Michigan Beer Blog

Liquid Table Announces Inaugural GR Beer Week

2012-01-29T14:21:00.000-05:00

With a cold bite in the air and a cold pint in hand, beer lovers from all over Michigan and surrounding states will descend on Fifth Third Ballpark just north of Grand Rapids on February 25 for the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival. This year, craft beer fans will have an even better reason to spend an entire week in Grand Rapids.

GR Beer Week makes its debut this year, during the week leading up to the Winter Beer Festival. Events will take place over the course of 5 days at locations in and around Grand Rapids. Beer dinners, rare beer tastings, tap takeovers and other unique events are being planned.

While the focus is on Michigan beer as a whole, GR Beer Week is a time for Grand Rapids breweries to shine. With seven established breweries within the city limits, (Schmohz, Hopcat, B.O.B.’s Brewery, Founders, The Hideout, and Brewery Vivant), and several more on the horizon for 2012 (Harmony Brewing and Elk Brewing to name two), Grand Rapids is quickly becoming a destination for craft beer culture.

Detroit-based Liquid Table Beverage Solutions is producing and marketing GR Beer Week. Liquid Table began Detroit Beer Week in 2009 in cooperation with the Michigan Brewers Guild, piggybacking the Detroit Fall Beer Festival. This concept will be brought to Grand Rapids for the first time this year, in conjunction with the Winter Beer Festival.

“Liquid Table has proven to be uniquely qualified in the organization and promotion of craft beer events,” stated Eric Briggeman, President of the Michigan Brewers Guild. “This partnership will continue to further The Guild’s mission of promoting a healthy beer culture in the State of Michigan.”

GR Beer Week events and information will be constantly updated on Facebook. “We have several large events planned for each night of the week,” stated Barry Johnson, West Michigan Liaison for Liquid Table. “The wholesalers, breweries, retailers and consumers have been extremely helpful and supportive of our cause. Everyone understands the importance of such a vibrant, growing industry, especially in a down economy – everyone loves beer.” Head to www.facebook.com/grbeerweek for details.

GR Beer Week culminates with the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival, held Saturday, February 25 at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park. Roughly 6000 tickets for the event went on sale December 1, 2011, and sold out in a record 3 weeks! In addition to the other GRBW events taking place, two charity ticket auctions are scheduled for Thursday, February 23. Head to www.mibeer.com for details.

About Liquid Table
Liquid Table Beverage Solutions is a privately-owned Detroit-based company. Formed in 2010 by Jon Piepenbrok, Liquid Table focuses on producing and marketing beverage events, including Detroit Beer Week, with a focus on local craft beer, mead, and artisan spirits, as well as providing private beverage services on contract for in-home and private events. The company also offers trade services, such as on- and off-premise consulting, education, marketing, and brand management. For more information, contact jon@liquid-table.com.

About the Michigan Brewers Guild
The Michigan Brewers Guild exists to unify the Michigan brewing community; to increase sales of Michigan-brewed beer through promotions, marketing, public awareness and consumer education; and to monitor and assure a healthy beer industry within the state. Michigan’s thriving brewing industry contributes over $24 million in wages with a total economic contribution of more than $133 million. In terms of overall number breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks #5 in the nation, with over 100 current licenses – thus supporting its claim as “The Great Beer State.” More information can be found at www.mibeer.com.

Press Release Contact: Jon Piepenbrok, Liquid Table Beverage Solutions (586)744-0393, jon@liquid-table.com

Frankenmuth Pilsener Fondue

2012-01-27T16:28:00.001-05:00

By the numbers, Super Bowl Sunday is second only to Thanksgiving in American food consumption (I read it on Wikipedia, so it must be true). I love chips, dips, wings, and chili as much as the next red-blooded American, but when it comes to Super Bowl Sunday, beer blitzes everything else on the menu. So, why sideline the stuff as a mere beverage? Beer adds an extra layer of depth and flavor to this simple cheese fondue recipe, bringing your Super Bowl party to it's A-game in no time flat.

Goes great with brats from Sobie!

It's only a little over a week away, so start planning your menu now!

For this recipe, you will need:

2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 to 6 ounces, Gruyere, shredded
1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup beer
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
A few drops hot sauce
A few drops Worcestershire sauce

Suggestions for serving:

Spent grain, rye, pumpernickel or sour dough bread, cubed; cubed or thick sliced and browned wursts (knackwurst, bratwurst, etc), blanched cauliflower florets, mini Gherkin pickles, pickled onions, anything else you like smothered in cheese.

Directions:

1) Combine cheeses in a bowl with flour (this will prevent the cheese from separating and getting oily when added to the beer). Add beer to a small pot and bring up to a bubble over medium heat.

2) Reduce the heat to simmer and add cheese in handfuls. Stir constantly, melting the cheese in batches. Stir in a figure-eight pattern with wooden spoon so it doesn't bubble over.

3) When the cheese has been incorporated fully, stir in the mustard, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Transfer fondue to warm fondue pot and serve. Cheers!

Third Annual Traverse City Winter Microbrew & Music Festival

2012-01-25T18:25:00.000-05:00

Porterhouse Productions will host a “winter wonderland” celebration of craft beer, live music and local food at the third annual Traverse City Winter Microbrew & Music Festival on Saturday, February 11 at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons. The weekend of festivities will kick off with a special concert featuring Blues Traveler at the City Opera House in downtown Traverse City the night before the festival on Friday, February 10.

The festival will take place on February 11 from 4-10 p.m. on the Historic Front Lawn of the Village in multiple heated tents on-site. In addition to the three main heated music and microbrewery tents, the festival will feature a silent disco tent with a full roster of local and state DJs, a snow fort-building competition among local businesses, and, for the first time, a polka-themed tent hosted by local comedian Marti Johnson featuring popular polka bands including Squeezebox and The Kielbasa Kings, dancing, authentic food and special activities celebrating the polka culture. The tent will be a promotional partnership with the Cedar Polka Festival held in the region each summer.

Acclaimed musical and entertainment acts including Funktion, beatbox champion Heatbox, The Crane Wives, Whitey Morgan and the 78’s, Dragon Wagon, Rootstand, Laith Al-Saadi, DJ DomiNate, DJ Wulf Pak (and his popular laser show), non-profit Grand Traverse Pipes & Drums and local fire dancers will headline the festival stage. Over 50 microbreweries, wineries, meaderies and cideries from across the state and country will be on hand sampling their flavors at the event, including rare and limited-edition brews. The festival will offer free shuttle service to attendees between the Village, Old Town Parking Deck, downtown Traverse City and participating hotel partners, as well as on-site valet service for Trattoria Stella guests and Mercado shoppers.

The night before the festival, Porterhouse Productions will host Grammy-winning band Blues Traveler live in concert at the City Opera House in downtown Traverse City. Renowned for their high-energy live shows, Blues Traveler is behind such massive pop hits as “Run-Around,” “Hook” and “You, Me and Everything.” Their album “Four” reached triple-platinum status, and “Run-Around” was the longest-charting single in Billboard history. The February 10 concert marks the band’s second return to Traverse City after their sold-out appearance at Porterhouse’s Paella in the Park festival in August 2010.

“Since we relocated the festival out of downtown to the Village this year, it was important we find a way to support downtown merchants and connect them with this weekend of events,” said Porterhouse Productions owner Sam Porter. “Our hope is that we’ll have a great sold-out show with Blues Traveler the night before the festival, with concertgoers eating, drinking and shopping downtown before and after the concert.”

Porter added that after-parties at downtown establishments including Union Street Station and Loading Dock were planned for both nights of the weekend to further connect festival attendees with the downtown district.

