USA, MI: Great White Buffalo Brewing Company in final preparations for opening in Northville

Eric Sokoloski can't wait to bring some new flavors to the heart of downtown Northville, hometownlife.com reported.

The Novi resident, his brother Ryan Sokoloski and their business partner John Skrabal are in the final preparations for opening Great White Buffalo Brewing Company. After 10 months of renovations and city reviews, they are hyped to open their 101 W. Main St. brewery at 3 p.m. Friday, March 3.

"It feels good," Eric Sokoloski said. "It's nice now that I have everything approved, I can kind of do whatever I want to do. I can set the culture. I can do my thing."

The brewery occupies the former Yogurt Palooza, which closed several years ago. After signing the lease last April, the owners began transitioning the former frozen yogurt shop into a brand-new brewery.

A homebrewer the last decade, Sokoloski decided to enroll in Schoolcraft College's brewing and distillation program and learn more about the business. After completing his time there, he and his partners began looking for a spot to open their dream brewery. They finally found their home in the heart of downtown Northville.

The difference is stark. Gone are the bright colors of the yogurt business, replaced with blacks, whites and golds throughout the dining area and bar. Everything has been redone, from the floors to the ceiling and even the bathrooms, which sport an elegant look.

The star of the show, though, is the beer. A handful of varieties will always be on tap, including a lager, an India pale ale, a stout and an amber, which is Sokoloski's signature brew.

He and his partners will rotate in some more unique beer flavors like smoked mango milkshake and pretzel wheat.

They'll also serve hard seltzers, starting with a rainbow sherbet seltzer. Eric Sokoloski said they'll rotate seltzers frequently.

"Those ones are going to change pretty quickly because they're easy to do," he said.

Hard cider and wine also will be served, with those offerings coming from New Hudson's Whole Hearted Winery.

Ryan Sokoloski brings experience in the restaurant field. He spent more than a decade working at restaurants in places like downtown Detroit. He said he's a fan of several of the beers Great White Buffalo is brewing.

The brewery has a full kitchen, making items perfect for sharing. While the menu is still being finalized, they expect to serve dishes such as wings, flatbreads, salads and tacos, with several vegan and gluten-free options.

Of course, they also plan on having a bison burger on the menu as well.

"A little bit for everybody," Eric Sokoloski said. "We have a nice bison burger that has an onion jam. It's good."

His brother has been sampling the beers, and said they have a great array that will impress.

"I like the (Munich) lager," Ryan Sokoloski said. "It's like our version of Oktoberfest. I love Oktoberfest. And I think our amber might be the best."

02 March, 2023