It was SO unexpected–it is aged 1 year in a new cask with spices, which gives it a cinnamon flavor. Be sure to ask for samples of the Old Tom gin. How cool is that? Even though they are widely known for their (award winning!) vodka, they also have two types of gin and bourbon whiskey. Their bar is unique because they only feature the liquor they make themselves. Once Valentine Distillery opened, we cozied up to the bar to see what they have to offer. We grabbed a nice cold beer and enjoyed the sunshine. Plus, I can spot a Happy Hour sign from a mile away! 🙂 M Brew is a smaller restaurant with a great Michigan beer selection and a wrap around patio. It was in the high 80s, so it was a bit toasty to walk around too much. Arriving a bit early for our tour, we spotted M Brew next door to Valentine’s. They have tours from Thursday to Saturday at 4:30 and 6:30 which was perfect for our schedule.įerndale is a super cute town with plenty of places to eat outside and it’s a close suburb to Detroit. I’ve heard so much buzz about Valentine Distillery in Ferdale, I knew we had to check it out. On Fridays, Ricky works summer hours, so we were able to hit the road by the early afternoon. The Motor City Casino Hotel graciously hosted our stay and provided us with a special anniversary dinner at their hotel restaurant Iridescence. Since we were only staying overnight, I didn’t want to jam-pack our schedule with too many activities, but I knew we had to hit up some landmarks like Eastern Market. The food and beverage scene alone is worth a trip–so many tasty places to visit! While there are some dicey areas, it’s truly the comeback city. You see the Anthony Bourdain special or Vice and think the worst of the city. Through media, I feel there is quite a misconception of the status of Detroit. We’ve been in Michigan for 5 years now and Ricky has never been to Detroit, aside from a Tigers game. Since our wedding anniversary was in May, we wanted to have a special overnight trip. From Grand Rapids to Detroit is just over a 2 hour drive–not bad at all. One of the many things I love about Michigan is how different the scenery is from coast to coast.

Our 24 hour anniversary trip to Detroit, staying at the beautiful MotorCity Casino Hotel. Disclaimer: We were provided accommodations and dinner courtesy of the MotorCity Casino Hotel.

Motor city casino restaurant hours