General admission tickets for the Traverse City Winter Microbrew & Music Festival on February 11 are $30 in advance or $35 at the door and include all festival entertainment, musical acts, shuttle service and five (5) 7-oz pours. Additional pours will be available for purchase on-site for $1 each. Tickets can be purchased online at www.porterhouseproductions.com or at Oryana, Blue Tractor and Left Foot Charley in Traverse City. Attendees are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance, as the festival has sold out in past years. Ticket buyers must be at least 21 years old. Attendees are encouraged to carpool, use the shuttle service or walk, sled or snowshoe to the event.

Reserved seating tickets for the Blues Traveler concert at the City Opera House on February 10 range from $29-$45 and go on sale on Monday, January 16. Tickets can be purchased at the City Opera House box office, by phone at 231-941-8082 or online at www.cityoperahouse.org.

The Traverse City Winter Microbrew & Music Festival is presented by Porterhouse Productions, The Village at Grand Traverse Commons and Bay Area Recycling for Charities, with additional support from Michigan brewers, Village and downtown merchants and community volunteers. Proceeds from the festival will benefit Bay Area Recycling for Charities, a Traverse City-based non-profit organization providing comprehensive recycling services to the region and contributing an annual portion of its revenues to local charities and summer festivals. Porterhouse Productions is dedicated to supporting local businesses and creating year-round events that promote and sustain local food, beer, wine, arts, youth and merchants.

For more information, visit www.porterhouseproductions.com or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/porterhouse.mi or Twitter at www.twitter.com/porterhouseprod.
PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: Beth Milligan, (231) 342-0611, beth.milligan@gmail.com or Sam Porter, (231) 499-4968, sam@porterhouseproductions.com

Bell's Amber Braised Steaks with Leeks and Gorgonzola

2012-01-08T11:43:00.000-05:00

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You don't need to buy the most expensive steaks you can find to get the "cut it with a butter knife" tenderness of filet mignon. Don't get me wrong -- I love filet mignon as much as the next person, but I don't always want to pay for it. With this little trick, you can practically turn a choice cut of meat into a prime one. And yes, you can still enjoy a great steak even in the middle of winter. The delectable flavor and simplicity of the amber beer sauce, tender leeks, and creamy Gorgonzola topping are all just icing on the ~~cake~~ steak.

**No, you don't HAVE to follow the salting process to make this recipe, but I would highly recommend trying it at least once.

So, what's the big "Steak Secret"? Coat your steaks with salt 1 hour before cooking (tip: works best with steaks that are at least 1" thick). Yes, it really is that simple. And yes, I did say "coat". I’m talking about literally covering the entire surface of your meat so it resembles a salt lick. I know this sounds like salt-curing, which dries out meat (like jerky), but with salt curing, you use a lot more salt and leave it salting for a really long time. This short amount of time is just enough to break down the proteins and flavor the steak throughout.

Here are two regular, inexpensive supermarket steaks (Delmonico Rib Eyes, to be exact).

Season liberally with kosher salt on both sides. Use kosher or sea salt, NOT table salt. This will not work well with tiny tiny grains of table salt. Again, don’t worry about all that salt. Just enough of it gets absorbed into the meat and the rest gets washed down the drain when you rinse it off. If your steak tastes too salty when it's done, you probably didn't rinse all of the salt off.

And then just let it sit on your counter.

After 15 minutes, it will look like this — you can see how the meat’s water is starting to come up to the surface — and that some of the salt is still on the surface of the steak. After another 45 minutes, you’ll see more even more water.

The next step is to discard the water, rinse the steaks really well to get rid of all the salt. Then pat very dry with clean paper towels so that absolutely no moisture is left on the steaks.

Then it’s time to cook the steaks and make that delicious sauce. For this recipe you will need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 lean steaks (about 5 ounces each)
2 leeks, rinsed well and chopped (white and light green parts only)
1 cup amber beer
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the steaks with freshly ground black pepper (if you decide to skip the salting process, season with salt at this point. Otherwise, forgo adding any additional salt). Add the steaks to the hot pan and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until just browned. Remove the steaks from the pan and set aside.

Add the leeks to the same pan over medium-high heat. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until the leeks are tender and golden brown. Add the beer and broth and bring to a simmer. Return the steaks to the pan and simmer for 2-5 minutes depending on the thickness of your steaks and your desired doneness.

Transfer the steaks and sauce to a serving platter and top with the gorgonzola cheese.

Bottled Michigan: Short's Ginger in the Rye

2011-12-04T17:33:00.000-05:00

It's really too bad that so much crumby stuff is a lot of fun sometimes. --J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

The Ginger in the Rye is a high alcohol (~7%) beer that Joe Short came up with in 2007. It's important to note that this beer is not being marketed as a ginger beer, making it fundamentally different than Schmohz's Zingiberene or Left Hand's Good Juju. Ginger in the Rye is an experimental ale brewed with rye and Munich malt but fermented with the Weihenstephan yeast strain, giving it elements of a German wheat beer. Indeed, Beer Advocate refers to this beer as a hefeweizen, although I find that label inaccurate as well.

Ginger in the Rye pours a deep golden color with a shy, white head that dissipates quickly. A few lonely bubbles make their way lazily to the surface. The beer has the aroma expected in a ginger beer: the zing of fresh ginger is foremost in the smell, mixing with a pepper spice that comes from the copious amount of rye.

The smell, however, belies the complexity of this beer. Upon tasting, the first thing I noticed was the mouthfeel; this is a smooth, thick, almost viscous feeling beer that lubricates the mouth and throat without being cloying. It contrasts sharply with the spicy ginger and pepper that accompany the flavor. There is a slight citrus quality that, until acclimating myself to the beer, came across as slightly astringent. Clove flavors dance with the ginger and pepper, and the faint taste of banana – likely from the yeast used – haunt the palate, reminding you that this is not a traditional ginger beer. Citrus and honey again appear upon the exhale. This is a complex beer.

If you don't like ginger, don't drink this beer. If you love ginger beer, don't expect this beer to be traditional by any means. And if you think the quote I picked at the beginning of this post was a poor choice, then you're a phony, for cryin' out loud.

Spent Grain Bread

2011-11-12T10:49:00.000-05:00

If you are a home brewer and are interested in how to put some of that spent grain to good use, I highly recommend trying this recipe. It took about 30 hours from start to finish, but man, was the end result worth the wait. The tender inside of the bread makes it great for sandwiches or spreads, and the sweet and malty spent grain really shines. If you are not a home brewer, find a friend that is, and go ask them for some of their spent grain. Seriously. Right now.

*Note that you can freeze spent grain, and then thaw it out again before using in this recipe. It’s best to bring it up to room temperature before you start baking.

Sponge:
1/2 tsp active dry yeast (not rapid rise)
3/4 c water (room temperature)
3/4 c spent grain from brewing, still damp and at room temperature
1 1/2 c bread flour

Dough:
4 cups bread flour
1 cup water (room temperature)
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp salt

For the Sponge:
Mix the yeast into the water in a medium bowl until it’s dissolved. Mix into the flour and spent grain with a spatula and create stiff, wet dough. Cover and let the sponge sit at room temperature for at least five hours, if not overnight. I let mine sit for 24 hours.

Start

24 hours later

For the Dough:
1. Mix the water, honey, flour, and the sponge in the bowl of a mixer, using a spatula. Mix the dough with your dough hook attachment on a slow speed for about 12 minutes, then add the salt. Continue mixing with the dough hook for another 3 minutes.

During the course of this process, the dough should be sticking to the bottom of the bowl, but easily clearing the sides. Check about halfway through by pushing the dough off the hook and seeing how it sticks to the bowl. If it’s really gluey and damp, add more flour in 1/8th cup increments, mixing between each addition. You want a dough that’s smooth and tacky but not actually glue-like.

