Cherry Country

Zippy, bright red Montmorency cherries make northern Michigan the sweetest summer destination.

- Christine MacIntyre

IT’S NOT A CENSUS-DESIGNATED PLACE. It doesn’t have official borders, and it won’t appear on Google Maps. But once you’ve tasted the fruits—both literal and figurative—of Northern Lower Michigan (NLM), you’ll know you’ve arrived.

Colloquially known as Up North, this region spans the upper tip of Michigan’s mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula, roughly between Grayling and the Mackinac Bridge. It’s a landscape formed by glacier-carved soil and dramatic weather shifts: brief, hot summers followed by snowy winters—a Dfb Köppen climate, for the weather-savvy among you. This climate chaos, while not for the faint of heart, is exactly what helps the region’s bounty thrive.

My favorite time to visit is summer, when the roadside stands burst with Montmorency cherries—small, crimson, and tart enough to make your cheeks pucker. The area’s glacial terrain and loamy soil make it an ideal orchard zone, and come harvest season, the cherries dominate local culture and cuisine. Montmorency cherries appear in innumerable pies, beers, cocktails, and even wines from the region’s burgeoning beverage scene.

But the flavors here extend far beyond the summer months. Those same shoreline soils yield grapes for some of the Midwest’s most elegant Rieslings and crisp white blends. There’s also a growing hops scene, with breweries leaning into local ingredients for year-round releases made with signature hops like Michigan Copper and Mackinac.