Craftsavor

Savoring Saturday: Bells Oarsman Ale

2010-10-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

One of the newest distributed beers from Bell's Brewery is Oarsman Ale. Slated to be available year round, this beer is a great session beer for any occasion. Its most interesting characteristic is its tartness. The brewery says "Designed as a flavorful session beer, Oarsman Ale uses a classic German brewing technique to impart a light, refreshing tartness. Oarsman Ale grew out of a desire to explore the tradition of session beers, trading intensity for finesse while still creating a worthwhile experience for the taster. The grain bill includes a healthy portion of wheat, while light hopping lend citrus & herbal notes to the aroma. Fermented with Bell's house ale yeast, Oarsman comes in at 4.0% alcohol by volume. Rather than being the dominant flavor note, the tartness in Oarsman takes on more of a palate-cleansing role, making it perfect with meals or purely on its own."

Oarsman Ale is available in single ounce bottles (where stores permit) and 12 ounce 6 packs. It comes in at 4% ABV, and is very pleasing!

Detroit Beer Week 2010!

2010-10-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

In only its second year in existence, the people over at Detroit Beer Week are making quite a buzz for, well, Detroit Beer Week. Established last year to hold events at local bars, restaurants, galleries during the week preceding the Eastern Market Fall beer Festival. This year, the organization has just recently released its events for the week of October 16-23. The events are listed below (thanks kalamabrew), and a link to their facebook page can be found here.

The Eastern Market Fall Beer Festival will take place on 10/23 from 1-6 pm (Michigan Brewers Guild Members can enter at noon). Over 40 breweries will be present with an expected 200+ beers to sample. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door and can be purchased online, or at participating breweries throughout south east Michigan.

Oct. 16
Tap: Detroit
Time: 7 p.m.-midnight
Where: St. Andrew’s Hall, 431 East Congress St.
Details: Tasting stations from eight local restaurants with dishes created specifically to pair with Michigan-brewed beers, rare beer cellar tasting, Michigan Spirits Lounge. A portion of the nights proceeds will be donated to Pints for Prostates campaign.
Tickets: $35 (main event) and $55 (all-access).

Oct. 17
Whiskey and beer
Time: 6 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Where: Ye Olde Tap Room, 14915 Charlevoix
More information: Take a look at the history of this Prohibition-era bar.

Oct. 18
Slows-Bar-BQ happy hour
Time: 3-7 p.m.
Where: Slows Bar-B-Que, 2138 Michigan Ave.

Oct. 19
Cliff Bells beer dinner featuring Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. and Dragonmead Microbrewery
Time: 9-11:30 p.m.
Where: Cliff Bells, 2030 Park Ave.
Cost: $30
Details: Four courses and beer pairings with brewers. Reservations are recommended.
More information: Call 313-961-2543.

Oct. 21
BIKE-toberfest: Detroit brewing, past and present
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Details: Detroit cycling beer enthusiast, Bil Lusa, will take you on a tour of Detroit’s historical and current breweries. Explore Traffic Jam & Snug, Motor City Brewing, historic brewery buildings of Eastern Market, Atwater Block Brewery and more. Bike rental available. Depart from Detroit Beer Co.
More information: Email Lusa at lusab@brewingnews.com.

Beer vs. wine cheese pairing
Time: 7-10 p.m.
Where: Motor City Wines, 608 Woodward Ave

New Holland Brewing night
Time: 10 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Where: Grand Trunk Pub, 612 Woodward Ave.
Details: New Holland Brewing Co. takes over Grand Trunk.

Oct. 22
Foxtown/Park Ave. pub crawl
Time: 7 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Where: Various locations – Park Bar, Cliff Bells, Rub BBQ Pub, Hard Luck Lounge, State Bar, Hockeytown Cafe, The Town Pump Tavern, Centaur
Details: $10 wristband will get you drink and food specials and waive cover at each location. A Detroit Beer Week representative will be selling wristbands at each location.

Oct. 23
Detroit Fall Beer Festival

Official Detroit Fall Beer Festival after party
Time: 6 p.m. – midnight
Where: Atwater Block Brewery, 237 Joseph Campau St.

Oct. 24
Sunday “Bloody Mary” Sunday
Time: Noon – 4 p.m.
Where: 3rd Street Bar, 701 West Forest Ave.
Details: Bloody Mary bar, breakfast items

Michigan Oktoberfests!

2010-09-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard yet, it is time again for Octoberfest. Traditionally, the festival is held for in mid to late September and proceeds until the first Sunday in October. 2010 marks the 200th celebration of this event, which began as the celebration of marriage between Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. That first event was October 12, 1810. The celebration was such a success, it was repeated the next year. Slowly, the event was pushed forward, to maximize warmer days in Germany. Coincidentally, the celebration also coincides with traditional brewing schedules before modern refrigeration. Brewers usually had to cease their efforts around March and store (lager) their beer in caves or cellars, to avoid spoiling through the summer months. Remaining bottles were usually served at Octoberfest, which was also the beginning of the brewing season.

Today Octoberfest is celebrated all over the world, with Germany having the largest attendance and contemporary celebrations. Many breweries throughout the world now brew seasonal "Oktoberfest" names beers and Michigan is no exception. Nearly every brewery has theirs on tap, and distribution can be seen With Bells Oktoberfest, Atwater Blocktoberfest, Motor Cite Brew Werks Octoberfest, Shorts Noble Chaos, and Great Lakes (Cleveland) Octoberfest. Several events are in place as well, starting today with The Rochester Mill Brewery Oktoberfest Celebration. LIve music, memorabilia (steins!) kids events, German style beer, food, and dance will all take place under an expansive warm and dry tent. There is a $5 donation to the make a wish foundation. Today 5-11 pm, Saturday 1-11pm. October 9th, Sherwood Brewery in Sterling Heights will host its Octoberfest, and the following weekend October 16th, Kuhnhenn of Warren will celebrate as well.

So reach out and grab your Oktoberfest beer, find an Oktoberfest celebration, and celebrate your Michigan Oktoberfest!

Savoring Saturday #8, North Peak Brewery Diabolical IPA

2010-05-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

We are about to embark on the world of India Pale Ales. The name is derived from the history of long voyages of beer that were highly hopped (after the discovery of hops serving several purposes, one of which being a great preservative) for trade and consumption. Traditionally higher in hop content, IPA's can have a wide variety of flavor, from strong bitterness and sharp tastes, to citrus and piny flavors. Nearly every major craft brewery makes some headway with the style of India Pale Ale.

Today we are going to sample North Peak Brewery Diabolical IPA, which just began distributing, making Diabolical one of the newer varieties. The Brewery does not have an official description, but friends at Michigan Microbrews had this overview "When poured into the glass, this brew pours a wicked head with great lacing and retention. Looking at the glass, it's a nice copper color; apparently filtered as I can see right through it. Upon first sniff, there's a very mild scent - almost like a lager. At first sip, there's a pleasant hop bitterness; increasing as I go. As I continue to enjoy, the aftertaste is slight, but lingering. I can enjoy it now and later".

This variety of IPA leans more towards the hop bitterness mixed with malt character. After sampling IPA's you might find yourself enjoying The bitter side of the citrus side, or perhaps if you are truly an aficionado, you'll love both.

North Peak distributes in many craft beer stores, you may need to ask for it or search a bit more, but they are out there. The brewery is located in downtown Ann Arbor and in conjunction with sister breweries (Jolly Pumpkin in Ann Arbor/Dexter/Traverse city, Bastone in Royal Oak, and Grizzly Peak in Traverse City) sell six packs on premise.

American Craft Beer Week, May 17-23

2010-05-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

This coming week signifies the American Craft Beer Week. Seven glorious days to express your enthusiasm for all that you love, as long as it has to do with craft beer. The numbers do not lie, craft beer in America has seen exponential growth and abundance since the 90's, and it shows no signs of slowing. Just in the past couple years Chicago has seen its breweries grow from two to seven. Around Michigan we have seen the opening of many new breweries like Odd side Ales in Grand Haven, the return of Frankenmuth Brewery, Liberty street Brewing in Plymouth, and the anticipated Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids

Other establishments have seen exciting growth and popularity, including B Nektar Meadery in Ferndale, Jolly Pumpkin in Dexter, Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City and Kuhnhenn Brewery in Warren to name a few.

American Craft Beer week in Michigan is full of plenty of participating breweries, some of which have published these events on the official website and are mentioned below. (http://www.americancraftbeerweek.org)

Arcadia Ales is offering up the exciting opportunity to spend a day brewing beer with Josh Davies when a growler is purchased during the week.

Liberty Street Brewing will be conducting a brew session on their loading, allowing people to watch, ask questions, and learn.

Kuhnhenn Brewery is asking people to print out a copy of the Declaration of Beer Independence, sign it, and bring it in. They will post it on the wall and you will get a free Personal Pizza and Beverage.

Saugatuck Brewing Company is preparing special tastings and food pairings during the week.

Fort Street Brewery in Lincoln Park is celebrating the 4th annual Wheatstock! May 19-21. New wheat beer styles released each night. With games and prizes as well.

Sherwood Brewery in Shelby Township is offering LifeTime MugLess memberships, JugFest prepaid growler cards and $2.99 lunch specials available all week. Beer & Chocolate Tasting Thursday 7pm, which participants must preregister.

Many more events may be happening at your local Brewery, just call and ask. Happy American Craft Beer Week!

Put some Cans in that Bag!

2010-05-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

There was a time in my life where I could not stand the thought of golf. Much like beer, in my youth, I disliked anything about each. To me, beer was stale lake water, and gold was too prestigious for a skateboarding punk rocker. Granted, these assumptions lived in the days of cheap Red Dog and Pantera concerts. My how time has changed on me. With more diversity, patience, and erudition, I have come to love both beer and golf, and found the two can be synonymous with sunshine, weekends, vacation, celebration, and defeat. And defeated we are at times, with putter in hand, par on the line, and the inevitable missed shot.

Michigan ranks third in golf courses in the United States, which may be very surprising considering our season is barely half, if that, of the two leading rivals of Florida and California. Nearly 1,000 courses can call Michigan their home.

As with any sport, beer is usually a great right hand addition. We celebrate while watching and completion (if playing). Few sports find it customary to consume while actually playing, with golf I would assume being the safest. In my time playing I have noticed players stocking up with styro-foam bags in the back of the cart or stuffing cans into various pockets within their bag. I have also found, sadly, that many of the golf courses around do not carry Michigan beer. And if they do, they are certainly not in cans. Understandably, bottles are heavy and pose a danger if broken accidentally or intentionally.

Thankfully, there are still options to enjoying a great Michigan beer while on the course. My first suggestion would be to encourage your favorite course to stock Michigan beer, and suggest those that distribute in cans ta boot. If your course lacks great Michigan beer, you may have to resort to ulterior methods. Some may call this suggestion to be be a bit mischievous or dishonest. Call me selfish, but I wish to enjoy my time as best as possible. If this were suddenly my last day on Earth, I don't want have to answer St. Peter explaining my last beer was triple hops brewed or rocky mountain cold. So I say, bring your own. Many golfers already take this course, why not make it a better step with Michigan made beer, in cans!

At the publish of this post, only two breweries within Michigan distribute in cans, but that should be no deterrent, since one is available through out the state, and the other is located in the great city of Rochester. The Rochester Mill Brewery cans their Lazy Daze Lager, and rumor has it their Cornerstone IPA will soon be joining Daze. At the moment the cans are only available at the brewery, located in downtown Rochester, but another rumor implies further distribution is coming soon. Keweenaw Brewery, located in Houghton, cans their Pick Ax Blond, Red Jacket Amber, Lift Bridge Brown Ale, and Widow Maker Black Ale. These beers are available at most speciality craft beer stores.

After you have an ample supply for your day of birdies, you need to evaluate your game plan. Do you need enough for nine or 18? Do you have a container to help maintain their cool, or do need to stash a couple in the freezer for a bit?

A great suggestion is to use a byo-bag to keep cool. If you do not own one already, these bags are great for any enthusiast. They are insulated, maximizing cooling. A little bit of ice and a couple plastic bags may also do the trick, but you run the risk of leaks, and that is lose lose situation. Or, you can amply stuff cans into every pocket you have. These totes are available at retail stores such as Target and nearly all wine and craft beer speciality stores, and are produced by a handful of manufacturers.

Another option is the use of a Camel Bak bag or its insulator. It so happens I have accumulated a collection of these over the years and one appears to be the perfect back pack insulator that fits six cans snug, one on top of the other. I am elated to have learned of this, and am truly a beer geek to make use of it. I like to chill the cans over night in the fridge, and then place beer and insulator in the freezer for a quick cold blast. This will help keep those beers cold on your way to the links.

Now comes the time to find the perfect stash for your stash. Dust off that golf bag and use this opportunity to make some room and clean out last years trash. Do you really need every golf ball you've ever found in that bag? How about the 600 tees you got for Christmas? Keep the Icy Hot. Locate the pocket(s) for your Michigan friends, load up and get on your way.

Take your time with breaking in your first quench. Unless the host ranger is a good friend of yours, they might not look fondly upon your self imposed liberty. Or, he may be none the wiser. In any event, I prefer to get the first hole out of the way, this is when the day really begins!

Savoring Saturday #7, Arcadia Ale's Sky High Rye

2010-05-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

This week we will be sampling a great addition to the selections of Michigan craft beer. Arcadia Ales in Battle Creek created Sky High Rye to celebrate its !2th anniversary in late 2008. The beer received such high acclaims that the brewery has since continued production and has made it a year round addition of their portfolio.

From the brewery, Sky High Rye is detailed as "In honor of our adventurous friends at Sky Dive Inc., in Hastings, Michigan, we crafted a truly adventurous brew in SKY HIGH RYE. A west-coast-style pale ale with rye malt, SKY HIGH RYE boasts a massive floral aroma of resinous hops. The hops contribute flavor notes of lemons, peaches, and pine needles, combined with the sweet, malty flavors of toffee and bread. Rye adds a pleasant peppery, spicy note like a fresh slice of pumpernickel bread. Very well-rounded and very drinkable, SKY HIGH RYE will surely inspire adventure in all who taste it."

You may have noticed something unique in the name and within the description, rye. More known as an ingredient for whiskey and gin, rye has found itself within craft beer over the last decade or so. In many ways, the flavor of rye beer is reminiscent of wheat beers. Light bodied and somewhat dry, rye beers tend to have a nice head and an interesting grainy, slightly spicy flavor.

Sky High Rye is labeled as 6.6 ABV and 55 IBU's, perfect for any beer drinker. Currently, it is available in 22 ounce bottles with this label, but is soon to arrive in 6 packs with the label above.

Savoring Saturday #6, Dragonmead Sir William ESB

2010-04-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

Dragonmead Brewery is a gem in the rough. Situated in an awkward service drive in Warren, the brewery distributes little compared to their dozens (usually over three) of beers on tap. In fact, Dragonmead Brewery boasts the most home made beer on tap in the world. They create everything from light lagers to chipotle beer. What is distributed in exceptional, and this week we are going to sample Sir William ESB.