2. Transfer your dough to a big lightly oiled bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap that’s been greased. Let it rise about two to four hours, until it has roughly tripled in size.

Start

After about 3 hours

3. Grease three 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Put your dough on a lightly floured surface. Working with floured hands, press it out into a rectangle, and use a bench knife to divide it into three equally sized pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a tight 9-inch cylinder and pinch the seam closed. Place the loaves, seam side down, in the prepared pans. Set each loaf into a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Cover loosely with a cloth or greased piece of aluminum foil and let the dough rise until it almost doubles in size, about 45 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, put a deep metal pan or cast-iron skillet on the lowest shelf of the oven. Heat your oven up to 450 degrees F. Heat up two cups of water (not quite to boiling) and keep it on hand for your baking cycle.

5. Cut two or three slashes on top of each loaf using a sharp serrated knife. Cut almost parallel to the top of loaf, not very deep, and without sawing or tearing. Put your loaves in the oven. Pour two cups of hot water into your pre-heated pan or skillet, to create steam.

6. Bake for 15 minutes, then, if the loaves are browning unevenly, rotate each loaf 180 degrees. Bake for another 5-10 minutes (or until tops of loaves turn dark brown) and test the temperature with an instant read thermometer — 205-210 degrees F is perfect.

7. Take your pans out, let them cool 10 minutes, then put loaves on a cooling rack for an hour or two. Voila! Serve with local honey and/or butter, or make delicious little sandwiches.

*Adapted from a recipe from The Heavy Table.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp with Golden Cap Dipping Sauce

2011-11-10T16:24:00.000-05:00

Sadly, I cannot take credit for the creation of this recipe. I found it at ommegang.com and made it for a quick dinner last week with no intentions of sharing it, but it went over so well that I just had to post it. The original recipe was created by Larry Bennett of Brewery Ommegang for Café Milano in Cooperstown, NY and uses Hennepin, a saison-style ale from Ommegang. I swapped the Hennepin out for New Holland's Golden Cap Saison and wrapped half of my shrimp in bacon and the other half in pancetta. Seth preferred the bacon wrapped shrimp, while I favored the pancetta, so what you use is really up to your own personal preference. You could also use Gruyere cheese in place of the Swiss or get creative and try some other meat and cheese combinations. The world is your ~~oyster~~..shrimp.

Jumbo shrimp (16-20 count or larger, about 15-20 of them) peeled (leave tails on)
Swiss cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
Bacon or pancetta to wrap each shrimp
½ bottle (6 oz) New Holland Golden Cap Saison
2 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon butter
½ tablespoon mayonnaise
½ cup Dijon mustard
½ lemon, juiced
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook bacon or pancetta about halfway and allow to cool.

Butterfly each shrimp and fill with 1 tablespoon Swiss cheese. Close shrimp around stuffing and wrap with 1 strip bacon each. Bake in oven until golden.

Allow carbonation of the beer to mellow. Combine in large pot or saucepan: butter, oil, beer, water, mayonnaise and Dijon mustard and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Allow to condense to a creamy consistency. Add lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Detroit Lager Arroz con Pollo

2011-10-27T16:02:00.001-04:00

Arroz con pollo, or "rice with chicken," is a classic dish of Spain and Latin America. There are many different ways to prepare it, unique to various countries. What follows is a basic arroz con pollo recipe inspired by a dish from Smitten Kitchen that is typical to what you might find prepared in Cuba. It can be adjusted depending on the level of spice you like and what you have on hand. It's an easy, stove-top, one pot dish, that is great for family meals.

Serves 8

Chicken
6 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
4 chicken breast halves with bone, halved crosswise
4 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken thighs

Rice
1/2-1 pound bulk chorizo sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, preferably the hot stuff, plus more to taste
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
1 lb. tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 12-ounce. bottle Detroit Lager from Detroit Brewing Co.
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups long-grain white rice (14 ounces)
1/4 cup drained rinsed bottled pimiento or roasted red pepper strips
Extra chopped green pepper for garnish (optional)

Marinate chicken: Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 2 teaspoons salt, then transfer to a large bowl. Stir in vinegar and oregano.

Remove skin and excess fat from chicken, then toss chicken with marinade until coated and marinate, covered and chilled, at least 1 hour.

Cook chicken and rice: – Cook chorizo in olive oil in a 6- to 7-quart heavy pot (12 inches wide) over medium-high heat, stirring, until some fat is rendered, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add cumin, oregano, paprika, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add chicken with marinade to chorizo mixture and cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, 10 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, beer, broth, and rice and bring to a boil, making sure rice is submerged. I would suggest that you use tongs to temporarily remove the chicken from the pot, mix the rice in with the other ingredients in the pot, and then replace the chicken, pressing it into the broth a bit before going onto the next step, otherwise it might be difficult to keep the rice submerged to cook evenly.

Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover mixture directly with a round of parchment or wax paper and cover pot with a tight fitting lid. Cook, stirring once or twice, until rice is tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Discard parchment paper and bay leaves, then scatter pimiento or red pepper strips over rice.

Do ahead: Chicken can be marinated up to 2 hours in advance.

Brewery Vivant Wood-Aged Beer Celebration - October 22, 2011

2011-10-13T09:47:00.000-04:00

Brewery Vivant, a Belgian/French inspired restaurant and brewery located in the East Hills Neighborhood, will literally be rolling out the barrels for its customers in what’s sure to be one of the season’s most anticipated beer celebrations. Many of these brews have been aging for months, and will include a myriad of styles for every palette. In addition, Chef Drew Turnipseed will be pairing up his delicious wares, including sauerkraut and homemade sausages.

Barrel-aged beers can take on many forms, and Vivant is not afraid to jump outside of the box on any beers that they make. Belgian Sours are a much anticipated favorite, a brew that is purposely spiked with healthy bacteria that gives the brew a slightly tart flavor. All of these take an expert eye to make, and because of the unique nature of each individual oak cask, Brewmaster Jacob Derylo insists that “The beer will tell you when it’s ready.”

This year’s the celebration will fall on Saturday, October 22nd, from 1pm to 9pm. Admission is free to the public, and tokens will be available to purchase for beers during the celebration.

Brewery Vivant was founded in December, 2010 by former New Holland Brewing Co. founder Jason Spaulding and his wife Kris. It’s held in an old funeral chapel that was constructed in 1915. The establishment focuses on French and Belgian styles of brewing, paired with excellently matched food in an amazing environment.

Brewery Vivant is located at:
925 Cherry St. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506

More info can be found at www.breweryviant.com, or on their Facebook page.

Great Baraboo

2011-10-06T14:13:00.003-04:00

I’ve already written ad nauseum about my theory that I can categorize most Michigan Beer pubs as either breweries that serve food, or restaurants that make beer (with the delicious center of that Venn Diagram being places like Bastone, Brewery Vivant, and Jolly Pumpkin Ann Arbor that offer the epitome of both). Apparently, I’ve missed one category: “breweries that really want to be a chain restaurant.”

The Great Baraboo Brewing Company is housed in a gigantic, warehouse shaped building in Clinton Township, Michigan, right in that murky half moon shape of suburbs where the residents say they’re from Detroit, but really they’re not. While I am far from qualified to make judgments on an entire town based on a few hours of exploration, in many ways it reminded me of Portage, Michigan – where the primary public business zones were just huge, five lane roads bisecting acres of chain stores, malls, and fast food joints. It’s very possible I missed a quaint, adorable neighborhood in Clinton Township, but my point is that perhaps the Great Baraboo is trying so hard to look like a chain restaurant because that’s the competition it’s up against.

Inside, the Great Baraboo is cavernous and confusing, the copious sports memorabilia competing for attention with Keno screens. There was a Jagermeister St. sign hanging from the window into the (admittedly quite beautiful) brewing facility. I don’t think the genius interior designers at Applebees could’ve done a better rendition of barely controlled wall-art-cacophony. For people used to chain grill restaurants (and be honest, every family has a few), this place feels like home.

