Dine Around

Walk into a summer Wonderland

It can be risky returning to a distillery you enjoyed the first time, many years later, because it might not live up to those amazing memories.

That concern was top of mind as my sister and I drove to Wonderland Distilling Co. in Muskegon’s Lakeside neighborhood, a cool cocktail bar and restaurant I hadn’t visited in about five years. Back then it had been nominated for Best New Craft Distillery in the country by USA Today.

But within minutes of arriving on a sunny Saturday afternoon in May, Derby Day in fact, I could tell Wonderland had only improved in my absence.

The place was buzzing for their Kentucky Derby event, Jockey & Juleps. We grabbed a table by the window and were promptly greeted by our server, Tristan.

My sister and I debated what appetizer to pick because a few options, including the Great Lakes Smoked Trout Dip and Bruschetta sounded great. Finally, after a discussion that almost split the family, we selected the Bollywood Nachos.

Even as a self-proclaimed nacho connoisseur, I wasn’t prepared for how delightful and unique this shareable dish would be. The crispy tortilla chips were covered, and I mean covered, in cheese, yellow curry chicken, and tikka masala, which is a spiced, creamy, red orange-colored sauce. Life changing.

Soon Tristan guided us through a whole page worth of cocktails. I ordered the Paper Plane, bourbon whiskey, rossa aperitivo, orange amaro, lemon and simple syrup. Classic presentation,bright, sweet and sour, and very drinkable.

Meanwhile, my sister went with Patch Made in Havana, silver rum, allspice dram, lime, chai syrup, pumpkin syrup, and coconut milk. I was like okay…but she loved it.

“Citrusy and creamy don’t normally go together. But it works,” she said in a where-did-that-come-from Instagram vlogger voice.”

“And the alcohol doesn’t overpower it.”

As the derby post time got closer, we ordered entrees and another round of drinks.

I went with the BBQ Pineapple Chicken Flatbread on cauliflower crust, while my sister went with the Smoked Turkey Pesto, a sandwich served with kettle chips and a pickle. My dish made me believe again that pineapple could be on pizza, while my sister’s dish was a solid classic. Then my Brown Butter Old Fashioned arrived – brown butter infused whiskey, brown sugar, and cinnamon bitters. Tristan highly recommended it and man did it deliver, with that delightful cinnamon kick at the end.

Meanwhile my sister loved the Blueberry Yum Yum, lavender-infused gin, blueberry cordial, and lemon cordial calling it a “go-to summer drink.”

Overall, Wonderland was a top-notch experience and the perfect local getaway. I can’t wait to
return. Sometimes the present is even better than the good old days.