ESB stands for extra special bitter. Grown out of English pale ales, arguments exist if there are any differences at all between the two, as the two styles share far more similarities than differences. Traditionally, ESB's are slightly darker in color, have less hop bitterness (due in part to its slightly higher ABV), and have more malt characteristics than traditional English Pale Ales. As mentioned, they also tend to be on the door step of higher ABV percentages, usually 5% or higher. Sir William comes in at 4.8%, which is acceptable for the style.

Dragonmead has this quick description about Sir Wiliam ESB "Another fine example of the English style. This Bitter is more robust than the best bitter but still with an excellent balance between hops and malt. Pale Ale Malt along with Aromatic and Crystal malts combine with the Galena and Fuggles hops to create a sure-fire favorite."

There are two great options to try this beer in south eastern Michigan. First, the brewery itself. Located on the south west service drive of Groesbeck and 696, the brewery has existed in this location since the late 90's, expanding along the way. They have nearly 30 beers, meads, and wine on tap regularly, is smoke free (or always was well before the May 1st ban), has live entertainment, and allows outside food to be brought or delivered. Ta boot, if you enjoy a dungeons and dragons themed atmosphere, the brewery is decked out with swords, arms, and artwork expressing the time period. Your second option to try Sir William is through distribution. All of Dragonmead's beers comes in four packs (with the exception of Armageddon Grand Cru), and are available at dedicated craft beer stores.

Shorts to Celebrate its sixth Anniversary this weekend

2010-04-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Short's Brewery! This weekend they will celebrate six years of operation in their Bellaire Facility. Comparatively, it has been a short road (no pun intended) but Short's has seen its popularity, production, and demand grow to larger sizes year by year (pun intended).

Most recently we have been introduced to unique portfolio from Shorts, their year round runners include Huma-Lupa_licious IPA, Bellaire Brown, Pandemonium Pale Ale, , The Magician, and The Soft Parade. In addition to those we have seen several special releases including PB&J, Uncle Steve's Irish Stout, Cup a Joe Coffee Creme Stout, Smoked Apple Ale, Mystery Stout, The Liberator, and Uber Goober to name a few. That's a great accomplishment, and recent news this week confirmed the addition of Noble Chaos (Octoberfest), Sustenance Black Beer, Black Licorice Lager, and the long awaited S'more Stout.

Personally, I am excited to get my hands on the official Anniversary Ale, which is a Blood Orange Wheat Wine. That just sounds delicious. Brewed with blood oranges and its zest, and spiced with green peppercorns.

Shorts also has installed a quality controlled lab, ensuring only the best products reach shelves and kegs, and, like many breweries within our great state, is expanding due to its success.

Celebrations will be had this Saturday with plenty of unique beers on tap, special vintages, and live entertainment.

Happy Anniversary Short's!

Savoring Saturday #5, Founder's Cerise Cherry Ale

2010-04-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

Another week come and gone, another great Michigan beer to sample. This week were going to take a visit over to Grand Rapids, home of Founder's Brewery. Founder;s has seen exceptional growth over the last several years, and much of it is due to their innovative beer and special releases.

Not long ago Founders added Cerise to their line up of seasonal beers. The brewery describes this deliciousness as follows "You’ll have a soft spot for this one. Using only fresh Michigan tart cherries, this beauty tantalizes with intense flavors combined with a no hesitation malt bill. Adding fresh cherries at five separate stages of fermentation achieves the ultimate balance between tartness and sweetness." Cerise weighs in at 6.5% abv, and an IBU count of 15, so this beer is all sweet and no bitterness, perfect for any time of year, I prefer dusk on a warm summer evening. In our belief that there is a Michigan beer for everyone, Cerise can certainly be the beer for those with sweet wine appreciations, and for those who dislike bitter tasting beer.

Cerise is sold in 4 packs, and is produced April through August. Head on over to your local craft beer store (we suggest using www.craftbeerlocator.com) to support a great Michigan brewery who supports Michigan produced products!

Savoring Saturday #4, Michigan Brewing Company Amber Lager

2010-04-11T16:23:00.001-07:00

I am certainly a day late and a dollar shot on this post. But that is all subjective considering the beautiful weather our great state has been experiencing. I promise to try and write these suggestions further in advance.What I would like to bring to the table today is Michigan Brewing Company's Amber Lager. Beers are characterized into two separate categories when it comes to fermentation: Ale and Lager. A lager beer is bottom fermenting, which ferments at lower temperatures and for a bit more time than an Ale would. In this fermentation, more malt and hop balance are allowed to shine through, as lager yeast doesn't influence as much in the flavor or character in a beer.

Michigan Brewing Company compliments their Amber Lager as follows "Brewed in the tradition of the Austrian Vienna-style lager popularized in Bavaria’s Oktoberfest celebrations, Sunset Amber is a true cold aged lager beer. A perfect beer for those who want a full flavored brew without too much hop bitterness. Our amber lager shines like a golden sunset. The pleasant caramel flavor is lightly balanced with Northern Brewer and other hops to satisfy the palates of most beer lovers."

The "Amber" reference seen here, and in many other names, is derived from the use of more roasted malts, and can also be referenced as "Red" beer. Flavor profiles in this style can have malty, nutty, and caramel tones and is very tolerable for a beginner who may be weary.

Savoring Saturday #3, Arbor Brewing "Bavarian Bliss"

2010-04-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to spring! This season of renewal, growth, and abundance. Whatever you are welcoming specifically, many Michigan beer enthusiasts are anxious for their seasonal delights. Spring in Michigan tends to be the largest of seasonal debuts from its 70+ breweries, many of them wheat ales, or better known as Hefeweizen. There could be dozens upon dozens throughout draft only and distributed variations, and I can list many of them here. But today is a special day, my beautiful wife's birthday. And in the spirit of her, I am attracted to Ann Arbor, where we shared a significant date at Arbor Brewing company. She, and I, are very fond of their Bavarian Bliss.

Hefeweizen's are very comforting beers when exploring craft beer for the first time. they are traditionally quenching, usually a bit sour or tart and a medium mouth feel.

Arbor Brewing describes Bavarian Bliss as "Classic aromas of banana, clove and floral citrus blossom. Fruity, spicy aromas show a rich yeasty character that follows through on a smooth, medium-bodied palate with a delicately spicy finish

This summer specialty is made with 50% malted wheat for a clean, light, refreshing character. It derives its unique flavor and classic cloudy appearance from the yeast which settles into a thin layer on the bottom of the bottle.

Like all authentic hefeweizens, it reveals its best flavors when properly decanted. Simply pour 3/4 of the bottle into a glass and gently shake the remaining contents to mix the yeast back into the beer and then top off your glass. Delicious with or without a slice of lemon."

I can not say it better than that, except, I opt out of fruit in my beer, unless it was an addition by the brewer. Some however, possibly yourself, might find it appealing.

Bavarian Bliss is available on draft at Arbor Brewing Company, and distributed through out Michigan in many speciality beer stores.

Savoring Saturday #2, Jolly Pumpkin "Madrugada Obscura"

2010-03-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

One of the largest misconceptions of beer is its color. The darker a beer becomes, the more a person is to assume they will not care for it, that it may be to filling, high in calories, or to strong. Darker beer, can in fact be the opposite of the points just listed. Comparatively Guinness is a mildly flavored ale with 170 calories per serving, 5.7 grams of carbohydrates, and has an ABV of 4%. Budweiser has 145 calories per serving, 10.6 grams of carbohydrates, and an ABV of 5%. I use these two brands as they are mainstream, highly recognized beers. They stack up relatively similar in these profiles, but the tastes of these two beer are worlds apart.

Let's get back to Michigan. All breweries produce a large gamut of styles, from light to dark which are easily palatable and substantially complex. Today, we refer to a hybrid of sorts that is extremely exceptional.

Jolly Pumpkin is known for their barrel aged Belgian influenced beers. These beers have introductions of wild yeasts, which in turn impart notes of controlled sourness. Madrugada Obscura or "Dark Dawn" is listed by the brewery as "A Belgian inspired stout that is as dark as a moonless midnight, brimming of roasted malts and bitter hops. It will keep you good company in all places, be thay light or dark." The beer pours a rich black with aromas of rich malt and sourness. To get the most of this tasting experience, it is suggested to use a wine or brandy glass and allow all senses to be invited. The beginning of your taste with have sour notes, reminiscent of cranberry, raisins, chocolate and prunes. The finish will be roasty, with tones of alcohol, and slightly dense. Together all of these flavors leave the drinker curious for more, balanced between profiles, and warm.

At 8.1% ABV, it is only available in 22 ounce bottles, so have a couple friends and sample a handful of ounces a piece. You may want to buy two bottles, as your palate may wish for more.

The area surronding 22 ounce vs. 4 pack distribution

2010-03-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

It seems there is on going battle about the advantages and disadvantages in the ways craft breweries package their beer. The most accepted package is the traditional 6 pack. The exception (and the argument) is 22 ounce bottles and specialty 4-packs. Often I hear opinionated arguments and preferences to these "speciality" packages. Some are stubborn enough to swear them off because they are not conventional packaging. Others swarm because X amount of Y is only available in Z frame of time. Bear with me a moment while I personally lay out some examples.

In Michigan we see breweries using all methods, but never really exploring more than two. The primary home base for many is 6 pack. Bell's Brewery only distributes in 6 packs and nothing else at this time. they had distributed in 22's at one point, particularly Oberon. Some breweries explore 6 pack and 22 ounce distribution, such as New Holland. Then we have Founder's, who distributes in 6 and 4 packs. Arcadia Ales is currently in a transition, eliminating the 22 ounce, and embracing the 4 pack (why?). Dragonmead Brewery uses 4 pack and 22* ounce methods. And, finally, Jolly Pumpkin and Leelanau only embraces their beer in single 22 ounce (and smaller) bottles.

Whether you are new or not to the Michigan craft beer scene, one question is sure to come to mind when seeing new debuts. What is the point? Most of it I believe will boil down to marketing. Specialty and higher gravity beers make their way into a niche style, thus niche marketing tactics. The argument could further be distilled to cost and quantity. Breweries spend more time and money to produce these unique styles, and produce less of them, possibly to off set costs, create a buzz market, and more importantly experiment. I for one love my Sky High Rye by Arcadia, and am happy to learn this special release beer is making its way into full rotation after overwhelming reviews from people like you and me.

The argument still remains though, what is the difference and preference to 22 ounce bottles or 4 pack? Do you prefer one to the other? Is one irrelevant to the other? I invite you to submit your opinion below and share any personal opinions, arguments, or compliments.

*verification needed for specific quantity of their single 22 ounce Armageddon Grand Cru

Savoring Saturday #1, Short's Brewery "The Magician"

2010-03-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first addition of Savoring Saturday. In these weekly posts, we will highlight a specially selected Craft brew to showcase. Inaugurating we have Short's Brewery's Magician. Debuting this week from the Bellaire brewery, The Magician is a dark red London style ale named after "the eloquent, swift and skillful master who makes things happen."

Its mouth feel is described as “A lustrous dark red London ale. Rich malt complexities lending notes of toasted caramel, raisins, toffee, and slight roast chocolate. Very light hop additions let the true malt characters promenade throughout the tasting enjoyment this beer offers."

This beer is a great segue for someone who isn't shy about flavor, but necessarily isn't accustomed to hop flavor or bitterness. It is also a lowly carbonated, making it easier for those who dislike "fizziness" in beer.

There is a new color coming to your beer: green!

2010-03-17T08:10:00.001-07:00

Going green is going everywhere, and in the kitchens of breweries, it has certainly taken root. In this months Michigan Beer Guide (found at nearly all micro breweries in the state) is a great article written by Brenda Cooke titled "Drink Local (and choose your container carefully). In it, Brenda points out the benefits of drinking local, recycling, the impact of cans vs. bottles, shipping, and more. Ultimately, she points out, the best eco-friendly way to enjoy your favorite brew is from the tap, at a local brewery or brew pub that is, of course, closer to home. Outside of those means, there is an environmental impact caused by energy used in packaging and distribution. It is exciting to know that in the south eastern Detroit area, one can sample 100+ varieties of beer, on tap, all within an estimated 30 mile radius of the heart of Detroit.

Outside of Brenda's article, there are many initiatives being set forth by breweries throughout the United States, that are taking green into their own hands. Sierra Nevada, just this year released their Harvest series, with all beers being made with hops grown on their property. This experience allowed Sierra Nevada to control environmental impacts immediately as needed and eliminate packaging and shipping. Locally, Bells brewery has been experimenting with growing their own hops and malts. Keweenaw Brewery and Rochester Mill Brewery distribute their brands in cans, which has a strong argument in weight and space.

What could creating the most noise in all of these initiatives is the effort Goose Island is putting forth in their responsibility to eliminate their carbon footprint when producing and distributing products. The Green Line Project is a world class effort to learn about the impact the brewery puts on the environment, how to identify and shed wasteful resources, improve efficiencies and share their observations. Ta boot, Goose Island has created an Ale in support of these efforts. Titled Green Line Pale Ale, it is only available on draft at many locations within Chicago. Proceeds from this Ale will help benefit the efforts Goose Island is taking, and, some proceeds will be donated to help the preservation of Rain Forests in Costa Rica. The tap handles specially made for this ale were constructed out of wood reclaimed from Emerald Ash trees that were devastated by the Emerald Ash Borer.

It goes without saying that we can make huge impacts everyday in our life styles that help the environment. I, for one, recycle everything. From hockey blades to bottle caps. Nearly everything that is questionable goes into my recycling bin. I have noticed the collector frustrated at times, having to sift through my two containers, but so be it. I take back all of my cans, because as my Grandfather would say, it is "free money" even though it is actually a reimbursement. When it comes to beer, I have brew my own now and again, which could be the single most cheapest and environmentally friendly consuming actions. I almost always drink Michigan made beer. Even if the ingredients to produce my pint came across many borders, the transportation to get to me isn't as much as other out of state or country imports.

So while were out there today celebrating all that is green, try to get to a local brewery or select a beer that is produced right here in Michigan. Go green (and eliminate the food coloring)!

Craft Beer Business Thrives in Michigan

2010-03-09T06:09:00.001-08:00

LANSING — While many Michigan industries are in decline, the craft beer industry is flourishing, with breweries expanding and bringing tourists to local communities.

Craft beer has been expanding nationally, and even more so in Michigan, said Scott Graham, the executive director of the Michigan Brewers Guild in Lansing.

“Michigan every year outpaces the national growth trend,” he said.

A craft or microbrewery is a smaller, regional producer of beers, often with a distinctive flavor.

Beers produced by the 70 in-state breweries represented 1.8 percent of the 6.6 million barrels sold in Michigan in 2008, according to the most recent statistics, said Rex Halfpenny of the Michigan Beer Guide. Each barrel represents 31.5 gallons or 336 12-ounce bottles.