We were seated by a very polite hostess. She allowed us to sit outside in their covered patio area, letting us watch the rain drizzle down while being protected from the elements. Here, we were served by an attentive and knowledgeable waitress. The service was superb.

The menu itself suffers from the same problem that many chain restaurants endure; that is, in an attempt to offer a personality for everyone, they end up with no real personality at all. I counted a phenomenal 13 appetizers, 9 soup/salad options, 23 sandwiches and burgers, and 13 entrees, running from traditional pub food to Mexican flair to Italian cuisine. Again I will say: this is a tried and true recipe for success. Chain restaurants make a lot of money using this strategy, so while it is not my preference, I can’t fault a restaurant from using it. Assuming, of course, they can delivery on quality.

And they did deliver! Because we brought along two extra hungry stomachs, Laura and I were able to sample four dishes. Laura’s steak and gorgonzola salad was very good, with crisp lettuce and steak cooked to her satisfaction. My Bleu Cheese burger was cooked just the way I like it, with a generous helping of bleu cheese served on the never healthy but always delicious pretzel bun with perfectly crispy waffle fries. We also tried the spicy Black Jack Burger with Cajun spice and pepperjack cheese. The star of the night, however, was the Buffalo chicken salad. I’m not sure if they use a special house mix for the buffalo sauce or if I was just really in the mood for Frank’s Red Hot, but the chicken was perfectly spicy and the creamy blue cheese dressing highlighted not only the contrast with the spicy chicken, but also the crispy lettuce. I’ve had several buffalo chicken salads, and this was definitely one of the best.

The beer, unfortunately, left a bit to be desired. As I can always find at least one beer that’s worth a second pint, I would recommend the Shark Tooth Golden Ale. This is the Great Baraboo’s fill in for the “what’s the lightest beer you have” request, and as a Blonde ale it gets the job done, with more flavor than some Blonde Ales without being so aggressive as to scare off the recent convert to craft beer. The emphasis at the Great Baraboo is clearly on the food. I suppose the fact that the waitress offered me their special on bottles of Bud Light should have tipped me off to that conclusion, though.

So is the Great Baraboo worth driving from Oregon to visit? Admittedly, no. The food and service are maybe slightly better than chain restaurants you can find down the street or across the nation. The beer they make isn’t really newsworthy. However: this is a brewery and restaurant owned by someone who lives right in Michigan, and even if you can’t find a single craft beer served to suit your palate, they have hundreds of other options, from macro beer to liquor. If the choice is between a corporate owned monolith and a local grill, why wouldn’t you spend your money at a Michigan business?

As always, more photos can be found at our Facebook Page.

2nd Annual Weko Beach Brewers Festival

2011-10-04T20:31:00.003-04:00

This past Saturday, the Michigan Beer Blog made its maiden voyage to Bridgman, MI to drop in on the second annual Weko Beach Brewers Festival. Despite some strong winds, it was a perfect fall day to spend on picturesque Lake Michigan -- a welcome change after just enduring over a week straight of gloomy, damp, rainy days across southwest Michigan.

With Alligator Blackbird, Top Secret Band, and Mr. Blotto offering their melodic sounds throughout the festival, and the smell of grilled brats and pulled pork sandwiches wafting through the air, thirteen brewers offered tastings of a few of their mainstays and fall seasonal beers. Unlike a good portion of the beer festivals we attend, this festival had a completely different vibe, with most attendees just looking to relax and enjoy the afternoon on the beach with some music, food, and craft beer, meaning the brewers left their fancy, experimental stuff at home for this one.

One brewery in particular caught the attention of many festival attendees, though: Greenbush Brewing Co. in Sawyer, which has only been open since July. They took a different approach to the festival than the other breweries, rotating beer taps throughout the event to keep people coming back for more. We were fortunate to get a taste of the 1825, which blew in only 20 minutes after being tapped, and it wasn't difficult to see why. It's a Belgian strong ale that is fruity, spicy, yeasty, and a little sugary but not over the top sweet or cloying -- a really fresh example of the style. My only question was where the 9.3% abv was hiding. That beer could certainly be dangerous!

1825 from Greenbush

Another Greenbush beer that was generating quite a bit of buzz was the Distorter Porter, a "ball of confusion" (their words, not mine) that really blurs the lines with its heftier stout cousins. It's rich, chocolately, creamy, and complex, and blends a creamy chocolate malt profile with a slightly bitter roasted malt profile. Hands down, the best beer I had all day. Our other two favorites of the day were Odd Side's Dutch Chocolate Coffee Stout and Round Barn's Black Raspberry Cocoa Stout. I guess the chillier air had us in the mood for some good stouts and porters!

Laura Porter with her Distorter Porter from Greenbush

Seth with Atwater's Blocktoberfest

If you’ve been hesitant to attend the Weko Beach Brewers Festival the past two years, hopefully this picture collection will change your mind for next year. And if you spot yourself in one of them, give us a shout! Cheers!

2nd Annual Weko Beach Brewers Festival

2011-09-22T14:21:00.000-04:00

Are you ready to TOAST THE COAST? It’s no secret that Michigan is home to great breweries and picturesque beaches. Combining the best of both worlds, the Bridgman Area Economic Growth Alliance invites you to a relaxing fall day on a pristine beach to savor award-winning Michigan craft beers that are as spectacular as its harvest sunsets. Live music will enhance the scene as you raise your beer mug and ‘toast the coast’ on Saturday, October 1st from 3 pm to 9 pm, under a Big-Top Tent overlooking beautiful Weko Beach in Bridgman, just over an hour outside outside Chicago!

The Weko Beach Brewers Festival is a showcase event to sample (tastes or by the mug) over 30 wonderful locally-produced craft beers from Southwest Michigan. Wrap this into a day filled with sun and sand, tasty cuisine from local restaurants, live music, a dazzling sunset and you have one fantastic fall festival!

BREWERIES

Michigan’s craft brewery scene is booming! Contrary to the state’s high unemployment rate, breweries, microbreweries and brew pubs from Southwest Michigan to Detroit to Bellaire and Bay City are adding jobs, increasing production and investing in expansions and renovations totaling more than $70 million (according to the Michigan Brewers Guild). Many breweries are returning, and some new, for this year’s Brewer’s Fest, including: Arbor, Arcadia, Atwater, Bells, Founders, Greenbush, The Livery, New Holland, North Peak, Odd Side, Old Hat, Round Barn and Shorts.

MUSIC

The all-day music at Brewer’s Fest is a crowd-pleaser for sure. This year’s bands include: Mr. Blotto (7 pm), Top Secret Band (4:45 pm) and Alligator Blackbird (3 pm).

ADMISSION

Admission to the festival is $20 in advance or $25 at the door and includes a souvenir beer mug. Advance tickets are available at www.ticketweb.com. *Ages 13-20 get in for $10 (no drink tickets included) while kids ages 12 and under are FREE.

PARKING / DIRECTIONS

Parking and shuttle buses will be available at designated nearby lots in Bridgman. No coolers allowed. Rain or shine event.

**Weko Beach is located at Exit 16 off I-94, then north on Red Arrow Highway. Look for parking signage along Red Arrow in Bridgman. The event is only a short hour and 30 minute drive from Chicago or Grand Rapids, just an hour from South Bend or Kalamazoo and three hours from Detroit or Indianapolis. Southwest Michigan is the perfect ‘day trip’ destination from many Midwest cities or extend your stay, make a family vacation out of it and check out at the many vacation rentals, hotels, inns and bed and breakfasts in the area.

