John Drummond's Butcher Shop - Muskegon, Michigan
Family reunions are great reasons to buy some bacon and brats to cook for guests which is what brings us to John Drummond's Butcher Shop in Muskegon, Michigan for this Scouting Report.
Located only miles from the picturesque beaches and sand dunes that line the Western Michigan shore of Lake Michigan is this quaint butcher shop which promises "the best of home made sausage" and "products smoked with natural wood." Walking in the door of John Drummond's Butcher Shop you are greeted by the meat counter which hosts an array of different cuts of meat. Turn around and there is a tiny freezer section with all kinds of sausages, notably our bratwursts. The shop is no frills, but offers many different cuts of meat for reasonable prices.
Bacon Cheese Bratwursts
John Drummond's Butcher Shop offers many interesting varieties of bratwursts including bacon cheese, broccoli bacon cheese, jalapeño, apple, and plain. Naturally we chose a style with bacon and went for the bacon cheese variety, eschewing the comparable but vegetable laden variety. (Editor's note: We strongly endorse eating vegetables for a healthy and balanced diet.) We brought our brats to a family gathering in Pines Point Campground in the Huron-Manistee National Forests and they were cooked and eaten among other meats. Family gatherings provide opportunities for other taste-testers to give their opinions. The bacon cheese brats contain chunks of bacon, a little cheese, and some kick. They are moderately spicy and extremely salty. They are also not too juicy, but not too dry. Overall it's a solid bratwurst, but not one of our top picks.
Bacon
With a vacation on the brain my trained bacon scout eyes were disappointed not to see any bacon in the meat counter, or so I thought. The kind lady behind the counter pointed out the whole pork bellies and asked me how thick I wanted it sliced. I was thrilled to have my bacon sliced right before me. We bought two pounds for a big breakfast feast taking place the next day. Cooking this bacon was pretty standard. John Drummond's bacon is a solid bacon. It shrank 40% which is an average rating. Despite being advertised as "smoked with natural wood" it didn't taste like a smoke flavor. Once cooked, the family gobbled it up like candy. The bacon is slightly on the salty side, but not too salty. We recommend this bacon as a solid alternative to big box bacon.UPDATE:Thanks to our review, John Drummond's Butcher Shop received some awesome media coverage. Check out the videos below to learn more about this Muskegon meat market.