“Given that things are bad and people are out of jobs, people are still drinking beer and they’re also seeking a better glass of beer,” Halfpenny said.

Founders Brewing Co. President Mike Stevens said his Grand Rapids company is going strong.

“We went from around 10,000 barrels to 18,500. My 2010 forecast is to take it up to about 28,000 barrels,” he said.

With that increase comes the need for more employees. Founders moved to a new facility about two years ago and increased its workforce from 19 to 73.

“We’re constantly hiring just to accommodate our growth and needs there,” he said. Another expansion is expected later this year, which should bring an additional dozen jobs.

Larry Channel, co-owner of Dragonmead Microbrewery in Warren, said that his company sold around 1,500 barrels of beer in 2009, about 200 barrels more than the previous year.

“In the midst of a recession, we’re not at all upset about what we sold,” Channel said. “We couldn’t increase our capacity without some more capital investment.”

To increase its production, Dragonmead would need more fermenters, an investment that depends on how well it does this year.

Channel said that although his business is doing well, he’s still concerned about the economy. “At some point in time, people just have to go elsewhere for work.”

Graham of the Brewer’s Guild said that one reason for the increased popularity of Michigan micro-beers is that other states have been far ahead since the craft beer trend began in the 1970s in California.

“Michigan is lagging behind in terms of volume and share, and just increasing awareness is going to last for quite a while,” he said, expressing optimism about the future.

“I’m sure it would be better if economic times were better, but I think we’re going to see growth for years to come. When the economy bounces back, it’ll pick up and be even faster,” he said.

Travel Michigan, the state’s official tourism promotion agency, doesn’t track the number of tourists coming into the state for beer-related visits.

Even so, industry experts have a number of anecdotal accounts.

For example Larry Bell, the president of Bell’s Brewery Inc. in Galesburg, said visitors from Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. They often make day trips either for an event at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo or as a part of a larger tour of Michigan breweries, such as a recent bus trip of 50 Shepard residents.

“We don’t formally give tours. That being said, we give an awful lot of tours,” said Bell.

In contrast, Mike Stevens of Founders said most out-of-town visitors to his brewery are business travelers making a side trip. Many leisure tourists come specifically to see the brewery, such the 30 passengers on a chartered bus from Indiana who recently came through.

“There’s a whole beer community out there that’s very intrigued and interested in seeing other breweries,” he said. “Mostly they’re from around the Midwest. It’s still a relatively inexpensive weekend for these folks. They charter bus, pay 50 bucks, get to come to the brewery, see the place and enjoy a day here.”

Dick Gray, an owner of Keweenaw Brewing Co. in Houghton said most of the tourists he sees come in the summer months. Other times of the year the university attracts more university affiliated visitors, such as families coming to Michigan Technological University

“Since I’m a Tech grad, they bring a group of parents and students up to tour the brewery,” Gray said.

Gray said few out-ofstate groups visit since Houghton is so far from other states.

The Beer Guide’s Halfpenny said that most fans of microbrews are beer tourists of some sort.

“I’ve been chasing beer since the early 80s all across this country,” he said. “The beer guide belongs in the car, so as you drive around you can find these places.”

Stevens said part of the reason why Michigan’s beer industry is doing so well is the quality of the products.

“Michigan really does have some of the best breweries in the whole country,” he said.

Warmth, in spirit and beer

2010-02-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

...
Tonight marks the end of the two week Olympic run, which leaves me in a little bit of a pause, asking, what now? Michigan winters can sometimes lead a glum of inactivity, and a sense of interior boredom. Personally, I get ansy this time of year, wanting more and more blue sky and warmer weather, despite my appreciation for this season. Coincidentally against the Olympics, March leads many towards the anticipation of spring and summer seasonal beers that are customary to many Michigan breweries. One large anticipation is that of the blazingly popular Jolly Pumpkin, and their Biere De Mars. Labeled as "A sustaining beer that is brewed to comfort in the gusty ides of March and welcome in a wealth of warmer weather", it is just enough anticipation to push through the next couple weeks of unpredictable weather, and hopefully welcome in an early spring.
...

New Holland Envious Debuts this weekend

2010-02-25T14:13:00.000-08:00

This sounds fantastic!

We’re excited to unveil “Envious”, the first installment in our new “Cellar Series” this Saturday at the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Fest at 2 PM. Envious is a unique beer, a hybrid of many techniques. Its high-gravity malt-fermented base is blended with Michigan pear juice and chardonnay yeast for a second fermentation, before being aged with raspberries and oak. Unlike any style or beer before it, it must be tasted to be appreciated. Envious will be available on draught at select establishments later in the month, and 22-ounce, foil-necked bottles are scheduled to hit the streets on April 1st.

Boyne Highlands Brew Ski!

2010-02-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

...
Something very exciting is happening the weekend before St Patrick's Day at Boyne Highlands. Now, I have always heard the stories to be had at Boyne that weekend. Green snow, some yellow snow (stay away from that kind), eccentric fellows on the slopes, and plenty of beer. Sadly, I have never attended. But all that is about to change with the addition of the first annual Brew-ski festival taking place at the mountain Saturday March 13th. The crews will be pitching a tent at the bottom the slopes complete with brats and music, and serving over 100 different beers from over a dozen participants, many Michigan based, and others known nationally. What a better way to take a run, then end it with a different beer every time. Later in the evening the party moves into the priceless Zoo Bar throughout the evening. There is also a friendly competition taking place to win a complete package which includes two nights’ hotel lodging in the Main Lodge at Boyne Highlands Resort for up to two guests (double occupancy) on Friday and Saturday, March 12 and March 13, 2010, breakfast for two daily, two-day lift tickets for two, Friday night hors d’oeuvres reception, two t-shirt’s, two commemorative mugs and 10 drink tickets. The value is $466! You can find the facebook event page here Details are below!

Tickets: $2 a piece for three ounce samples.

Confirmed breweries:

Short's Brewing Co.
New Holland Brewing Co.
Arcadia Brewing Co.
Redhook Ale Brewery
Sam Adams
Leinenkugel
Arbor Brewing Co.
Sierra Nevada
Schell’s
Abita
Lion
North Peak Brewing Co.
Founder’s Brewing Co.
Bell’s
Rogue
Stone Brewing Co.
Shiner

A special weekend package including two nights' hotel lodging, Friday night hors d’oeuvres reception, breakfast, two daily lift tickets, t-shirt, commemorative mug and five drink tickets starting at $233 per person. For reservations, please call 800.GO.BOYNE (462-6963).

T-shirts and logo pint glasses will also be available for purchase at the tent.
...

2010 MBG Winter Beer Festival this Saturday!

2010-02-23T06:42:00.000-08:00

Time has slowly and inaudibly slipped forward and wouldn't you know, this Saturday is the Michigan Brewers Guild's Winter Beer Festival over in Grand Rapids. Held at Comstock Park the event is apparently sold out online, but some tickets are rumored to be available at local breweries and pubs. This should be a fantastic event, and with the line up below, why wouldn't it be?

Arbor Brewing Co.
Abby Normal
Huxell Best Bitter
CryeBaby
Pleasuring the Pirate Imperial Porter
Honey Lavender

Arcadia Brewing Co.
Roggen Berry
Brigid’s Irish Red
Cereal Killer Barleywine
Hop Mouth Double IPA
Coffee Cocoa Loco
Big Dick’s Olde Ale

Atwater Block Brewery
Vanilla Java Porter
Voodoovator Doppelbock
Teufel Bock
Double Down Imperial Amber Ale
Dirty Blonde
Atwater Pale
Michigan Lager
Mai Bock

Bastone Brewery
Dubbel Vision
Coffee Stout

Bell’s Brewery
Best Brown
Two-Hearted Ale
Amber Ale
Batch 9000 American Strong Dark Ale
Hopslam
Sparkling Ale
Java Stout
Rye Stout
Third Coast Old Ale
Winter White
Consecrator Doppelbock
Pale Ale
Special Double Cream Stout
Black Note Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout
Bourbon Barrel Aged Hell Hath No Fury

Big Buck Brewery
IPA
Dunkel
Doc’s ESB
Buck Naked Light
Raspberry Wheat
Imperial Porter
Winter Ale

Big Rock Chop & Brewhouse
Norm’s Raggedy Ass IPA
Bonnie’s Raggedy Ass Imperial IPA
Flying Buffalo Stout
Wheat Wine
Bourbon Stout
Reserve Pilsener

Black Lotus Brewing Co.
Detroit Hip Hops IPA
Funkin’ A Apricot Wheat
The Gift Belgian Strong Ale
Black Bottom Bourbon Stout
Columbian Ski Team Extra Coffee Stout

Blue Tractor Brewery
The Darkside Lager
Smoked Silly Red
“Hands Off My Goat!!” Stout
Schokolade Weizen

B.O.B.’s Brewery
Tiramisu Stout
BOB’s Robert the 4th Barrel Aged Brown
Scotch Ale Wee Heavy
Bier de Garde Belgian Wheat

Copper Canyon Brewery
Northwestern Gold
Devil’s Peak IPA
Blueberry Vanilla Cream Ale (11-2:30)
Rocktoberfest (11-2:30)
Ginger Kids Revenge Imperial Red (11-2:30)
Elzar’s Spice Weasel Explosion (11-2:30)
Apple Streudel Tripel (2:30-5)
India Pale Lager (2:30-5)
The Beer Wench Belgian IPA (2:30-5)
Heidrun Finnish Sahti (2:30-5)

Corner Brewery
Jackhammer Old Ale
Espresso Love Breakfast Stout
Phat Abbott Dubbel
Ypsi Gypsi Pale Ale
Michael Faricy’s Irish Stout

Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Crooked Tree IPA
Raspberry Ale
Double Crooked Tree IPA
4 Elf Winter Ale
Scotty Karate Scotch Ale
Boffo Brown Ale
Perkulator Doppelbock
Beat Your Wheat Toasted Wheat IPA
Busterhighmen Cherry Ale
Donut Beer
Smells Like Weed IPA
One Oatmeal Stout
Too Cream Stout
Tres Blueberry Stout
Fore Smoked Stout
Plead the Fifth Imperial Stout

Detroit Beer Co.
Russian Imperial Stout
Chocolate Lager
People Mover Porter

Detroit Brewing Co.
Detroit Lager
Detroit Dwarf

Dragonmead Microbrewery
Final Absolution Tripel
GT’s Dortmunder
Juggernaut Double Red
Full Fathom Baltic Porter
St. Nicole’s Weizenbock

Founders Brewing Co.
Double Trouble Imperial IPA
Centennial IPA
Red’s Rye PA
Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale
Porter
Black Biscuit Baltic Porter/Old Ale
Kentucky Breakfast Stout
Nemesis Maple Barrel Aged Wheat Wine
Hand of Doom Barrel Aged Imperial IPA
Spite Pepper Pale Ale

Frankenmuth Brewing Co.
Munich Style Dunkel
Pilsener
Easy Brown Ale
Hefeweizen

Grand Rapids Brewing Co.
Lumberman Dark
Rye Pale
River City Red
Brown Ale
Pale Ale

Grizzly Peak Brewing Co.
Verloene Hosen Uber-Marzen
Sheerwater IPA
Edwyn’s Warm-Up Ale
Fouch Hill Dark Ale
Final Repose Ale Barley Wine

Hideout Brewing Co.
Smuggler’s Hazelnut Stout
Bootleg IPA
Scotch Ale
Hemp Amber
Sumatra Imperial Stout
Belgian Triple

Hopcat
Hopwork Orange
Black Scratch Fever Double Black IPA
Oil Rigger Imperial Stout
Sage Against The Machine American Pale
Step Child American Red

Jamesport Brewing Co.
Scottish Strong Ale
Weizenbock
Alt Bier

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Madrugada Obscura - oak aged sour Belgian style stout
Bog Beast - Robust Porter
Oro Guarjillito - oak aged Belgian style golden strong with peppers
Baniper - our classic farmhouse Bam Biere aged on Juniper berries

Keweenaw Brewing Co.
Pick Axe Blonde
Redjacket Amber Ale
Liftbridge Brown Ale
Widowmaker Black Ale

Kuhnhenn Brewing Co.
Loonie Kuhnie Pale Ale
Winter Wonder Eisbock
Fourth Dementia Olde Ale
Olde Bruin Flemish Brown with Cherry
Double Rice IPA

Liberty Street Brewing Co.
Liberty One Anniversary Porter
Russian Imperial Stout
Kilt Tilter
Tart Cherry Porter
Foreign Extra Stout
Pooh Beer
Siamese Dream

Livery
Telewhacker Winter Brown Ale
McGilligans IPA
Carvana Belgian IPA
1/10th of a Mountain Pilsener
Maillot Jaune barrel-aged Farmhouse Ale
Double Paw IPA
Umami barrel-aged Wheat Wine
Rye Barrel Jak Imperial Pale Ale
Karhu IPA

Michigan Brewing Co.
High Seas IPA
Winter Warmer
Celis Grand Cru
Russian Imperial Stout

Motor City Brewing Works
Ghettoblaster
Motor City Strong Ale
Bohemian Lager Beer
Motor City Hard Cider

Mount Pleasant Brewing Co.
Coal Stoker’s Blackberry
Iron Horse India Pale Ale
Steam Engine Stout
Train Wreck Amber
Cow Catcher Red
Second Wind Wheat

New Holland Brewing Co.
Dragon’s Milk barrel-aged Stout
2008 Dragon’s Milk
Existential Hopwine
Charkoota Rye Smoked Doppelbock
The Poet Oatmeal Stout
2009 Night Tripper Imperial Stout
Sundog Amber
Full Circle Kolsch
Mad Hatter IPA
2009 Pilgrim’s Dole Wheatwine
Black Tulip Trippel
2009 Brother Jacob Belgian Dubbel
Cabin Fever Brown Ale
Envious Sour Ale
Imperial Mad Hatter

North Peak Brewing Co.
Wired Pig Stout
J.C.’s Happy Juice Smoked Scotch Ale
More Cow Bell IPA
She Will Strong Belgian Dark

North Peak - Distribution
Diabolical IPA
Siren Amber Ale
Majestic Wheat
Vicious American Wheat IPA
Scotch Ale

Old Boys’ Brewhouse
Cerberus Belgian Strong Ale
Les Chiens de Mars
Kennel King IPA
Old Boys’ Brown Ale
Magnum Breakfast Stout
Dog’s Bane Chocolate Stout

Old Hat Brewery & Grill
Peche Peach Lager
Bees Knees Honey Ale
Tommy Stubbin’s Oatmeal Stout
Scotch Ale
Dirty Red Milf

Olde Peninsula Brewpub
Forest Street IPA
Stout Chocula
Dark Day IPA
Downtown Brown

Original Gravity Brewing Co.
Southpaw IPA
Belgian Training Wheels
County Street Amber
Primordial Porter
440 Pepper Smoker
Bellywasher Scotch Ale