CONTACT INFO

For information on participating breweries, check the websitewekobeachbrewersfest.com or call 269.925.6301 or email inquiries tojody@trafficpr.net.

Images taken from the Weko Beach Brewers Festival Facebook page.

Bell's Brewery

2011-09-19T22:03:00.001-04:00

Do me a favor and before you read this article, go outside to the closest place where there’s more than three strangers hanging out. Ask them if any of them have heard of Bell’s Beer. Come back into your house (or your office, or wherever you’re reading this) and report how many strangers have heard of Bell’s beer.

Or just imagine you’re doing that, and make up a fake comment: this is the internet, and I won’t judge you.

As you probably just found out, pretended you found out, or already knew because you’re an epic genius, pretty much everyone in Michigan knows what Bell’s Beer is. It should come as no surprise that their Two Hearted IPA is the best selling (and top rated) American style IPA brewed in Michigan. It should not be shocking that Oberon performs the same feats in the American Pale Wheat category. Bell’s is a big deal. It is not an exaggeration to claim that they started the Michigan craft beer market.

Larry Bell started the Kalamazoo Brewing Company in 1983 as a home brew supply shop. Two years later, armed with a 15 gallon soup kettle, Bell’s Brewery, Inc began selling its own beer. In 1986, Bell sold a scant 135 barrels of beer, all of which Bell and his staff hand bottled and delivered to market. The tiny company fought significant headwinds against the bloated macro market, carving out a niche for local craft beer the benefits of which everyone – from smaller brewers to startups to beer drinkers – enjoys today.

Fast forward to 2003: the capacity at the Bell’s brewing facility (now known as the Eccentric Café) had been outgrown. Bells built a new brewery in Comstock, on 40 acres of land that would allow for plenty of future expansion. Since then, the enthusiastic drinkers of Bells beer have required that the brewery expand its brewing capacity three times – and they are currently working on their fourth major expansion in under a decade. Twenty percent annual growth will do that to a company. If you’re interested in a more in depth history of Bell’s, check out their web site and the wiki page; both have some good information. I'll just end by saying they brewed 180,000 barrels of beer in 2010, with no intentions of slowing down.

And now it is a large place.

Laura Bell, marketing director for Bell’s brewing, was gracious enough to take the Michigan Beer Blog on a tour of their primary (and relatively private) brewing facility located in Comstock. The sleepy little business park is home to where almost every single Bell’s beer you drink is born.

This brewery is no joke. You wonder what the difference is between a small batch brewer operating with the capacity of a home brew setup and the largest brewer in the state? In terms of sheer output, Bell’s has more in common with a macro facility like Miller than it does with some of its local Michigan contemporaries, with an enormous kettle, lauter tun, and mash tun, their stainless steel spotlessly polished and gleaming in the natural sunlight.

They have what seems like acres of fermenters. Pictured above is their older 200 bbl fermenters, which make me look like a tiny person. Below, take a look at the massive farm of 400 bbl fermenters, stretching down an enormous facility that continues to grow as Bell’s beer continues to gain in popularity. You helped create this, fellow craft beer enthusiast, and you sustain it every time you order a Bell's beer.

And just to tease you a bit: here is a picture of the last of Bell’s Black Note beer, a rare and heady mixture of their Double Cream stout and their Expedition stout. Side note: Bell’s eschews the philosophy of having “beer release days.” You will not see the equivalent of a Dark Lord day for Bell’s, nor will you see a release party for the Black Note like you may for Kentucky Breakfast Stout or other highly sought after beers. Bell’s philosophy differs, and they want you to be surprised on that fortunate weekend when you walk into your favorite beer cellar and find a surprise waiting for you on the shelf.

(Yes, I realize that there are dozens of release parties for Oberon every spring. Slightly different situation.)

Continuing on the tour, in case you have not grasped the scope of the brewery, let me remind you that the pictures shown thus far have been only of the brewing room and the fermenting room. We have several huge rooms to go. Take a look at their bottling system, which looks like it’s right out of the opening sequence of Laverne and Shirley. The bottling system can clean, fill, label, and package 11 cases per minute of beer. Take a look at them filling orders for Bell’s Octoberfest:

Additionally, Bell’s runs a bit of a hobby by offering mini kegs. These are not a large part of their business, but rather something they just, as Laura says, “like to do. For fun.”

Finally, Laura showed us the storage facility. Typically I don’t really spend a lot of time on the “giant room we store beer for the short amount of time it takes the distributor to pick it up,” but I want to point out one of the really cool things Bell’s does both for the environment and for its employees. See those lights up there? The bright ones in the picture below? That is natural light. Bell’s invested in a mylar light system, which is essentially a highly efficient and powerful skylight system that allows the sun to be reflected and harnessed to act as a lighting system for buildings. Laura said these work even on cloudy days. And while there is an existing fluorescent lighting system in place as a backup, even that system functions on a specialized computer system that reads how much natural light is available and adjusts the other lights accordingly. It’s quite a setup, and as someone with a history of Seasonally Affective Disorder in my family, it’s heartening to see companies offering natural light to their employees.

Additionally, Bell’s makes many efforts to pump money back into the Michigan economy. While I don’t have figures on how much Bell’s adds to the state or city economy, I do know they employ nearly150 people with the intention of more than doubling that figure in the coming years as their newest expansion comes online. Bell’s is a regular sponsor in many, many events, from amateur sports teams to dozens of beer dinners statewide to the March of Dimes and the Children’s Leukemia Foundation. So, in case you needed another reason besides the delicious taste of their beer, feel safe knowing that Bell’s is a responsible member of the Michigan community.

There's a reason why one of the oldest breweries in Michigan is also one of the most successful. Bell's serves as a great example (and target!) for many aspiring entrepreneurs in Michigan, from established an growing brewers to home brewers with a dream. Thanks to Larry Bell for helping to create and shape the Michigan craft beer market we all enjoy, and to Laura Bell for providing the tour.

Nicie Spicie Beer Bread

2011-09-14T21:21:00.000-04:00

This beer bread recipe is ~~extreme~~ extremely easy. In fact, you probably already have most of the ingredients on hand. The best part is that there's absolutely no rising time required. You just mix up all of the ingredients and then bake it. That's it!

No Nicie Spicie on hand? Feel free to play around with any other beers you may have in the refrigerator. This recipe will work with just about anything you might have.

What you'll need...

2 cups unbleached bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon chili powder (next time I think I'll add a little more)
12 ounces Short's Nicie Spicie
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. You'll need to lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch bread pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the bread flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and chili powder. In a small bowl, whisk together the beer and olive oil. Using the paddle attachment, stir on low speed and slowly pour in the beer/oil mixture.

Once combined, remove from bowl and knead with your hands until well incorporated. The dough should be somewhat sticky, not too dry. If it is too dry, consider adding a bit of water -- 1 tablespoon at a time. If it's too wet, add a bit of flour. You want an elastic ball. Put dough into bread pan and flatten just a bit to fill the pan.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then turn over onto a wire rack.

Goes great with Bell's Octoberfest Soup!

*Inspiration for this recipe provided by (never home)maker.

Bell's Octoberfest Soup

2011-09-09T07:29:00.002-04:00

Just two words — Ozapft is!, meaning simply, “It’s tapped!” Once spoken, the world’s most famous beer bash, the Oktoberfest, can begin. This year, the beginning of that epic German tradition will begin on September 17, and there are many different reasons to celebrate. Some people simply appreciate the rich and storied traditions of this 177-year-old affair. Some use it as an excuse to dress up in their finest traditional Bavarian clothing while singing Ein Prosit at the top of their lungs or competing in a friendly liter stein holding competition. Others (most) use it as an excuse to get ragingly drunk in public and blame it on the festival, as if lederhosen grants some sort of immunity against alcoholism.

