Suds with Sophie: Bridge Up Brewing to Serve at New Door County Cherry Hut

Trent Snyder. Photo by Jim Lundstrom.

I met up recently with Trent Snyder and Eric Kane to chat about their new venture with Jason and Laura Estes. It’s south of Fish Creek at the former Ray’s Cherry Hut and what was most recently White Cottage Red Door. Now called the Door County Cherry Hut, it’s set to open May 1 as a one-stop shop for refreshment and entertainment for the whole family. 

The space has a large outdoor area – enough for groups to spread out at tables or on their own picnic blankets and chairs to enjoy all that the Door County Cherry Hut will have to offer. This includes local craft beer, wine, artisan goods, food items and live music. 

“If you’re up here for a week with your family, we want to see you two or three times,” said Snyder, founder of Bridge Up Brewing Co. in Sturgeon Bay. And with the ample space, offerings and events that he and Kane have planned, that won’t be difficult. 

The indoor beer garden, which Snyder calls “Bridge Up North,” will have 12 taps to feature some of Bridge Up Brewing’s delicious IPAs, fruity sours and other styles, as well as five guest taps. As a fan of its various styles and experimental beers, I’m excited to have these options available up north. The Door County Cherry Hut will also feature Wisconsin-made Elsie Mae’s lemonade and juice concentrates for ideal summer enjoyment. The beer area feels like you’re drinking in the garage with friends, and it opens onto a large, outdoor, grassy area.

The main indoor space provides retail and food options and a separate wine bar with local fruit wines and more traditional options to please a variety of wine drinkers. 

Also inside is a full kitchen, run by Kane, to serve craft versions of family favorites: hot dogs, street tacos and “finger-style” wing tips to enjoy picnic-style in the outdoor area. The menu will keep rotating and include pop-up appearances by local chefs. 

Kane and Snyder are also excited to create a place indoors where local artisans and makers can sell their retail, artistic and food items. Snyder sees the Door County Cherry Hut as an “opportunity to give back and make Door County a cooler place to be.” Expect offerings from local makers such as The Jamaican Door and Henriksen Fisheries that can be enjoyed on-site, on a boat or at home. 

Snyder invites all local musicians, artisans, chefs and other makers to email [email protected] to get in on the fun this summer! 

“If you don’t have a space,” he said, “we would love for our space to be your space.” 

The Door County Cherry Hut will also provide entertainment and relaxation for the whole family. Snyder’s goal is for the establishment to  “be a memory. I want it to be something they talk about.”