Redwood Brewing Co.
Dopple Sticke Alt
English Barleywine 2005
Wheat Wine
Ordinary Bitter
Oud Bruin

Right Brain Brewery
My North Passion Brew Winter Warmer
Hearthside Stout
Stuck Truck Stout
Theodore Belgian Trippel
Magnum Hospitality XXIPA
Alter of Heaven Ginger IPA

Rochester Mills Beer Co.
Hops Up the Ass Double Dry-Hopped Double IPA (VIP Hour only)
Imperial Stout
Brown Ale
2008 Barley Wine
Double IPA
Wit’s Organic
Milkshake Stout

Round Barn Brewery
Cocoa Stout
Motha Pucker Dark Sour Ale
The Swartz Coffee Stout

Royal Oak Brewery
Snowdrift Winter Ale
Morning Glory Java Porter

Saugatuck Brewing Co.
Singapore IPA
Oval Beach Blonde
Pier Cove Porter
Saugatuck ESB Amber
Bamberg Rauchbier
Vanilla Nutmeg Oatmeal Stout

Schmohz Brewing Co.
Zingiberene Ale
Mad Tom’s Porter
Hopknocker
Barleywine
Miracle off 28th Street Old Ale
Kiss My Scottish Arse Scotch Ale

Sherwood Brewing Co.
Buxom BlonDDe
Gun Powder IPA - aged on Habaneros and pepper corns (1pm release)
Evil IPA
Leadbelly Oatmeal Stout
Mistress Jades Hemp Ale
Stimulator Doppelbock
Incinerator Doppelbock - aged on Habaneros (3pm release)

Short’s Brewing Co.
Key Lime Pie
Mystery Stout
The Curl Imperial Pilsner
Caramel Apple
Black Cherry Porter
Plum Rye
Pistachio Cream Ale
Chinook Pale Ale
Turtle Stout
Cup A Joe Coffee Stout

Tri-City Brewing Co.
Hell’s Half Mile Helles
Brownhoist Nut Brown
Fortunato Belgian Trappist
Giant Slayer Russian Imperial

Walldorff Brewpub
Hopnoxious IPA
Bee Sting Honey Rye
State Street Stout
Chocolate Baltic Porter
Barrel Aged Bee Sting
State Grounds Java Brown
Teresa’s Ceremonial Braggot
Blackberry Belgian Triple

Woodward Avenue Brewers
JiLfeWeizen
Raspberry Blonde
Custom Pale Ale
Vanilla Porter

9,000 reasons for this weekend

2010-02-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

Well after a couple weeks of delays, or perhaps purposive teasing, Bell's 9,000 commemorative ale is now on the shelves. It is a very dark, and very rich taste, brewed with brewers molasses and licorice. The richness and tones of alcohol compliment the licorice very well, which some might find off putting, but not here, very tasty. It is being touted as an ager, and certainly many will purchase an extra bottle or two to keep on reserve. Now, many local craft beer supplies have this on the shelves. Champane's Liquor has a one six pack limit per customer at a price of $13.99, while Holiday Market has a two six pack limit per person at $14.99. One retailer has a two bottle limit, at $4.99 a piece. If you happen to be in that store, kindly pass your disappointment and go elsewhere.

Enjoy the weekend!

There is a new color coming to your beer: Green.

2010-02-01T12:51:00.000-08:00

Bell's 9,000

2010-01-31T18:50:00.000-08:00

Rumor has it, a store near you should have it. I will try to confirm tomorrow!

Founder's Nemesis to irk you

2010-01-26T20:34:00.000-08:00

The premise of Founder's Nemesis series is a journey set forth for many years. The brewery implies that it will release a new Nemesis every year, a very special treat to accompany its list of unique experiments.

Speculation on the debut of this series is a maple bourbon barrel aged wheat wine, boasting a double digit ABV and 70 IBU's. The product has been rumored to have aged considerably in these barrels that were once used for aging Michigan maple syrup.

For anyone who may be interested, wheat wine is a very rich, full bodied taste. It normally will not have high bitter notes, so do not be feared by IBU's on the higher side. This beer will certainly need to be drunk accordingly, allowing it to warm up a bit will certainly expose many of the flavors a beer like this will posses. So, enjoy!

Upcoming Winter Beer Tastings

2010-01-20T21:51:00.000-08:00

There are some great motivations to get out and about in the coming month. On Thursday January 26th, Champanes Wine Cellar, which carries a very nice beer selection ta boot, is having a Michigan beer tasting. Arrive at 6 pm for great selections from Arbor Brewing, Atwater, Keenawaw, New Holland, Dragonmeand, Dark Horse, Kuhnhenn, Founders, and B Nectar. The cost is $20 per person, and proceeds benefit the 1st Battalion 24th Marine Memorial.

Following this event, comes the 3rd Annual Winter Brews Festival, at Loving Touch in Royal Oak. Although the name sounds like a strip club, I am led to believe that the location is actually the new pool hall adjacent to Woodward Avenue Brewery (and the flier has the WAB logo). The night begins at 7 pm and promises rare and unique seasonal beers from near and far, including Dogfish Head, Rogue, Founders, Dark Horse, and more. Cost is $25 in advance and $30 at the door, with part of the proceeds benefiting Ferndale Public Schools. Advance tickets are available by phone (248)-546-3696 or at the WAB or the Loving Touch.

The facebook link to this event can be found here

MBG Winter Beer Festival

2010-01-13T12:51:00.000-08:00

It is almost 4 o'clock on the day of this post and I am assuming anyone who is reading this immediately on this hump day is thinking about a handful of things, one of which is sure to be getting that after work beer. So now that I have your attention I would like to point to an event where beer is thought about all day long. The Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival is just shy of a month away. In its fifth year, the festival mirrors the summer one, which one large contract: how damn cold will it be? Well, in the mitten state we all know that the probability of a winter day being warmer than usual can be welcomed. How cold will it be on February 27th? I don't know, and neither should you. The beer will make you warm, and if its not, drink more or head on over to the central bonfire.

The event is $35 in advance, $40 at the door. This fee includes 15 drink tokens. It is held at Fifth Third Park in Grand Rapids from 11-5. After parties are sure to ensue, indoors ta boot.

See you there!

...

Hopslam is back!

2010-01-11T16:56:00.000-08:00

'nuff said

Are you ready for the Holidays?

2009-12-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

My wife calls it an obsession, but last I heard, there were not any support groups for "my husband can not leave a beer store within 15 minutes from entering", so until then, I am in the clear, even though I partially agree. The holidays are a great time to celebrate, whether it be our lives, friendships, family, Jesus (who really drank beer at the last supper), time off work, or more time to drink. I like to do as much of the above as possible, and the picture above is the result of the recent trip to stock up on our Holiday celebration stock.

Many of these brands were produced within or very near the Michigan border and available at many craft beer suppliers. Lets start with the bottom, left to right.

Ann Arbor Brewery Phat Abbott Belgian Tripel, 10% abv. Opaque pale yellow. Spicy fruity aromas. Medium bodied and rich with tropical fruits, banana, and sweet candied malt character that lingers on a long slightly spicy finish.

Bell's Winter White wheat ale, 5% abv. A Wheat Ale brewed with American Wheat and a proprietary blend of Hefe and classic Belgian-style yeasts. A refreshing winter alternative created from the subtle fusion of two classic flavors.

B. Nectar Meadery Wildberry Pyment, 13% abv. A ‘Pyment’ (pie-ment) is a mead made with grapes. This one is made with clover honey, shiraz grape juice, and natural wildberry concentrate. It is full bodied and semi-sweet. Makes a great sangria or try it over ice as a spritzer. Our most popular mead.

Shorts Soft Parade, 7.2% abv. A fermented potion we call fruit rye ale. This gourmet specialty is engineered of toasted rye flakes and two row malted barley. These ingredients make a beer that we ferment with freshly pureed strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. The result is a sweet effervescent fruit delicacy most notable for its alluring color and drink ability.

Great Lakes Christmas Ale, 7.5% abv. A robust style of beer made with spices to celebrate the festive season. Coming from the Great Lakes website, this description does no justice to the flavor and body of this beer. It is a must try.

Shorts mixed 6 pack of newly released beers. Including, Pb&j a peanut butter stour blended with a fruit rye ale. Cup A Joe Coffee Creme Stout, Deep aromatics of malt, sweet espresso and roasted cocoa. Flavor is robust with big malt character covered with cream and coffee. It’s everyone’s favorite coffee stout. Über Goober Oatmeal Stout, A prominent chocolate nuttiness on the nose with a big, chewy, full flavor on the palate. Creamy oatmeal fused with peanut puree compliments rich caramel and roasted malts. It’s uniquely satisfying and very popular. The Mystery Stout, This beer demands respect and respect it will have. Imperial Oatmeal Stout with cocoa and molasses. It possesses rare flavor combinations which can overload even the most experienced beer connoisseur. Capture every bit of its warmth and wisdom, as it will demand all of your attention. Joe's Kind Ale.

ALso tucked in that mixed six pack is a Founders Backwoods Bastard, 10.2 abv. Big and delicious for your ‘perty mouth. Expect lovely, warm smells of single malt scotch, oaky bourbon barrels, smoke, sweet caramel and roasted malts, a bit of earthy spice and a scintilla of dark cherries. It’s a kick-back sipper made to excite the pallet.

Dark Horse 4 Elf Winter Ale, 6.5% abv. Pours a semi-clear dark brown colored brew with an average sized beige head that slowly dissipates to a thin ring. Aroma of caramel and chocolate malts, ginger, a hint of black licorice, and cloves. Taste is medium to full bodied, flavors of chocolate malt, nutmeg, cloves, licorice and ginger. Finish is semi-sweet and spicy with some floral hop aftertaste.

Great Lakes Commodore Perry, 6.4% abv. Again, a very terrible, if nothing, description of what makes this beer stand out as an IPA. Robust hop, malt and spicey flavor. THis IPA is not a hop head hit you in the face bitterness beer, even though it is 80 IBU's. You will feel the flavor.

Arcadia Ales Sky High Rye, 6% abv. A West Coast-style Pale Ale with rye malt, Sky High Rye boasts a massive floral aroma of resinous hops. The hops contribute flavor notes of lemons, peaches, and pine needles, combined with the sweet, malty flavors of toffee and bread. Rye adds a pleasant peppery, spicy note like a fresh slice of pumpernickel bread. Very well-rounded and very drinkable, Sky High Rye will surely inspire adventure in all who taste it.

Goose Island Mild Winter, 5.6%abv. Toffee brown, medium-bodied, with a creamy head and an aroma of raisins and freshly baked dark bread. Mild Winter’s rich caramel malt and spicy rye flavors are sure to take the bite out of whatever Old Man Winter brews up for you this year.

Shorts PB&J, Blend of Uber Goober and Soft Parade (fruit rye ale).

New Holland Charkoota Rye, 7.5% abv. a Smoked Rye Dopplebock. An homage to all things Pig, including Porkapalooza and the age-old tradition of Charcuterie, Charkoota Rye’s malty backbone is derived from a blend of rye and four other malts, including malted barley smoked over cherry wood.

North Peak Siren Ale, pours out a coppery amber with a minimal whitish head. sweet malt aroma, with caramel and bread forward and a touch of green cascade-like hops behind. more sweet malt taste, and well-balanced with a hint of hops, very smooth and easy-drinking. nicely done amber ale.

Johnnie Walker Red label, for the father in law.

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, 12% abv. An unfiltered, unfettered, unprecedented brown ale aged in handmade wooden brewing vessels. The caramel and vanilla complexity unique to this beer comes from the exotic Paraguayan Palo Santo wood from which these tanks were crafted. Palo Santo means "holy tree" and it's wood has been used in South American wine-making communities.

Bells Brewery, Two Hearted Ale Bubba Keg. So good out of the tap day after day, if it lasts that long.

North Peak Diabolical IPA, No real reviews as of yet, nor any mention an the North Peak's website. Too bad.

I plan to have one of each in the next week an a half.

...

Kuhnhenn Winter Solstice Celebration

2009-12-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

Kuhnhenn Brewery will be celebrating the winter solstice beginning this Sunday December 20 precisely at 12:47 pm. Monday will contain Wassailing, and Tuesday.....is Tuesday, according to the Kuhnhenn website. So Far thee beer releases are: Fourth Dementia Olde Ale (Bronze medal at GABF this year) 2008 Fourth Dementia (Drought only Monday night) Winter Wonder Lager Shwartz Bock Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine.

Lamibc Ale from Jolly Pumpkin comes to fruition

2009-12-17T18:20:00.000-08:00

One of the most influential and time consuming styles of beer is now coming to fruition in Michigan's own backyard. Lambic, a style created and perfected in Belgium is controlled spontaniety at its best. Traditionally, ales and lagers are fermented with specific strains of cultivated and cultured yeasts. Many of these are available to the local homebrewer, and many others are created, shaped, and confined specifically for breweries own personal use. Lambics, are created in nearly opposite fashions. They are allowed to cool openly, over many hours, which allows the introduction of wild yeasts and bacteria from the open air (rahter tahn ales and lagers being cooled rapidly in closed containers). The air isn't the only contributer, however, as time, exposure, and research has revealed that a brewers environment, or "kitchen", so to speak, has much to contribute to the shape of things to come. Much of the bacteria needed to produce a Lambic resides in the vessels (or casks) that are used to store them. Up to 86 microorganisms have been identified in lambic beer, the most significant being Brettanomyces bruxellensis, or Brett. These yeasts and organisms are sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow moving, meaning that years and years are needed to shape and mature this style, which styles include Lambic (pure), Mars, Geueze, Faro, Kriek, and Fruit.

Lambics have very distinctive flavors: dry, vinous, and cidery, with a slightly sour to tart aftertaste.

Well, enough of the awesomely boring stuff, and on to the taste. The most frequent Lambic style I can refer you to is Lindemon's Framboise, with the most popular being their Raspberry Lambic. Thankfully In Michigan Jolly Pumpkin hs become one of the very few breweries to experiment with the patience required in the Lambic style. Lambicious Dexterius will be released on New Years eve at the breweries, and very limited, but attainable amounts will be available shortly there after at your favorite specialty supplier.

...

Time flies when your...

2009-12-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

Drinking, yes, they always say. But my lapse in communications is due to too many other time retaining initiatives. So for my four loyal fans, I apologize on any inside Michigan adventures and discoveries you may have missed. Rest assured, I have been actively consuming great Michigan beer, keeping up with the Jones', and am full of exciting things for you to try and look forward to.

Seasonals are out! Available in bottles primarily in Michigan we have Bell's Christmas Ale. Also available near our fine border is Great Lakes Christmas Ale and Goose Island Christmas Ale (proceeds from GI are donated to a local Chicago charity). Within the tap houses of local breweries there are sure to be some seasonal treats.

Kuhnhenn Brewery winter solstice is December 20-22. So Far thee beer releases are: Fourth Dementia Olde Ale (Bronze medal at GABF this year) 2008 Fourth Dementia (Drought only Monday night) Winter Wonder Lager Shwartz Bock Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine.

Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Festival tickets are on sale. This event is Saturday February 27th at Comstock Park just north of Grand Rapids.

North Peak Brewing Company is now distributing. They have an IPA, a wheat, and I believe a Pale Ale. The packaging is a bit oblong and the bottles are 12 oz stubbies, like Red Stripe uses.

Harvest Festival this weekend in Eastern Market

2009-10-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend we find ourselves at the end of the Michigan Brewers Guild sponsored festivals. It has been a great year for the guild, which expanded their festival efforts by 50%. This year we saw the addition of the UPtoberfest, and the Harvest Festival. The latter is what will be concluded this Saturday in Eastern Market.

The cost is $35 in advance here or $40 at the gate. Dont let that cost detour you however, each ticket comes with 12 drink tokens good for samples of anything your heart adores, which usually come in 4-6 ounce range. As the day draws to an end, the breweries get a bit more generous with the samples. Participating breweries include:

Arbor Brewing Co.
Arcadia Brewing Co.
Atwater Block Brewery
Bastone
Big Rock Chop and Brewhouse
Black Lotus Brewing Co.
Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery
Copper Canyon Brewery
Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Detroit Beer Co.
Dragonmead Microbrewery
Fort Street Brewery
Founders Brewing Co.
Frankenmuth Brewing Co.
Great Baraboo Brewing Co.
Grizzly Peak Brewing Co.
Hopcat
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Keweenaw Brewing Co.
Kuhnhenn Brewing Co.
Liberty Street Brewing Co.
The Livery
Motor City Brewing Works
New Holland Brewing Co.
Northern United Brewing Co.
Original Gravity Brewing Co.
Redwood Brewing Co.
Right Brain Brewery
Rochester Mills Beer Co.
Royal Oak Brewery
Saugatuck Brewing Co.
Sherwood Brewing Co.
Short’s Brewing Co.
Traffic Jam & Snug
Woodward Avenue Brewers

Help eliminate the monster

2009-10-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

My largest intended purpose of this blog is to help keep the public informed, educated, and interested in the achievements and production of Michigan craft beer. There are 49 other states within this great country as well, and if there is just one brewery within those states that produces great beer, and truly loves their contribution and effort to do so, then that state, produces great beer.

In the past few days we have seen an explosion of injustice within the craft beer movement. A small brewet in Vermont, called Rock Art is being challenged by Monster energy drinks to cease and desist all marketing of its ale title "The Vermonster". Monster energy claims the two names could confuse customers. Here we have a corporation worth many millions taking on a self employed brewer, employer of 6, father of 2, and apparently the courts regarding trademark infringement say, if you dont fight, you lose.

Please take a look at this video, then visit the links below to learn how you can make a difference in this insanity.

outube Video "Matt & 'The Monster:'"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbG_woqXTeg

WCAX Channel 3 News. Video Included:
http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=11291060

Fox News 44. Video and Article:
http://www.fox44now.com/global/category.asp?C=108942

AP Article (Featured on NY Times, MSNBC.com, etc.)
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/12/us/AP-US-Monster-Drink-Fight.html?_r=2
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33282954/ns/business-small_business/

Seven Days Article
http://www.7dvt.com/2009monster-mash

Stowe Today Article
http://www.stowetoday.com/articles/2009/10/07/stowe_reporter/news/local_news/doc4ac49c78bab8a795365935.txt

Beer Advocate Discussion
http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/2319476
http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/2329283

Boston Globe Article:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2009/10/12/vermont_brewery_told_to_change_beer_name/

Rutland Herald Article:
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20091012/NEWS04/910120351

Burlington Free Press:
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200991012018

Wallet Pop Article:
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/12/a-monster-lawyer-comes-knocking-at-a-small-brewery/

NECN News Story (Video included):
http://www.necn.com/Boston/Business/2009/10/14/Vermont-brewery-dealing-with/1255565091.html

The Consumerist:
http://consumerist.com/5381528/brewer-sued-by-monster-energy-drink-asks-america-for-help

2nd Seven Days Article "Rock Art Redux:"
http://www.7dvt.com/2009rock-art-redux

Seattle Beer News:
http://seattlebeernews.com/?p=902

Beer Wars post:
http://beerwarsmovie.com/2009/10/14/the-latest-david-and-goliath-saga-in-the-beer-wars/

Washington City Paper:
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/2009/10/15/a-true-monster-attacks-rock-art-brewery-can-twitter-and-facebook-help/

The Giant Pumpkin!

2009-10-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Welcome to October! Golden copper leaves, indian corn, football, sweaters and toasty beverages. Many say this is their favorite time of year and to live in Michigan it almost has to be, because what proceeds these beautiful transitions is sometimes unbearable and menacing. This time of year brings about some great seasonal delights from local breweries, octoberfest, fall ambers, and of course, pumpkin (and spice!). Pumpkin beers can very greatly between flavor profiles, some a rich as a muffin and others as light as a seed. Spice profile can be abundant as well, with obvious hints of vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. Below is a list of some pumpkin specialties available within the southeast, some are bottled, while others are tap only. Enjoy one with a giant piece of pie!

New Holland Brewery - Ichabod (bottled)

Arcadia Ales - Jawjacker (bottled)

Michigan Brewing Company - Screamin' Pumpkin Spiced Ale (bottled)

Dragonmead - Lil's Grumplin Pumpkin

Bastone Brewery - Belgian Pumpkin Porter (my personal favorite)

Woodward Avenue Brewery - Pumpkin Ale

Sherwood Brewery - Smoked Pumpkin Porter (excited to try!)

Kuhnhenn Brewery - Natural Pumpkin Ale

Motor City Brew Werks - Pumpkin Ale (excited to try!)

...

Bell"s Best Brown Bubba

2009-09-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

Poised in time with the turning of weather and leaves, Bell's has released one of its coveted seasonals, Best Brown Ale. And, excitedly, it is available for a limited time in the popular bubba keg fashion. I have only seen this at one location thus far, Champanes on Van Dyke and 13 mile, but it is sure to be at many locations soon. Prices are sure to vary, and it may be safe to say Champanes will have the best, at $16.99.

2009-09-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

Bell's Brewery is poised to make another bottled addition to their family soon. Oarsmen ale, available on tap only is set to flow into bottles soon. It is a light wheat ale, good for the session drinker has some medium sweetness. Look for it soon.

Octoberfest in MIchigan

2009-09-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

Octoberfest is a 200 year old tradition that is celebrated well, in October, or is it? Technically it is a sixteen day festival originated in Germany that begins in late September and runs through the first Sunday in October. A tad bit misleading, since the rest of October is hung out to dry, but easily forgotten when you have a perfectly crafted Marzen/Octoberfest beer in your hands.

Marzen began as a brewing tradition, where brewers were only allowed to brew between late September and late April. The reason was that summer months were too hot for intense brewing, risking fire to communities and infection to the beer. Thus, these "March" beers had to be stored. With a little ingenuity, brewers used caves or crafted cellars, sometimes placing blocks of ice from nearby frozen ponds or lakes. What they had was basically a walk in cooler that kept temperatures cool enough during lagering. Whenever they needed to restock, they just simply had to remove a few large boulders or unearth the door. When summer ceased (late September), the remaining beer was recovered and properly consumed....heavily. Marzen itself is a heavier beer, either with alcohol content or hop content to aide in its survival of storage.

Octoberfest-like celebrations certainly have existed for centuries, but the official "Octoberfest" popularized by Germany, as stated above, is only dated back to 1812, where a festival of sorts to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen of Bavaria. The celebration was so popular, residents decided to repeat the tradition every year, and so, tradition began. Here in Michigan there are several events occuring at local breweries and brewpubs for you to enjoy, some are listed below.

Fort Street Brewery - Harvest Festival 9/23 - 27, new beers are being tapped every day in this celebration

Rochester MIll - Occurring this weekend outdoors complete with special beer, music, dancing, German foods (with a sauerkraut eating contest), children's activities, games, zoo, and more. $6 entry fee benefits the Make a Wish Foundation and YMCA North Oakland Swim Club. Inside tap room and restaurant has no cover.

Uptoberfest 10/10, Sponsored by the Michigan Brewers Guild, Upp-ers wont have to travel far to have a festival in their own backyard which will be held in Escanaba. 17 breweries are already attending, from all over the world.

Kuhnhenn Brewery Octoberfest 10/17

Michigan Brewers Guild Harvest Brewers Festival - 10/24, This is also a first for the MBG, in an expansion of events beyond the popular Summer and Winter Festivals, this event will be held at the historic Eastern Market in Detroit.

Dakota inn - Events throughout October.

...

DIY Ferndale Street Fair this weekend

2009-09-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Since summer took a few months detour, arriving this past week, here is a great event to get outside this weekend and enjoy some great Michigan beer, food, art, entertainment and whatever else you may find. Breweries listed to participate are:

Arcadia Ales
B.Nectar Meadery
Black Lotus
Dark Horse
Dragonmead
Founders
Jolly Pumpkin
Kuhnhenn Brewery
Motor City Brew Works
New Holland
Short's
Sherwood Brewery
Woodward Avenue Brewery

http://diystreetfair.com/

Bell's Oracle is now available!

2009-09-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

If you are hophead, and you think you can take on any hop infused madness, then so your journey begins. This week, Bell's Oracle is making its way, in limited availability, to the shelves of your trusted retailer. This Double IPA weighs in at 10.4 Abv and has an expected 110 IBU's. IN other words, it's sure to kick some ass. In comparison, Two Hearted comes in at 7% and about 66 IBU's. And with the robust flavors Bell's continuously produces, this is sure to please. To get your hands on this unique brew, start calling your favorite retailer and ask when they will be available, because I bet days will not go by and they will still be available. I hope to get my hands on a couple bottles this evening.

Short's Soft Parade now in bottles

2009-08-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

So for my three followers ( how I missed you all) I apologize for the delay in news. But my ass was vacationing and loving every minute of it all. When Britt and I take off, its like our little Amazing Race. She's a person who needs a plan, and I am perosn who wants to see it all. Sometimes those two scenarios bump headswith my "whatever" attitude, whatever. So, I come home and what do I find at my little liquor store, but some new Short's! Soft Parade is an Ale that everyone can enjoy. It is a fruit rye ale, pureed with strawberrys, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. It is carbed a bit on the higher end and is reminicent of a lambic sour belgian type concoction. And its sneaky. This is certainly a summer quencher, or high session night cap.

...

Michigan Brewers Guild Youtube Channel

2009-07-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

Social media! It's everywhere! And there is no reason anyone should not take advantage of the tools at hand. The good people of the Michigan Brewers Guild have done so, launching their official Youtube channel, mibrewersguild. Here you can view the inside working of your favorite brewery, hear fan testimonials, see inside events, get home brewing tips, and of course upload your own piece of pride of blasphemy.

...

2009-07-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Michigan Beer Festival Saturday

2009-07-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

Waking up to the weather on Saturday, the sun appeared to be still sleeping and left the rain in its place. But things quickly changed, becoming sunny and breezy her eon the east side. My good friend Nick had called late friday and said he was pulling a late night to be able to make the festival on Saturday. We shot out there, arriving in sunny Ypsilanti close to two. As many people were walking away from the entrance gates as were walking towards them. Apparently the festival had sold out, a promise fulfilled by its organizers. It wasn't a very pleasant site. I overheard one group talking about the disappointment and confusion with this. Perhaps in the nearest future, there will be some new form of accommodation.

With the festival selling out, that meant 8,000 (or more) attendees were all after the coveted and most talked about beer Michigan has to offer. Surprises were abound, with many breweries offering special tapping's throughout the day. There were some disappointments too. Many breweries ran out of some, or nearly all, of their servings. One brewery (who is very local to the location of the festival) was reduced to one sampling very early in the afternoon. In fact, I think it was only the second sampling of the afternoon. The pourer made a tongue in cheek comment about how they are that popular. My response politely was for them to drive down the street to get some more. I wasn't met with a response. This was my freshman year at the festival, so I am uncertain how much of an occurrence this tragedy could be, but I would beckon to argue that if I were a brewery, I would much rather over stock and bring excess home than guesstimate and leave some patrons sour. However, my ingenuity may have already been recognized, and possibly these breweries DID compensate with plenty of beer, and were just that much more popular.

Nick and I were soon joined by some other friends Amy and Carle, who were stuck at the gate without tickets for a short moment. Somehow, thankfully, and quickly, they made their way in, with great charm and good looks I am sure. Amy and Carle both had rather larger plastic cups than we had. They were freebies from Kegglove, a company marketing its pretty awesome chilling potential for mobile kegs and such. Nick and I obtained these cups with the premonition that a four ounce sample in the festial cups would actually translate to six or more samples in these new cups. For the most part we were right, and towards the finale of the festival some samples were a full cup (because no one wants to go home with a partially filled keg!). The four of us made our ways around the festival many times. I took notes of some samples, and am sure ill have to recall some memory of others, so here goes.

Founders Devil Dancer
Short's Nicey Spicy
Jolly Pumpkin Kriek
Kuhnhenn Simcoe Silly
Copper Canyon Full Gard
The livery, some Lager
Rivht Brain IPA
Royal Oak Whit
Dragonmead Raspberry Wheat
I know theres a stout in there somewhere,i think from Olde Peninsula
Arbor Brewing Batch 2000
New Holland was visited as well...
And I believe one more was in there somewhere

Throughout the afternoon, hoots and hollers were heard throughout the festival at various locations. At first i thought, and they very well could have been, cheers for special tappings. But after being in the middle of several, i think it was just the celebration gaining momentum, with everyone raising their cups.

Six o'clock came way too soon, calling for a personal protest for the festival to extend longer. "I swear it was 3:30 just 30 minutes ago" I said to all. With that, we all made our way out to find some well deserved food.

I had a great time at my first Michigan Brewers Guild Beer festival, and con not wait until the next and newest engagement of theirs in late October at Eastern Market.

Michigan Beer Festival Friday

2009-07-26T06:38:00.000-07:00

Taking a partial day, I drove through beautiful Oakland county, which inhibits (I believe) three Bloomfield cities. Some of these properties belong in the Smithsonian and I can only hope that someday I have something comparable, though it doesn't have to be in Bloomfield, perhaps a field with lower taxes and more bears. Yes bears. Pulling into Ypsilanti I had no idea where to go, but I saw hoards of people heading in some direction, I figures it'd be a good idea to follow. For if they didn't lead me to Riverside Park, they would certainly lead me somewhere that was second best. I came across Charles, a middle aged black man and asked if I was heading int eh right direction. "if your going to the beer festival you are" he replied. He mentioned he hadn't missed a year, reminiscing that the first festival was a field, or alley, I can't remember which. He was very polite and gave me some words of advice before I passed the gates "if they don't ask for a token, you don't give it to them" as he laughed. Oh, he also said not to bother going to the winter beer festival that is held in Grand Rapids because "it's colder than a motherfucker." I'm sure Charles was kidding about the first piece of advice, as he seemed the type not to take advantage of an easy situation. The second half of advice I think he was serious. Thankfully, I'm a foul weather man, bring it on I say, bring it on.