For the majority of us that celebrate the latter, fear not. With this recipe, you can have a delicious meal while still sneaking a little beer in there. Even though it's still over a week away, Oktoberfest beers have been lining the store shelves for weeks (the beer community are a very progressive people), so you can get a head start on the Oktoberfest festivities right away!

For this recipe, you will need:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-1 ½ pounds sausage*
2 medium onions, chopped
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large), peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 pound potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 12 ounce bottles of Bell's Octoberfest
2 15 ounce cans of chicken broth
2 15 ounce cans of great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 9-ounce bag fresh spinach
*I used 4 fresh bratwursts – 2 habanero flavored and 2 serrano cheddar flavored from a local butcher. Any type of sausage/bratwurst/kielbasa/chorizo will work here. I just like something spicy because it plays so well off of the sweet potatoes.

Cut sausage crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook until brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Transfer sausage to paper towels to drain.

If there is a lot of oil in the pan, you can drain some off, otherwise leave the oil in the pan. Add onions and garlic to pot and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Add all potatoes and cook until beginning to soften, stirring often, about 12 minutes.

Add beer and broth; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Using potato masher, mash some of potatoes in pot. Add browned sausage and drained beans to soup. Stir in spinach and simmer just until wilted, about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and serve.

Goes great with Nicie Spicie Beer Bread!

Weekend Beer Events - September 8-11

2011-09-08T11:07:00.002-04:00

The fall beer festival season is officially upon us, and it all starts this weekend with the UP Fall Beer Festival. If you don't have your tickets yet, there is still time to purchase them. This is a great opportunity to sample 164 different beers in beautiful Marquette, MI, so don't miss out!

If you aren't going to the festival this Saturday, you may want to head to Bell's, because they have not one or two, but seven events going on at their Eccentric Cafe downtown and at their production facility. If that still doesn't tickle your fancy, here are some other great events going on:

Thursday, September 8:
ABC Brewpub Beer Tasting: Best of Michigan
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Cost: $25 in advance and $30 on tasting day
Venue: Arbor Brewing Co.
Address: 114 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor
Details: "Come and join our celebration of Michigan’s awesome beer scene. We’ll select 25-30 of our favorite Michigan brews, pair them with an appetizer buffet, provide style and tasting notes, and top off the night with a door prize drawing. Advance tickets recommended as tastings often sell out in advance. Call 734-213-1393 to order tickets over the phone."

Brew For The River -- Blue Tractor
Time: 4:00 pm
Cost: Proceeds will benefit the Huron River Watershed Council
Venue: Grizzly Peak
Address: 205 E. Washington, Ann Arbor
Details: "The Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) and five of Michigan’s most famous microbreweries will celebrate the Huron River with special public events on Thursdays, August 11 through September 8, 2011. Wolverine (8/11), Jolly Pumpkin (8/18), Grizzly Peak (8/25), Arbor Brewing (9/1) and Blue Tractor (9/8) will participate. Each brewer has something special planned for their night and will donate a portion of their proceeds to HRWC. Attend all five events for a chance to win 10 months of beer or a priority spot for Jolly Pumpkin’s limited beer releases. Winners will be announced at Blue Tractor on September 8 and must be present to win. Visit http://www.hrwc.org/events/brew-for-the-river/, or contact Margaret Smith at HRWC, msmith@hrwc.org, (734) 769-5123 ext 605 to learn more, including how to get a Brews for the River passport to win prizes.

Beer is around 90 percent water, and it takes good quality water to brew good beer. Here in Ann Arbor brewers get their water from the Huron River, the cleanest in Southeast Michigan. HRWC works to protect our source of safe, clean water every day. Everyone is invited to raise their glass to support water quality, water conservation, and HRWC’s good work for the river since 1965.

Blue Tractor -- http://www.bluetractor.net/. Brewer Tim Schmidt will be brewing a Huron River Celebration brew that will be a small batch beer specifically for our event. 50% of the proceeds of that beer will go to HRWC along with 10% of all growler and Mug Club Membership sales."

Friday, September 9:

Hopps of Fun Beer & Wine Festival
Time: 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Venue: Mackinaw Crossings
Address: 248 South Huron Ave, Mackinaw City, MI
Details: "On September 9th & 10th, 2011 Mackinaw Crossings will host “Historic Depot Happy Hour Hopps of Fun". This unique event will feature as extensive sampling of 50+ award winning Michigan micro brewed beers and over 40 wines from Michigan’s four internationally recognized wine regions. Plenty of food, wine, beer, entertainment and fun!"

Founders Tasting Featuring Canadian Breakfast Stout
Time: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Cost: $15 - One Night Only Special Pricing on All Founder’s Beers with Ticket Purchase!
Venue: Plum Market
Address: Plum Market at Orchard Lake and Maple Rd (15 Mile) in West Bloomfield
Details: "Plum Market is holding a full line Founders tasting featuring Breakfast Stout in their wine bar/café in the front of the store. All current Founders items will be available for sampling and purchase both to drink on premise or to take home. Beau Loncharte will be in town from the brewery with giveaways and all the knowledge you could want about Founders beers. Get details on the next highly anticipated, limited release…Canadian Breakfast Stout! Coming soon in 750ml bottles!"

Bell’s beer tasting at The Den in Kalamazoo
Time: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Venue: The Den
Address: 2917 Howard Street, Kalamazoo
Details: "Join Bell’s Brewery at The Den in Kalamazoo! They will be pouring Two Hearted Ale, Porter, Oarsman Ale and Octoberfest Beer."

Bell’s Tap Take Over in Marquette
Time: 4:00 pm to 2:00 am
Cost: No cover
Venue: Upfront & Company
Address: 102 E. Main St., Marquette, MI
Details: "Join Bell’s Brewery at Upfront & Company in Marquette for a complete bar takeover!! You will get a chance to try rare/specialty drafts."

New Holland Brewing Co. Backyard Beer-B-Q
Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Cost: No cover charge
Venue: New Holland Brewing Co.
Address: 66 East 8th St., Holland, MI
Details: "Our Backyard Beer-B-Q Series 2011 has begun! Every Friday we’ll be grillin’ on our back patio starting at 5pm. Each week we’ll have a different recipe using a New Holland beer. Grab your favorite NHB brew and rock out to the classics by your buds. Dragon Wagon goes on at 10pm"

Saturday, September 10:

Michigan Brewers Guild U.P. Fall Beer Fest
Time: 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Cost: Tickets are $30 in advance/$35 at the gate
Venue: Mattson Lower Harbor Park
Address: Marquette, MI
Details: See link above for all other information.

Bell's Homebrew Expo and Competition, Brewery Tours, Hot Dog Eating Contest, and Beer Garden Closer
Time: All day, starting at 11:00 am
Venue: Eccentric Cafe and the production facility
Address: Eccentric Cafe: 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave, Kalamazoo, MI / Production facility: 8938 Krum Ave., Galesburg, MI
Details: In addition to the music and hot dog eating contest, we are also hosting free brewery tours at
both locations plus a homebrew expo and competition. And if you wear Bell's
apparel at the Eccentric Cafe on Sat. you also get a $1 off your pint. See the link above for all event information

Hopps of Fun Beer & Wine Festival
Time: 1:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Venue: Mackinaw Crossings
Address: 248 South Huron Ave, Mackinaw City, MI
Details: "On September 9th & 10th, 2011 Mackinaw Crossings will host “Historic Depot Happy Hour Hopps of Fun". This unique event will feature as extensive sampling of 50+ award winning Michigan micro brewed beers and over 40 wines from Michigan’s four internationally recognized wine regions. Plenty of food, wine, beer, entertainment and fun!"

