original taproom on Third Street stayed open, and the porch and yard often fill on summer evenings.
Part of a bigger trend
Blackrocks was one of several breweries that opened in Marquette in the 2010s. Together they helped draw visitors and gave Third Street and downtown more evening life.
Brewery taprooms also became community spaces, hosting fundraisers, music and trivia nights. For a small city, Marquette now has a crowded beer scene, and Blackrocks remains one of its anchors.