Passing through the gates was easy and off you go. Over 40 breweries producing over 300 samples. Some are old time favorites, some are special to the festival, and once they're gone, you may never have another opportunity to get them again, as they might not even be produced.

My first sample was from The Livery. I felt overwhelmed and under a self inflicted time restraint. they had at least three IPA's and I told the server to surprise me. He handed me a Double Paw, which was pretty tasty. From there I tried Short's Soft Parade. A recent article produced by Michigan beer Buzz led me to the curiosity of this brew when I stepped forward. Some wookie looking character insisted I try Founder's Maple Brown, and that my friends, was fantastic.

I then met up with good friend Matt Moberly from Bell's. He took me on tour of peeps I would have otherwise never met. Reps, owners, friends, and the like. It was a great adventure hearing some of the ins and outs from those who live it day to day. The atmosphere was very pleasing and friendly.

The Beers I had an opportunity to sample were, in no particular order.

Darkhorse's Smells Like Weed, an infusion IPA that the owner "just felt like brewing" and had no idea the IBU or anything. A true homebrewer experiment, he says at 30 minutes he just started throwing hops and more hops in.

Founder's Maple Brown. Sweet, a bit heavy, and hints of alcohol. Very tasty.

Short's Soft Parade. A fruit rye ale. Very good.

The Livery Maibock. At 10% this was pretty sweet and had strong hints of alcohol.

Round barn Wheat. Not terribly Impressed with this one.

Hastings Strawberry Rhubarb. I don't think I've ever consciously had anything that contained rhubarb before. If it tastes anything like that beer, sign me up.

Arcadia Blueberry Rye. Fantastic.

Cj's Chocolate Stout. This was pretty good. Stouts seem to be one of the more forgiving beers you can have, and this didn't miss any traditional marks, but also didn't hit any superior ones in my opinion.

Right Brain Honey Basil. I was very excited to get to the front of Right Brian's stand as I knew they would have something very unique. Basil in beer? It sounded very interesting. This beer had great olfactory. Sweet basil on the nose which was surprisingly pleasant. The taste was a mixture of, well, honey and basil. This was my best of show award for the evening.

Founder's Hot spite pepper ale. I couldn't do it. I had to pout it out. I'm such a wuss.

Corner Brewery Velvet Hammer. this was a barrel aged sour ale that I have only seen in a few locations throughout south east Michigan. I love sour, much more than pepper. This had some good malt notes and tone as well.

By that time I had to call it a night in consumption. The day was turning darker and I had to make my escape back to the east side to rest up for the Saturdays party.

Try before you buy gaining popularity

2009-07-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

Interesting article that details how popularity growth is allowing establishments to offer beer samples, a try before you buy.

Check it out
...

$16.99 Oberon Bubba Kegs

2009-07-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this since the 4th holiday. Many suppliers have the Bells Oberon bubba keg around $20 to $22, some as much as $24. But Champagnes Liquor (a.k.a. Pic-a-nut) located just west of 13 at Van Dyke has the bubba kegs for $16.99! That's a steal for sure! Go get you some for this weekend and beyond.

Awesome Michigan Fact!

2009-07-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Living on the east side my entire life, just minutes from beautiful lake St. Clair, i always had envied this body of water. And if history were to ever repeat itself, I could envy it some more. The southern tip of lake St. Clair and the mouth of the Detroit River was the staging grounds in the early 1920's for Americans (and our Canadian subsidiaries) to amply defy what had made illegal, alcohol. Prohibition was in effect, and Americans still wanted their booze. The government didn't. It is estimated that roughly 75% of America's (not Michigan, America) alcohol consumption entered via the Detroit River and Lake St Clair. I have heard of houses that had secret tunnels leading to the lake and river, and some outdoor landmarks still exist. Smugglers would rig boats, create zip lines, and even drive their vehicles across the river when frozen.

Its too bad that there isn't some form of remembrance for these daring individuals, some labeled hero's in the Detroit area. Some form of tour or local taproom that put those days into perspective. Hmmmmm, I think I am onto something here....

Michigan Brewing updates

2009-07-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days where great news is then positioned against bad news, or vice versa? Its kinda like one of those "so-and-so's grandma passed away, and, oh, the blanks had their baby!" That's kinda the way I felt today when I learned of great news coming from the Michigan Brewers Guild, and some bad news coming from Kings Brewery in Pontiac. Let's start on the down note.

King's Brewery, located in Pontiac announced that it will be closing its doors after 15 years on July 29th. It is uncertain whether they will remain closed, or relocate and reopen, which has been rumored. I had thought things were going well for the brewery, having seen their debut into the bottling market this past spring with their awesome Weissbier. Furthermore, many of their styles were making their way around local tap houses and guest taps at other breweries. This closing would mark another loss of craft brewed spirits for the city of Pontiac, BC's had stopped production a year or so ago. So either the Michigan economy is still tightening its grasp where it can, or the city of Pontiac just can't support the craft market, perhaps both. Let's only hope that The King's have rebound plans in effect, since so many positive things have been happening for Michigan in regards to craft Beer.

For some more uplifting news, the Michigan Summer Beer Festival is just under two weeks away. Held in Ypsilanti Friday June 24 from 5-9pm and Saturday June 25 from 1-6 pm. Nearly 50 breweries will be on hand, making for hundreds of variations of everything from summer lagers to extreme concoctions reserved for the bold. This week, in anticipation of this event, the Michigan Brewers Guild announced plans that are in the making to expand their festivities beyond the yin and yang or winter and summer. Details are below.

Saturday, September 12 - Upper Peninsula Beer Festival to take place in Marquette. This event is designed to be a smaller, "satellite" version of the festivals we currently have. A lot of the details are still being worked out, but we are hoping that it will be set up in such a way that if you cannot attend the festival, we will still be prepared to pour your beer. Many more details will be sent out shortly after the Summer Festival so stay tuned.

Saturday, October 24th - Inaugural Craft Beer and Harvest Festival to be held at Eastern Market in Detroit. We have entered into a media partnership with Metro Times for this event and we have great expectations of selling it out in it's first year. We plan to incorporate several aspects of the harvest season, as well as showcase some of the unique brewing history of Detroit. This event will operate very much the same way the Winter and Summer Festivals do in regards to brewery participation. Again, many more details to be sent out after the Summer Festival.

Its great to see so much expansion and enthusiasm for the Michigan craft beer industry. Let's only hope its stays strong.

Badass Beer for your Badass

2009-07-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

...

Later this month Detroit rocker and pimp extraordinaire Kid Rock will be unveiling his "Badass Redneck Lager" at his CoPa concerts. The brewing was commissioned by Michigan Brewing Company, even though the label says "American Badass Beer company." The beer, said to be a light, refreshing lager, easily consumed again and again.

The Beer has brought with it some pros. cons and speculation. The pros are that this beer was conceived, planned, brewed and debuts in Michigan. Props to the Kid for keeping Michigan where its at. The Beer is also geared to create up to 400 jobs. I would assume this is a broad spectrum across many platforms and not just within the brewery/ However they are created, if MBC is looking for a new metropolitan employee, I'm your man. The cons are that (so I've read and heard) the number of new jobs could be over-inflated. Again, this could be a broad spectrum, from servers at CoPa to bottlers at the brewery. Time will tell. Speculation comes down to the marketing and pricing of this beverage. It is an American lager set to go head to head with those in the BMC world (though the Kid denies Coors, as they once partnered in or endorsed in something). So if the market isn't use to or too concerned with flavor and process, the question comes to who's going to pay for a premium beverage that is similar to a mediocre one, but gets you more bang for your buck? i.e. two six packs of Badass Lager might equal $15 or so in an average retail store. You could get 18-24 BMC for that price. Finally, with the market we have in Michigan and throughout the nation, you could afford to continuously drink their favorite badass' beer? Again, time will tell.

Now what could be awesome is a trick up the sleeve of those in charge of supply, demand, and price. Why not have a flat rate for this new six pack, say $5. We did it with pizza. We did it with subs. Why not do it with beer? After all, they all go hand in hand, no pun intended.

...

Bell's Releasing Oracle DIPA

2009-07-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Oh I cant wait to try this. For those of you who may not know, DIPA = Double India Pale Ale. Something that large should have plenty of malt and hop action, and most definitely a large alcohol engine.

2009-06-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

...

The last time I sat in Frankenmuth brewery, I was sitting across from this chick who I kinda had a thing for. We were just in the beginning of this "thing" and she decided to come along for a little camping trip some friends and I had. We all decided to stop into Frankenmuth Brewery for a little r&r and abv. I cant remember what I ate or the beers I had, I do remember being nervous about picking up the check (was this one of those situations where I should pay for both of us?). I ended up paying for both of us and marrying the chick. The brewery has seen its shares of setbacks. In 1996 the brewery was introduced to a tornado. The tornado won, and took all the beer. The brewery remained a victim until 2003 when a new facility was built. Then in November of 2006, the building became a ghost town when the owners could not refinance the $4 million loan. Now, nearly three years later, the site that has been home to a number of breweries for almost 150 years will reopen to the public this Wednesday once again as Frankenmuth Brewery.

...

Hops in the House

2009-06-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

Last year I had ordered some rhizomes to help me crush two virs with one stone;extend my green thumb and harvest some home grown hops. I had them behind the garage their first season. It was the best I could find where they had access to a trellis and an adequte amount of sunshine, The trellis was a a couple nails on the top of my garage and some twine strung down, about 12 feet in all. Two varieties, Nugget and Cascade, were planted in two hand made containers and set to shine. The cascades took off like Danika Patrick in a gay bar. Growth was almost instantaneous and continued until they reached the top of the garage. They probably would have reached mush further but I had no other support system and they refused to be trained to grow downwards from the peak to the side. I saw maybe a foot of effort. The cones were fantastic and I was able to yield about two ounces when all was said and done.

The Nuggets were another story, but not a disappointing one. this variety has a slow start phase and new from rhizomes could take a season or ore to establish themselves. In fact, there was a chance neither variety would have produced at all. I had faith that I might get soem bloom from the Nuggets, but when late August reared its head, I lost hope. There was only about three feet of growth. Yet I was happy with my first season, and used some of those hops to dry hop (see previous post) a pale ale.

When summer turned to fall, I moved the pots to the side of the house (next to my very strange neighbor who wont talk to me outside, but will wave to me from his car and once gave my the middle finger for no reason). Here, they had the winter to settle and the spring to get some new root structure. My neighbor didnt give me the finger until after I had placed these here and maybe he was pissed about it, or just nuts. I'll take the latter.

Growth fromt eh cascades was / is enormoous. At first I thought I had a weed growing. The infant vines were so thick and white. I thought I ruined them in the transfer and some nasty being took their place. But after a bit of patience and development I was at ease, they were in face hops. Again the Nuggets lagged behind, about 3-4 weeks totla before I saw some sprouts. Next to the house they have probably 30 or more feet to grow. I have scaled the roof in three seperate intances to supply a sturdy trellis. Once they were knocked down by the wind, I only had some resistant clamps keeping the lines in place. I reinforced those bitches with some c-clamps so nothing will take them down.

Th nuggets are on full tilt, growing inches by the day and are sure to produce this season. The cascades might just take over the roof. Harvesting wont occur until later summer and early fall, so Ill have plenty of time to think of some great uses in the long run.

Motor City Brew Werks to help promote green alley

2009-06-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

A great effort has been in the werks for a couple years now to redevelope the ally next to Motor City Brew Werks into a pleasant green alley. Great Article. I remember when the apartments they mention were first built and sold out in the hundreds of thousands. Crazy.

Check it out.

Welcome to June!

2009-06-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

The month of June brings plenty of great Michigan craft brewed excitement to our hands and mouths.

June 10 I have yet to be to Cliff Bell's in Detroit, even after all the awesomeness I've heard about it before friend Matt Baldridge took over the reigns as Head Chef. All that will change on the 10th for Mad Hatter Day. 4 New Holland Beers on draught, including Brother Jacob Belgian Dubbel, Oak Hatter Aged in Oak Barrels, Mad Hatter IPA and Golden Cap Golden Cap Saison (already a summer favorite of mine). Beer paired foods will be available and best of yet, no cover. Prizes come to best dressed (come mad in a good way I suppose). 8-10pm. cliffbells.com

June 11 Copper Canyon will be celebrating its 11th anniversary with $1 beer all day and all night. This brewery also boasts a cigar menu, with specials taboot as well as great deals on food. coppercanyonbrewery.com

June 18 takes us to Rochester for the Rochester Mill's 11th anniversary party. $2 pints. Let me say that again, $2 pints. And a pig roast for all you vegetarians. I am assuming the celebration begins when the doors open with live music starting at 3 with Justine Blazer and then the popular Sun Messengers at 7. Oh, and this is a "beach party" lets hope for lots of imported sand to cover the floors. beercos.com

June 20th and 21st Rest up that Friday because June 20th and 21st Kuhnhenn Brewery is hosting its Summer Solstice Party. Twelve unique wheat beers will be on tap. Free food from 1 until its gone, live music at night. kbrewery.com

June 27th and 28th Finally, to wrap it all up, we have Lathrup Villages Art in the Park. Not only can you enjoy some sunshine and see some great pieces of Michigan made artistry, you can also visit the "Mini-Pub" where Bell's Brewery, Dragonmead Brewery, Motor City Brew Works, Michigan Brewing Company and possibly Dark Horse Brewery and Founders (between the circular and the website, they list the last two) will all be on hand to serve you $2 beers. lathrupvillageartinthepark.com

And there could certainly be more! This is just what I've gathered here and there to make a long needed post, but a worthy one at that!

MIchigan Brewery Updates for your Memorial Day

2009-05-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend has a host of awesome events and news worthy beer stops for your memorial day celebrations.

For anyone heading to The traverse City area this fine memorial day, Jolly Pumpkin Artistry Ales will be hosting its grand opening in Mission Point on Friday the 22nd. Jolly Pumpkin is known for its routinely sour beers, which is a fermentation process of superior control. This expanse shows the popularity of these beers and also serves as a platform for more more experiments, both sour and non.

Also in the North Western is the 4th annual Beer and Brat festival at the Crystal Mountain Spa and Resort, Saturday the 23rd. Over 50 craft beers will be available from many Michigan breweries.

If your traveling to the Grand Rapids area, or anywhere South of that, you can stop by The Round Barn's "6 pack" release party on Saturday the 23rd. Another great crafter is making their mark in packaging and distribution. the Round Barn has grown extensively in their beer production process in the past few years. When I first visited, they only had a couple beers on tap. They are also a very good winery and produces of the popular DiVine Vodka.