Weekend Beer Events - September 1-4

2011-09-01T09:53:00.003-04:00

Many of us think of Labor Day as the traditional end of summer, which means saying goodbye to long sunny days and getting back to school or work. But don't let that get you down. At least you can send summer off with one last weekend of great Michigan events. Seth and I will be spending Labor Day over in the thumb, so unfortunately we won't see any of you out at these events, but we hope you all have a safe and relaxing holiday weekend, filled with lots of great Michigan beer!

Thursday, September 1:

Brew For The River – Arbor Brewing

Time: 4:00 pm

Cost: Proceeds will benefit the Huron River Watershed Council

Venue: Arbor Brewing Co.

Address: 114 E. Washington, Ann Arbor

Details: "The Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) and five of Michigan’s most famous microbreweries will celebrate the Huron River with special public events on Thursdays, August 11 through September 8, 2011. Wolverine (8/11), Jolly Pumpkin (8/18), Grizzly Peak (8/25), Arbor Brewing (9/1) and Blue Tractor (9/8) will participate. Each brewer has something special planned for their night and will donate a portion of their proceeds to HRWC. Attend all five events for a chance to win 10 months of beer or a priority spot for Jolly Pumpkin’s limited beer releases. Winners will be announced at Blue Tractor on September 8 and must be present to win. Visit http://www.hrwc.org/events/brew-for-the-river/, or contact Margaret Smith at HRWC, msmith@hrwc.org, (734) 769-5123 ext 605 to learn more, including how to get a Brews for the River passport to win prizes.

Beer is around 90 percent water, and it takes good quality water to brew good beer. Here in Ann Arbor brewers get their water from the Huron River, the cleanest in Southeast Michigan. HRWC works to protect our source of safe, clean water every day. Everyone is invited to raise their glass to support water quality, water conservation, and HRWC’s good work for the river since 1965.

http://www.arborbrewing.com/. From 4p.m. to 7 p.m. ABC will celebrate the completion of their Green Brewery Project. Matt and Rene of ABC will talk about the green impact of the project followed by a brief talk by Laura Rubin, ED of HRWC. Enjoy the special Blackberry Blonde beer only at this event."

Cask conditioned ale tapping at Fort Street Brewery

Time: 8:00 pm to 2:00 am

Cost: Varies depending on the beer

Venue: Fort Street Brewery

Address: 1660 Fort St., Lincoln Park, MI

Details: A new cask is tapped every Thursday. For more information, call 313-389-9620

Friday, September 2:

New Holland Brewing Co. Backyard Beer-B-Q

Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Cost: No cover charge

Venue: New Holland Brewing Co.

Address: 66 East 8th St., Holland, MI

Details: "Our Backyard Beer-B-Q Series 2011 has begun! Every Friday we’ll be grillin’ on our back patio starting at 5pm. Each week we’ll have a different recipe using a New Holland beer. Grab your favorite NHB brew and rock out to the classics by your buds."

Saturday, September 3:

Taste of Michigan

Time: 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, with an after party 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Cost: $10

Venue: Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa

Address: 12500 Crystal Mountain Drive, Thompsonville, MI

Details: “Michigan’s agricultural diversity, the second most diverse in the United States, offers a culinary experience that Crystal Mountain will once again celebrate overLabor Day Weekend with the Taste of Michigan, September 3.

Now in its second year, Taste of Michigan is set at the base of the Crystal Mountain slopes from 4-8pm. The zero-waste event, using only washable or recyclable glasses, plates and utensils, offers authentic flavors from the region from tart cherries to crisp cucumbers, delicate white wines to hardy craft beers.

Admission to Taste of Michigan is $10 with food and beverage tokens $1 each which can also be purchased online. The Pure Michigan Labor Days package from $99 includes two nights’ lodging as well as admission and 10 tokens to Taste of Michigan. Book online atcrystalmountain.com or phone 800.968.7686, ext. 5100.

Following Taste of Michigan there will be an After Party with live entertainment (8-11pm) while others may choose to watch the Float-in Movie in the Park at Water’s Edge (9pm). A family golf scramble, ice cream social, chairlift rides and the Big Splash Pool Party headline Sunday’s festivities. The holiday weekend concludes with the Pure Michigan Labor Day 5K on Monday (8am) and 2-for-1 specials for paintball, alpine slide, mountain bike rental and the Vertical Edge Climbing Wall.”

Motor City Bike and Brew Tour

Time: 10:00 am

Cost: $24.99

Venue: Tour starts in the parking lot of Traffic Jam and Snug Restaurant

Address: 511 W. Canfield St., Detroit, MI

Details: “Learn about Detroit’s brewing history from your own two wheels. Motor City Bike and Brew Tours presents a guided bike tour of Detroit breweries. Discover why the Motor City is a great bike and beer city!

Let our tour guides take you on a leisurely bike ride through Detroit’s brewing past and present. You will see former brewery sites in downtown Detroit and bike by the new generation of breweries to help you see that great beer is being produced today, right in the city. Come along and discover Detroit beer from the seat of your bike!

Ticket includes guided bike tour w/support staff, overview of past and present breweries, beer or soda at one brewery stop, lunch at a local pub and a drink voucher at a brewery after the tour.”

Sunday, August 28:

Microbrew Tastings with The Traverse City Tall Ship Co.

Time: All day

Cost: $50 per person

Venue: Traverse City Tall Ship Co.

Address: 13390 S.W. Bay Shore Dr., Traverse City, MI 49684

Details: "Join us on Sunday evenings aboard the tall ship Manitou (mid-June through Labor Day) for a sampling of superb local beer from Short’s Brewing Company , paired with Traverse City’s own Crusted Creations pizza. For more information please call 231-941-2000 or 800-678-0383. "

Open Jazz Jam Session at HopCat

Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Cost: No cover

Venue: HopCat

Address: 25 Ionia SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Details: "Every Sunday night West Michigan's jazz artists and jazz fans will have a place to relax and hang and get together for an 'old skool' jam session at HopCat in downtown Grand Rapids. After the first set, competent musicians and serious jazz students will be invited to join the trio hosted by drummer Randy Marsh. There may be an occasional Organissimo sighting when Jim Alfredson is home off the road."

In true Jerry Springer style, I'm going to leave you with one "Final Thought": Even though I've lived in Michigan my entire life, sometimes I forget we have places like this:

Port Austin, MI

And this:

Point Aux Barques Lighthouse, Port Austin, MI

In Michigan. It really is a great place to live.

Have a safe and fun holiday weekend, everyone! We'll see you after we get back from Port Austin!

Round Barn's 19th Annual Harvest Party

2011-08-30T21:21:00.002-04:00

The end of August signals that summer is coming to an end. Those first few cool mornings, the smell of decomposing leaves in the air, the sight of yellow school buses. Yep, it’s almost fall. Whether or not you have school-aged children, fall tends to be a time of fresh starts. For many it marks the end of summer vacations and a gearing up at work. For me, it marks the beginning of my favorite time of year.

For the last couple of years, the kick-off to this wonderful time of year for me has been Round Barn's annual Harvest Party. After its 19th year in existence, the two-day event – just like the wines, beers, and spirits produced at Round Barn – keeps getting better. We went on Sunday this year, and it started off as a pretty cool afternoon. There was almost a hint of fall in the air. I'm sure a lot of people are upset about the impending end of summer, but not me. The crisp, cool air, the colors, the leaves crunching under foot – there's something really invigorating about autumn, which is why I eagerly anticipate Round Barn's Harvest Party every August.

Plus, the hop vines are in full bloom...

...and are a great, flavorful garnish to an IPA!

One of the best things about the Harvest Party is the setting. Autumn marks the time when the grapes are harvested at the vineyard, so the Harvest Party always takes place a few weeks before the grapes are actually picked. This means that as you drive up to Round Barn for the party, you pass acre upon acre of grape vines heavy with ripening fruit. The aroma that perfumes the air of southwest Michigan's wine country at this time of year is truly intoxicating.

