A Three Oaks Tradition Since 1875
 Visit Drier's and experience a trip to the past. What was originally a wagon repair shop, the building that houses Drier's Meat Market was converted to a butcher shop in 1875 by an Englishman named Alec Watson and called it The Union Meat Market. Ed Drier, Sr. was hired by Alec Watson when he was only 10 years old for a 25-cents-a-week delivery boy. Ed was eventually promoted to clerk at $6 a week and, in 1913, he bought the store from Watson.
Drier's Meat Market has been recognized by as a National Historic Site since the time of it's opening in 1875 which means it has been in continuous use as a butcher shop since shortly after the Civil War. It has a pre-Civil War front and many of the original elements of the building still exist, including the four-paned windows that pre-date plate glass. There's sawdust on the floor, old butchering tools and a meat rack with ornamental cows. The smoke house used to produce Drier's famous ham's, bacon and ring bologna (spelled "baloney" by Ed Sr.) is MORE than a Century old!
The ring baloney (at Drier's, we think spelling this as "bologna" can't possibly be as tasty) was a favorite with the Michigan Central Railroad workers, who made special stops in Three Oaks to pick some up. The famous baloney is actually a kind of small salami in natural casing shaped like a horse shoe. Of course, the family recipe is a secret but it is an all-beef sausage with salt and pepper.
Drier's has been written about in the Chicago Sun Times and Tribune, Michigan papers from Benton Harbor to Detroit and in many Travel Magazines (such as Food Finds magazine.) The theme is always the same: It's a pleasure to see a family doing something they enjoy for so long and doing it so well.
Caroline Drier (left) and her nephew, David Wooley,
take pleasure in serving you only the finest in smoked meats,
cured in their own 100+ year-old smoke house!
At holiday time or anytime you want the finest, consider Drier's Meat Market in Three Oaks, Michigan. Selected lean hams, lightly smoked to perfection. A thoughtful gift or a glorious feast for family and friends. And, if there's any left, the best ham sandwich you've ever eaten! The 100+ year-old Drier's smoke house also delivers bacon and sausages that let you know the Good Old Days are right now. Liver Sausage, really more a country pâté, baloney, salami, brats, hot dogs, Polish sausage, assorted cheeses, crackers and a variety of condiments are also available. Be sure to check out our on-line store for items that can be shipped directly to your home, office or to special friends and family members as gifts.
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