If your stranded with a stay-cation this weekend, head over to your best Michigan craft beer supplier and look for two great new additions to the bottled arena. Dragonmead is now bottling its Armageddon Grand Cru in 750ml bottles. If your a fan of Final Absolution, which is a Belgian Triple, then you can up the game a bit with a Grand Cru, which is a Belgian quadruple. At 11.6% this is no joke. Also, Mount Pleasant Brewery is bottling. They are offering Railyard Raspberry Wheat, Coal Stokers Blackberry, Steam Engine Stout, Iron Horse IPA and the Cow Catcher Red Ale all in six packs.

A very exciting weekend indeed. I hope to find some of the bottled products for this weekends adventures!

Bombs in the Basement

2009-05-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

A month or so ago I posted a blog on some fun of splitting batches into three gallon carboys for a little fun and curiosity. Here's a little update.

Well, I didn't do any preparatory sterilizing to the honey before adding to the carboy, I just put it in the microwave for a short bit to make it more viscus. That could have been a mistake since after a couple days I noticed what "appeared" to be the beginning of an infection. There were little white spots starting to form on the surface that were not anything related to fermentation. they might have been harmless, but I wasn't ready to risk it. Perhaps next time I experiment with honey ill dilute it in some water and boil it for a short amount of time.

So, with said infection on the way I thought it would be beneficial to bottle up and try to bypass any further harm. Mistake number two, I didn't take any preliminary hydrometer readings during the initial transfer or at bottling time. I made the priming solution on a bit of the high side with DME, bottled up and left everything in the basement in anticipation of bottling the other half and moving that portion upstairs (where it is warmer) and thus, having both beers ready to sample at the same time. Well, Saturday afternoon proved that wish wrong when Brittany had said "it smells like someone spilt beer all over the basement." Coming from the woman who has the best olfactory this side of the Mississippi, I didn't dispute that something could be amiss. Sure enough, there it was, the remnants of bottle, and a nice ring of sticky goodness surrounding all the others. A bottle Bomb. Glass was everywhere, and I could even pin point its direction of explosion from the mass in one direction. I knew this might have happened. All that unfermented honey (or partially) coupled with more sugar, equals more fermentation within the bottle and more pressure trying to escape. Give it enough juice, and it will. After cleaning up after this soldier I placed the remaining bottles in an empty case (hey, why didn't I think of that before hand?) and made my way upstairs.

Things were good until Sunday evening when Brittany and I heard a couple more explosions within an hour. The cat shot off the couch and made his way to investigate. In those 24 hours, I had lost three more.

The remaining tribe is holding well. Sampling one, it certainly was a tough pour. I bottled the remaining Weizen last week and am hoping to sample them side by side by Memorial Day weekend.

Bell's and Bayview

2009-05-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

Being so close to lake Saint Clair, one of my longest regrets growing up and more now is that I dont take advantage of my backyard, so to speak. Plenty of my friends have sailed for years, but for some reason the sport has never completely hit my interest. All that might change now that Bell's Brewery is the newest sponsor to the Bayview Mackinaw race this July 25th. Rumor has it that Larry has had an interest in sponsoring in previous years, but ends never met up. That isn't surprising if you've at all passed through the gates of Bayview, you dont have to love sailing, hell, you dont even have to like it. But you do have to like booze. No. Love booze.

American Craft Beer Week

2009-05-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing great about America, its that it seems every hobby, cause, movement and awareness has a week. Weeks appear to be reserved for the entertainment value of life, whilst months are reserved for the serious and prideful reflections of our nation. This week marks American Craft Beer week. For Seven glorious days we get to splurge (in even greater amounts) into the ounces of bliss we that defines our souls. Or, in other words, go drink some damn good Michigan beer.

Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival tickets on sale this weekend!

2009-04-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

Even though the snow has barely thawed and winter still seems to have a bit of teasing left to do, that shouldnt stop you from planning a great summer. After all, they seem to keep getting shorter and shorter. With that, one thing you should do this weekend, well actually two, is 1) go to the Fools for Oberon party this Saturday at The Rock in Royal oak and 2) get you some tickets to the Michigan Brewers Guild SUmmer Beer Festival on July 24/25. Held in Ypsilanti, this event sells out quickly and with good reason. The event hosts more than 200 beers from over 30 Michigan breweries. Tickets are available at many of these breweries as well as online.

Friday July 24th 5-9 pm, $25 in advance, $30 at the door, 12 drink tokens
Saturday July 25th 1-6 pm, $25 in advance, $30 at the door, 12 drink tokens
(additional tokens are of course for sale inside the festival)

Get tickets here

.

An American Manifesto

2009-04-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

Manifesto: a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives, as one issued by a government, sovereign, or organization.

I found a link to this video through one of my many visited blogs. This is a great representation to the many who are still out there, unaware or ignorant, that the beer they drink has always been, and will always remain the same.

Watch the video here

Frakenmuth in 30 days

2009-04-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

30 days to go. Everyone can relate to this statement, as the a 30 day countdown is a pivitol point in any forth coming event. #0 dys until your birthday (at least in the younger years), 30 days until the big vacation, 30 days to retirement! Yeah, right. Well 30 days from today is the largest of the three Michigan craft beer events, Frakenmuth's World Expo of Beer. Entering its 14th year, the festival serves 250 samples from dozens of breweries near and far. technically, the event starts 29 days from now, but I won't make it there for Friday's festivities.

For more info you can try and navigate the official website at worldexpoofbeer.com, but i found it rather difficult and annoying.

.

Honey Weizen

2009-04-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

Ten Days ago I brewed a honey weizen that called for the use of one pound of honey in the mix. Honey is a complex elemnt in brewing. Some say they can make it stand out in a beer, some say it just ferments out to more alcohol with no evidence of its existence. In this moderate debate between home brewers, some suggest using honey malt, others say use honey at this or that point and some say both. the great thing is, you get to decide. So in this honey weizen, I decided to take the road less traveled, which is both. I purchased two three gallon carboys this past fall for this exact situation. I want to take a batch and slit it up and experiment.

Ive only done this a couple times before. I had a sour ale that was basically liquid jolly ranchers. I tried splitting the batch into growlers and added all sorts of fruits. Nothing changed much except the color. Adding tart (for the most part) on sour is hard to do. The second experiment was with a pale ale. I had some home grown hops that i needed and wanted to use before they went bad, so I added 2.5 ounces to one of the three gallons and let her sit for about a week. It came out pretty well.

So with this batch i wanted to play with the honey. the recipe has both natural and honey malt. Tonight I took that batch and added another cup of honey to one carboy and split them up. I plan to let it sit another week or so and then prime it out in bottles. The finished product should be ready about three weeks from now. Im very interested to see the outcome, both in mouth feel and honey appearance.

.

Michigan Beer Happenings

2009-04-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

In a nearly depreciated economy, Beer is one great exception. The Wall Street Journal profiled the increasing expansion of the craft beer industry, and in doing so, featured a Michigan operation set to open its doors this summer. See how Artful Dodge Brewery thinks it can survive and thrive in Midland, Mi.

http://tinyurl.com/adbofmi

Have you heard that there is a new reccommondation to raise the tax on a bottle of beer in Michigan by five cents? This group is hoping the new tax would raise millions to aid in child foster care, prevention and family aid. Seems like a great cause but that extra tax would be passed onto the consumer and that has many arms up, double fisted.

http://tinyurl.com/mibeertax

Bells Beer was rated 13th in sales by a craft brewery in 2008, and 24th in overall brewery sales. Thats pretty remarkable considering that craft beer sales only equate to six percent of overall beer sales.

http://tinyurl.com/bells2008

Saturday May 2nd : National Homebrew day : Fools for Oberon VI

2009-04-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday May 2nd is just three weeks away and here's two awesome reasons you need to clear the whole damn day!

First, It is National Home Brew day. This is the day that all of us home brewers brew in unison and celebrate the great art that has been practiced 8,000 years before JC did his thing. I'm not certain of my plans yet, but will either be at one of three places; Cap n' Cork, my backyard, or Nick's backyard. If anyone is interested in participating, just give me a shout, all are welcome.

Saturday night is the Fools for Oberon celebration at The Rock in Royal Oak. This is the sixth year for this annual event. David Munro from Bells will be on hand with plenty of giveaways and raffle prizes. Pints are $3 all night. Facebook has the official invitation, just search Fools for Oberon!

The Great Giant Pumpkin

2009-04-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

For what it is worth, I had mentioned I believe in my first post that Jolly Pumpkin brewery in Dexter had plans to expand. Well, the cat is out of the bag, or perhaps pumpkin. Founder Ron Jefferies has been named president of Northen United Brewing Company (NUBC), a company that also includes Grizzly Peak, North Peak, Blue Tractor and Bastone. With the creation of NUBC, plans are in the works for the creation of three new tasting rooms / cafes in Ann Arbor, Dexter and Traverse City. Rather than selling and consuming their products on site, these establishments will focus on selling the products of the NUBC. In addition to that, Traverse City will see a 10,000BBL facility where Jolly Pumpkin will expand upon their tasty treats. $6 million has been invested in these ventures, complete with Michigan tax credits and the promise of more than 150 jobs over five years.

Founders Cerise

2009-04-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

Founders Brewing has pushed the realms again and is set to expose its latest addition, Cerise. I haven't found much information on this production other than "Using only fresh Michigan tart cherries, this beauty tantalizes with intense flavors combined with a no hesitation malt bill. Adding fresh cherries at five separate stages of fermentation achieves the ultimate balance between tartness and bitterness." All I know is that five stages of cherries (hopefully all home grown in Michigan) has to taste fantastic. No doubt this liquid bliss will be packaged in sets of four bottles, of which I am sure to consume all at once.

Oberon Clone

2009-03-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

With the passing of another year in my life leaving me to embrace my 30's, there was only a handful of things that could feel young. Beer is in that handful. Being 30 isn;t that bad, not being in your twenties is what drags you down. Oh well. Recently I have had the pleasure to complete a couple brews. The most recent was an Oberon clone. It is a simple recipe made up of about 505 malted wheat, one hop addition of Saaz, and some Coriander. I mashed with three gallons to about 10lbs of grain at 152°. I didn't use my blanket wrap method on the mash tun and in doing so, lost what appeared to be close to 10° in an hour, which is not acceptable. This cooler was good for a starter, but quickly needs replacing. In the end, I collected six gallons to boil. Boiling consisted of one hour and went pretty well. On a side note, I am really excited to upgrade my equipment to include a stainless steel pot...or keg. My concerns and curiosities are how much, if any, aluminum contributes to off flavors. I believe I have searched this curiosity before on some home brewing forums and the conclusions were mixed, some believe so, some believe not. I may need to re investigate When chilling the wort, I went with a new direction I picked up from fellow home brew Nick over the weekend. I usually use my wort chiller, coupled with an ice bath or cold water. I would cut the chiller short when the water was warm to the touch. My thought here was that I wanted to conserve water. Usually my patience would run thin on the amount of time it took to chill. This time I said screw the bath and just let the wort chiller do its thing full blast on the driveway. Being over conservative with water consumption went by the wayside. Perhaps I used just as much water with the chiller as I would with a bath and cutting the chiller short. I even used the water to clean the mash tun, and could easily make it more efficient next time, adding some soap in the beginning so I have a nice hot tun of cleaning water. Surprisingly, it chilled to 80° or so in about 15 minutes. That's just right. I transferred to the carboy and added a cup of yeast slurry from my boy Matt's carboy. He brewed an Oberon clone last week, and was ready to keg. I thought it interesting for me to brew one as well and compare notes and such. the starting gravity was 1.032. I don't know if that was too low. I am still contemplating my cooler / mashing efficiencies, I always feel like I miss my starting gravity. I guess I have to wait and see what it finishes out at. Next up on brew day, a honey wheat!

The abundant popularity of Michigan Beer

2009-03-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I revisited some old roots, sprouted some new ones and was overall ecstatic to see my favorite band get back together and play three amazing shows in Virginia. After a four year hiatus, Phish was back at the mothership, AKA Hampton Coliseum to clarify they merely had standard band problems that needed to be addressed and challenged. It is promising to see a band be able to stand again on its feet after being knocked down by many circumstances. When I realized that Northworst airlines had made a mistake on my flying itinerary, I quickly realized that a ticket last minute would be too expensive to justify, since ironically, Northworst doesn't even fly to Newport News (funny though, on the phone I never recall mentioning I needed to go to Newburgh, NY). Quickly I realized that driving was going to my my only option. 10 lovely hours through the hills of PA, MD and VA. After scrunting (new adjective for when your pissed off at an airline) around for a bit, I saw one shinning light of bliss for my drive; I can load the car up with Bell's and hopefully break even with my traveling expenses.

Now for those of you whom may be completely confused, allow me to explain. Phish fans are some of the most outgoing people this nation may have. And in so, they like their party. So, on any given show, you can find parking lots at venues filling up as soon as security / police / gate keepers let them in, usually between two and three pm. By five, you'll have full out tail gating, retail and partying. As far as retail is concerned, you can find (fortunately and unfortunately) pretty much everything. If there is ever a steady economy, it would be on what is called Shakedown Street. Amongst all of the vendors you will find clothing, fantastic meals, gems and earthly possessions, artwork, and most importantly, BEER. With those that usually sell beer, the majority plays it safe, with the likes of Guinness, Newcastle and Sierra Nevada, most likely in part that those brands are available in any liquor store in any state and taste well enough. But there are some who widh to share their special secrets or hometown jewels. From my many years of Shakedown involvement, I remember Bell's Beer was always a favorite. I would have loved to have purchased and brought all my favorite Michigan produced beers, but budgetary concerns could not afford to spend a lot on something I might not be able to sell. I needed a brand that already had some recognition and familiarity, something I knew I could unload and at least break even in my expenses. So I Traveled to Champagnes in Warren and loaded up on two cases of Two Hearted Ale, two cases of Best Brown, one case of Winter White and one case of Hopslam.

Upon parking, we had as many Bell's we could on ice and set out to investigate the scene. As we approached a main crossing, the Bell's logo did all the talking. I must have sold two cases in the first hour. So many people came flocking for this beer. So much so, I did get a bit nervous about police intervening. Usually they are looking for trademark infringements or those trying to sell narcotics. But I have seen people be arresting for selling liquor or even worse, taking your beer and leaving. Others were just curious for a new beer, so I had a blast explaining the characteristics of all the styles. BY my second trip back to the car my friend Terry mentioned that he would like to see enough to stick around for us to enjoy. He lives in downtown New York, and currently Bell's isn't available near him. So I decided to close the store for the rest of the evening and move to consuming a couple tasty beverages.

