Brewery Profile

Chateau Aeronautique Winery, Blue Skies Brewery & Mile High Distillery ~ Irish Hills

In the Irish Hills area of Onsted, the beer stop here is part of a larger beverage complex rather than a stand-alone brewery taproom. The site began with Chateau Aeronautique Winery, founded in 2008 by Lorenzo Lizarralde, using a hangar on a grass runway before the original “Gazebo” Tasting Room opened in September 2009. That tasting room was expanded in 2016, and today the same facility also includes Blue Skies Brewery and Mile High Distillery. A visitor walking in should expect a mixed-format tasting experience: vinifera wines and ciders from the winery, beer from the brewery, and craft cocktails from the distillery. For Onsted’s beer scene, that makes the stop unusual because beer is presented alongside wine and spirits, with the aviation setting forming part of the identity.

Travelers in this part of Michigan often build outings around scenic drives, lake-country stops, and small-town tasting rooms rather than dense urban brewery hopping. Blue Skies Brewery fits that pattern by offering a beer option within a broader Irish Hills destination. The known beer lineup includes a Belgian Tripel, Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, and Lemon Shandy, which gives visitors a range from stronger Belgian-style ale to dark malt-driven stout to a lighter citrus beer. Those choices also make the site workable for groups with different preferences: one person may be there for wine or cider, another for a beer flight or pint, and another for a cocktail from Mile High Distillery.

For practical planning, treat the tasting room as the best source for the current menu, since the exact beer list and cocktail offerings may change. The confirmed draw is the combination of Blue Skies Brewery, Mile High Distillery, and Chateau Aeronautique wines and ciders under one operation, not a single-category brewery visit. If a specific beer style matters, the taproom is the place to confirm the day’s pours before settling in. Details such as food service, outdoor seating, live music, reservations, pet policies, or tour availability are not established here, so visitors should verify those directly before making plans around them. What can be expected is a beverage-focused stop tied to the winery’s hangar-and-runway origins in Onsted’s Irish Hills setting.

Founded in 2008 by Lorenzo Lizarralde, this complex initially focused on winemaking, utilizing a hangar on a grass runway in the Irish Hills area of Onsted, Michigan. The initial "Gazebo" Tasting Room opened in September 2009, later undergoing an expansion in 2016. Operating within this facility is Blue Skies Brewery, which produces a variety of beers including a Belgian Tripel, Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, and Lemon Shandy. The location also features Mile High Distillery, offering craft cocktails, alongside the original Chateau Aeronautique vinifera wines and ciders.

Website available

12000 Pentecost Hwy, Onsted, MI 49265, USA, Onsted, Michigan, 49265

Phone: (517) 569-2132

Website: http://chateauaeronautiquewinery.com/

Hours: Sunday: 12-6pm Mon-Tues: By appt; Call or email us! Wed-Thur: 3-9pm Fri-Sat: 12-9pm