On the third day I still had more Bell's than we planned (or possibly could) consume. We parked directly across from a couple who was selling Rogue bombers. They were selling them for $6 a pop, which is what they cost in stores, so I was pleasantly surprised. I was excited to purchase a Brutal Bitter when I remembered "wait a minute, I am selling as well, I'm sure they would love to trade." So when I mentioned I had a nice selection of Bell's they were more than happy to trade. They were from Philly I believe and I could not remember if they had access to Bell's but they were very excited to try Hopslam and get a couple Two Hearted's. I received a Brutal Bitter and a Hazelnut Brown Ale. Turns out the dude knew someone who got him those cases of Rogue for dirt cheap. The girl was super excited to tell me all about Arcadia Ales. I think she was over excited to remember I was from Michigan. After some good conversation I made my way to Shakedown and had no trouble meeting other awesome beer enthusiasts. People who lived in Boston who couldn't find Bell's, Chicago people, those I had no idea where they were from, they were just super excited to try this Hopslam beer they've heard so much about. I spent a lot of time talking to this one guy, from the Traverse City area who was just as excited to see Michigan beer as anyone else. When I mentioned I spent a small honeymoon vacation in the area and got to visit Right Brain he said "I wouldn't know anything about them" and turned his head. I thought something caught his eye, so I patiently waited and when he turned back to me with a questionable look on his face I realized he was wearing a Right Brain hat. We had a good laugh.

In the end I saved three Best Brown's for myself to take home and savor in memory of a great weekend. I love the evidence that great beer is appreciated anywhere you go. Granted there were people selling $1 Champagne's, but many others wanted a nicely produced beverage, and many wanted Bell's. Had I known the response, I would have taken a larger vehicle for more cases to share more quality encounters.

Short's Brewery Hits Bottling

2009-03-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

Another fantastic Craft brewery in Michigan has made their nectar available in bottles. Short's Brewery from Bellaire joined the market officially today at one in the afternoon. I learned of this in one of my local craft brew stores picking up the six cases of Bell's I plan to share with as many as possible this weekend in Virginia. Speaking with the manager, he mentioned that they just went on sale an hour before I arrived, which confirms that somehow I was removed from their email list, because I heard nothing of it, but that's another story.

Currently available is the Pandemonium Pale Ale, The Bellaire Brown and Huma-Lupa Licious IPA. More variety is in the works but inside word has it that the folks over at Short's either had trouble or were still learning about the labeling machine and had to cut their delivery stock to stores.

I have yet to make it to the brewery itself but have heard nothing but excessive praise for the beers they have. I also heard you want to bring a DD with you because the cops love them some beer fans.

www.shortsbrewing.com

Stimulus plan = Stimulus Ale

2009-03-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

Fort Street Brewery in Lincoln Park has a grand idea to help boost the economy in the midst of this stimulus crisis. Since Obama's tax incentive will apparently boost all of our paychecks by an estimated $8, in which the government hopes we'll spend more and thus save the economy, Fort Street is releasing its Stimulus Ale. For $8 you get 32 ounces of delicious Imperial Saison style brew, or French IPA. At 7% abv that'll either hamper or resolute your economy opinions further, and we'll be closer to survival or neighbor to neighbor war.

Dry Hoppin

2009-03-01T17:17:00.000-08:00

In my craft brew madness, that has taken me to many places, including my backyard, I've finally taken my first dry hopping experiment. I had grown some rhizomes last summer, and managed to find a harvest of about 4 ounces of cascades. Watching these things grow was a great delight and addition to my summer horticultural obsessions. After making two separate pickings, I packaged the hops in air tight ziplock bags and placed them in the freezer, with no real time table for use.

In the last month or so I've made three batches. A Sam Smith Winter Welcome clone, a Guinness clone, and a first attempt at a Breckenridge Pale Ale clone. When brewing the Pale Ale clone, I spent a good amount of time on the malt and hop quantities and additions. On brew day, I had a frustrating boil agenda. I had a couple boil overs, and messed up the timing of my hop additions, thus only boiling for 45 minutes. Hoping to still achieve a reputable clone, I cut the flame and decided to chill....the wort that is.

This past weekend, I bottled everything and decided to split the Pale Ale between dry hopping three gallons and bottling the rest. The cascades were still airtight in the freezer and came out to weigh 2.5 ounces. they had some freezer ice built up on one side, but still smelled great. I have no idea how much AAU's they hold from being fresh, to being frozen, and then being used. 2.5 ounces is a lot of hops for only three gallons, but I figured I have nothing to loose. The brew day had some mistakes, I still have a case of that, I had no planned use for the hops and have never dry hopped. So I threw it all in the carboy, filled it up and have let it sit in the basement for three days now, with bottling in mind for tomorrow or Tuesday.

I can't wait to compare the two side by side to see the difference of the two bottles.

Arcadia Sampling at Slows.....sort of

2009-02-23T19:04:00.000-08:00

So I get wind of this weekend via the micraftbrew group on yahoo that Arcadia is going to be at Slows Bar B Q this Monday doing a sampling, tasting or overall goodness assessment. Vividly excited, I rearrange some plans, invite some friends to come on down anticipating to try the Cereal Killer, Shipwreck Porter, Sky High Rye, special surprises and more. I sat somewhat impatiently on my couch as I waited for my sister and brother in law to arrive, abandoning my wife to catch a ride with other friends (no worries there, they had new born in tow, and my wife is all baby-i-fied). So we head out, sun still on the horizon and arrive close to 7:30. There we are notified by the cross between Bob Dylan and Jack White host that the event started at six, so we were well late, and that the event cost $30. Pissed and thirsty we bellied up to the bar. I did all the research I could on the details of this event and nowhere did it mention promptness and cost. So my ass-out-of-you-and-me assumption assumed it was a show up, try some special beers at specials prices, fraternize with the brewers and have a good ole time. Asking the bartender who maintains their website, mentioning our interest for the event and our disappointment in no Slows web presence at all, I made sure he knew he was the liaison between our discomfort and the management. He wasn't too up on the know of who maintained the website, and mentioned that it could be "in between managers" as if there is some internal conflictions there. I had ordered the Shipwreck Porter and man was it tasty. The alcohol presence was immediate in conjunction with the maltiness. It had a thick mouth feel and appearance, rings clinging to the glass. It hit me quick, probably because I had recently been sick and this was my first brew in about a week or more. The cost of the event actually wasn't bad. Considering food, drinks and other goodies, i would have been more than happy to pay my way. But unfortunately, either due to my further search for details or a combination of everyone involved, seven of us missed out. And so did Slows and Arcadia. Arcadia missed out on more "official" attendance, thus more excitement for their brand and brews. Slows missed out on what could have been more word of mouth exposure due to lack of web presence of the event, and perhaps more revenue, as our combined bill was about $150, when it could have been about $210 or more. Next up after the Shipwreck was the Sky High Rye, Arcadia's 12,000 (I believe) celebration Ale. This was a hoppy, possibly IPA worthy Ale that had a balance of bitter and sweet hops. Post dinner it was almost a bit too much for me, as my palate hates conflictions, I didn't have enough time to "rinse" from dinner. We had a great time with ourselves, sometimes ease dropping on the event and the conversations witht he brewers.

I love my Michigan produced goodness. I love my Detroit based Establishments supporting my Michigan based breweries. And I love my websites up to date, especially in 2009, where the web has been around long enough and is utilized more than ever for information based events and the like.

Fools for Oberon 09

2009-02-19T19:34:00.000-08:00

Its unbelieveable that the Fools for Oberon party is quickly approaching its seventh year. And as Im sure any organizer struggles to make their event more memorable and sizeable, I am hoping this year will be another break through party. Details are to be determined beginning tomorrow at noon, when I meet with David from Bell's for lunch.

Fools for Oberon

Sam Adams Imperial Series: Double Bock

2009-02-18T13:46:00.000-08:00

I needed to kill some time yesterday after walking to an interview (yes, i actually had an opportunity to walk to an interview!) and decided to so at the local wine and beer store just before my arrival of baptism. Scrolling the Isles I hadn't found anything out of the ordinary, but my eye was caught by Sam Adams latest seasonal, Double Bock. Mm Mm tasty, I thought as I raised the case higher to my nose as If to think I could smell its malty seductiveness immediately. My excitement suddenly turned peculiar, when I realized this seasonal delight had lost a third of its companionship. Last years Double Bock was a sixer, now suddenly it constitutes a four pack? At the same price? Cheated! what gives? I immediately blamed the housing market, and how millions of default mortgages have had their impact as far as our beloved beer industry. That is no joke, unfortunately, but another post will have to converge on that scenario. Now I was frustrated. The only four pack I saw outta Sam was its Imperial Pilsner. Upon further review I did notice a nice little tag on the box and bottle, "Imperial Series" it read. Hmmmmm. Upon research, it seems Jim Koch and his marketing companies have decided to launch this new extension of Sam Adams, which also includes an Imperial Stout and Imperial White (but no Pilsner?) which I am sure are going to tickle my taste buds endlessly once I find them. But still, some of me felt cheated, nothing has changed on the recipe side that constitutes my hard earned money is going to something more than previous years. Now I do understand my responsibility here, if I want more experimentation and craziness from my Craft Beer constituents, I have to be willing to accept that "less is more" and the social economics in spreading the wealth a four pack brings to the table and community, since many of these initiatives are done on a smaller scale but with just as much cost to the brewery. But with Sam, or SAM as it is known publicly, could possibly have made its Imperial Series with a bit more fluctuation. Perhaps anything over 10% could constitute a four pack. But the marketer in me, knows that wouldn't fly consistently with the brand. UGH. I guess I have to settle and drown my sorrows one by one with an Imperial Bock, Stout and White...

Kid Rock / MBC launching new beer

2009-02-17T15:16:00.000-08:00

A recent press today pointed to the Michigan Craft Brew scene with its details on a new beer being created and marketing around one of Detroit's best known names, Kid Rock. The Freep's article points to Michigan Brewing Company as the brewery working with Mr. Rock in the formulation of the beer. Known for its fantastic Celis styles, it is no surprise that MBC would be the front runner in producing this beer, all of its names (with respects to the Celis) follow Michigan timeliness and accustoms. there is the Mackinaw Pale Ale, Peninsula Porter and Superior Stout to name a few. And they even a beer simply titled "Hamtramck", made with imported polish hops. Who's to guess what style and flavor profile the Kid finds attractive in his own beers, I only hope he likes his IBU's. Had this been just another brewery developing another flavor of beer gotten front page news without the involvement of Kid Rock? Most certainly not. But, If he can help land me a new job, or at least enjoy another style of beer while trying to do so, then sign me up.

Blue Tractor Brewery

2009-02-16T18:08:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday Brittany and I had the opportunity for some time to ourself and head off to one of our favorite cities. Ann Arbor. A city that never sleeps, construction and development wise, there are many new and upcoming breweries in the area. One of which is The Blue Tractor BBQ and Brewery. Under the same ownership of the Peaks and Bastone, this newest addition is very unique. Donned with large tractor images, rusted tractor seats, wooden walls, and very dark corners, it sits on top of a very cool bourbon and cigar bar, and next to a Havana Cafe. But we were there for the beer. Unfortunately they only had four on tap, a Pilsner, a Cream Ale, an IPA and a Red. I started with the Cream Ale and Brittany had the Red. The cream was smooth and took a couple minutes to settle, the Red was cloudy (uncommon) and had a cherry tint to it. It reminded me much more of a hybrid, perhaps with some wheat in the recipe and maybe a sweeter yeast strain.I sampled the IPA but it didn't hit me right away. It sided more with the bitter aspects than the flavor and sweetness that I am attracted to. I finished off our stop with a Red as well, which I'm usually not a Red guy, but this one has something different.

Rumor on the street is that the same owners are in a agreement with Jolly Pumpkin to open yet another stunning restaurant and brewery. With that addition, we need to consider moving!

Harrison Ford, I owe you

2009-02-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

I recently saw a job posting for a local design studio I have been trying to get in touch with for some time now. This company and I had been playing email tag for some time now, with ends falling short here and there, so when I saw the posting I was immediately rejuvenated to get back into contact. I located an earlier correspondence we had, and began expressing my uninterrupted desire to meet in person and discover my value and talents. I hit send and instantly was excited. This could be it. This could be the end to my days of job searching and applicating, which should be a word in this struggling climate. I hit the sheets and imagined how great an opportunity this was. I could ride my bike, walk even to work. And, this was a design company, not so much advertising or marketing, my nemesis that I must also call my closest friend. There is great potential to have a variety of design responsibilities. I could save on gas, mileage, have opportunities, bike, sunshine, and Harrison Ford. Why all the sudden was he there, Han Solo, The Fugitive, kissing Anne Heche on a deserted island. Rolling over with Dr. Jones, I thought it coincidence, the company being named Harrison Communications, Harrison Ford, they share a name. Or did they? My eyes popped open. Did I get the name wrong? I couldn't have. Naked, Harrison and I jumped out of bed, down the stairs and threw the Mac book open. Check sent mail. Open sent email. Check name. Harrison Communications is who I addressed, and, not correctly, Harrington Communications. I might have well written that email, printed it out and flushed it down the toilet in hopes for a response. That's about where I assumed I stood in their eyes. Conveniently, gmail does not have recall option for emails. I did what I could do best at 12:30 am and resent the same email, with the correct name, in bold, and red, with an apology. Harrison and I went back upstairs, got into bed and went to sleep. It was a crowded night, the three of us, and the cat.

That next morning I knew Harrison had come to save me, I just needed to determine how. Patience not on my side, I wanted to email Harrington every 5 minutes until they knew my sincerity. My wife, said wait, it hasn't even been a day. But I knew a day would turn into 10 or more if I didn't act. Use the force Harrison said. Perhaps I purchase one of those Han Solo live size cut outs, attach some form of communication and set it outside their office. the price on those things, aren't so bad, its the shipping that'll get you. $50 and more, I wasn't confident this was the best option. Plus, who wants to open the door to a life sized man pointing a death ray at you. I wanted to impress them, not shit their pants. Indiana could work...Still the expense didn't justify the means. Do I paste their windows with Harrison ford characters? Could I get Han on the roof without injury or trespassing charges? Or......do I mix creativity with.....creativity. It hit me. I could use Harrison and all his glory throughout the years, mix it with some Irish red style Ale I had made recently, name it Harrison's Red, deliver it to their office, and hope for the best. Perfection. A great idea, cost worthy, and everyone likes free beer. If nothing else, I get a name for myself, they get a good joke and a free six pack of homebrew. I spent the next couple days making the box, labels, cutting, gluing and the like. The smell of spraymount took me back 10 years to college.

How was it going to get there? I could drop it off early in the morning, before anyone took to the streets. Then I thought of the location. Growing up blocks from there I knew hand fulls of kids walked those same sidewalks every morning to school. Hey! Free BEER! That wasn't going to work. I could sneak it in, they do share a door with another company. I could pretend to go in there and just leave it in their door. That just didn't seem right either. What if they saw me? what if the other company took it? Finally I knew it had to be hand delivered, by a human, or Baba Fet. It couldn't be me. That would just be weird. My wife was busy, so I enlisted a good friend, instructed her on some specifics and let the cards fall where they may.

The delivery went well, as I was later told, and within hours I had an email from Harrington saying good job and to come in for an interview. Project Harrison was a success. My interview is this coming Tuesday.

Below Are some pics of the finished product.