As you enter the Round Barn estate and pass the many fields of grapes on your left and right, you approach the historic tasting barn for which the winery is named at the end of the long driveway. Atop a hill across from the Round Barn are the beer-tasting barn and a large deck where visitors could enjoy their favorite brew. Between the two buildings were picnic tables and blankets and chairs that people brought from home, shaded by large trees. Up on the hill near the beer tasting room was the stage where, this year, Mike & Joe and Alligator Blackbird played on Sunday while families ate and danced and enjoyed each others company.

A group of people dancing the Cupid Shuffle

As the afternoon continued, warm scents of grilled burgers and pulled pork sandwiches wafted through the air. There was cornhole for the adults and hayrides, face painting, a bounce house, and plenty of other activities for kids.

Cuban pulled pork sandwich with tropical relish

People playing a game of corn hole.

Entertainment for the kids

I even stomped grapes!

Okay, maybe not as much "stomped" as "squished around awkwardly for a few minutes"

This year’s Harvest Party was a blast, but next year marks the 20th anniversary of the event, so I'm sure they'll pull out all the punches and you won't want to miss it. I can almost guarantee you’ll have such a great time that you’ll make Round Barn’s Harvest Party an annual family outing.

Cheers! Can't wait until next year!

To view the rest of our photos from this event, please check our Facebook Page.

Photos from last year's Harvest Party can be found here. To read more about the actual beers served at Round Barn, please see our brewery experience from last year.

Weekend Beer Events - August 25-28

2011-08-25T10:58:00.001-04:00

The end of August signals the "unofficial end of summer", but take heart, because there are still plenty of great events going on this weekend. Seth and I will be at Round Barn's Harvest Party again this year, and we hope to see you there!

Thursday, August 25:

Beer-A-Palooza!

Time: 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Cost: $25 per person at the door

Venue: Mangiamo!

Address: 1033 Lake Dr., Grand Rapids, MI

Details: "Meet the Midwest's top brewers. With live music from the BeanPoles.

Specialty Brews From:

Bell's Brewery - Kalamazoo

Founders Brewery - Grand Rapids

New Holland Brewing - Holland

Arbor Brewing - Ann Arbor

Saugatuck Brewing - Saugatuck

North Peak - Traverse City

Greenbush Brewing - Sawyer

Brewery Vivant - Grand Rapids

Darkhorse - Marshall

Goose Island - Chicago

Atwater Brewery - Detroit"

Brew For The River -- Grizzly Peak

Time: 4:00 pm

Cost: Proceeds will benefit the Huron River Watershed Council

Venue: Grizzly Peak

Address: 120 W. Washington, Ann Arbor

Grizzly Peak (8/25) 120 W. Washington, http://grizzlypeak.net/. Starting at 4pm Grizzly will feature their full menu of food and beer plus the Watershed Ale: a cask of our house-made beer flavored with a blend of herbs native to the Huron River watershed."

Bagger Dave's What the Ale! Michigan Craft Beer and Burger Pairing

Time: 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Cost: Free

Venue: Bagger Dave's

Address: 2972 Coolidge Hwy, Berkly, MI

Details: "Get your glass into the Berkley location for What the Ale! We'll be pairing Michigan craft beers with different burgers and showing off our newly remodeled digs. You won't want to miss the new full line-up of craft beers on tap! $1.00 off Michigan Craft Beer sampler, live entertainment, free giveaways free food samples, Michigan craft beer experts. Featuring beers from Arcadia, Bell’s, Dark Horse, New Holland, and Short’s."

Cask conditioned ale tapping at Fort Street Brewery

Time: 8:00 pm to 2:00 am

Cost: Varies depending on the beer

Venue: Fort Street Brewery

Address: 1660 Fort St., Lincoln Park, MI

Details: A new cask is tapped every Thursday. For more information, call 313-389-9620

Friday, August 26:

Traverse City Microbrew & Music Festival

Time: Friday 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Saturday 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Cost: Tickets are $30 in advance/$35 at the door for Friday and $40 in advance/$45 at the door for Saturday

Venue: Village at Grand Traverse Commons

Address: Traverse City, MI

Details: See link above for all other information.

New Holland Brewing Co. Backyard Beer-B-Q

Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Cost: No cover charge

Venue: New Holland Brewing Co.

Address: 66 East 8th St., Holland, MI

Saturday, August 27:

Traverse City Microbrew & Music Festival

Time: Friday 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Saturday 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Cost: Tickets are $30 in advance/$35 at the door for Friday and $40 in advance/$45 at the door for Saturday

Venue: Village at Grand Traverse Commons

Address: Traverse City, MI

Details: See link above for all other information.

Round Barn's 19th Annual Harvest Party

Time: 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm Saturday and Sunday

Cost: Free admission and parking

Venue: Round Barn Winery

Address: 10983 Hills Road, Baroda, MI

Details: "Celebrate the upcoming grape harvest with fine wines, microbrews, DiVine spirits, live music, food, and of course, grape stomping! This is one vineyard event you shouldn’t miss! It’s fun for the whole family with hayrides and a bounce house too. FREE ADMISSION & FREE PARKING! Please feel free to bring lawn chairs and blankets but no coolers, outside food, or outside alcohol permitted. We look forward to celebrating together at our Baroda, MI estate. For details visit www.RoundBarnWinery.com or call 800-716-WINE.

Performing on Saturday: Lady Sunshine & Midwest Hype

Performing on Sunday: Mike and Joe & Alligator Blackbird"

Uptown Grill Summer Fest

Time: 2:00 to 5:00 pm

Cost: $15 in advance, $20 at the door

Venue: Uptown Grill

Address: 3100 E. West Maple, Commerce Twp., MI

Details: "Come celebrate summer with Michigan's BEST tribute acts! The BackBeats will be joined by Danny D and The Vagabonds (Rod Stewart), Zooropa (U2) and Echoes of Pink Floyd for this all day blowout. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door and can be purchased at Neptix.com. All tickets include valet parking on day of event."

Sunday, August 28:

Round Barn's 19th Annual Harvest Party

Time: 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm Saturday and Sunday

Cost: Free admission and parking

Venue: Round Barn Winery

Address: 10983 Hills Road, Baroda, MI

Performing on Saturday: Lady Sunshine & Midwest Hype

Performing on Sunday: Mike and Joe & Alligator Blackbird"

Corner Brewery Annual Backyard BBQ

Time: 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Cost: No cover

Venue: Corner Brewery

Address: 720 Norris Street, Ypsilanti, MI

Details: "This month we've scheduled Halcyon Sunday to coincide with our annual BBQ!

The last Sunday in August we feature a special BBQ menu just for the day. Once again we've asked Mike O'Brien to roast the pig, we'll also have coleslaw, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and other vegetarian options. Join us for classic backyard competitions like Cornhole. Menu served at 3:00pm, get there early to grab a seat.

Music starts at 2! Rotating dj's and a small batch of Halcyon summer brew will be available. Beer tapped at 2:00pm and served until….? Cousins Vinyl will bring you an ever changing and growing selection of lost and forgotten favorites for you to dig through. As always, no cover. "

Microbrew Tastings with The Traverse City Tall Ship Co.

Time: All day

Cost: $50 per person

Venue: Traverse City Tall Ship Co.

Address: 13390 S.W. Bay Shore Dr., Traverse City, MI 49684

Open Jazz Jam Session at HopCat

Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Cost: No cover

Venue: HopCat

Address: 25 Ionia SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

25th Annual Great Taste of the Midwest

2011-08-23T21:26:00.000-04:00

Editor's note: this is the first guest post the Michigan Beer Blog has done: guest bloggers Jake Berglin and Beth Bennett traveled to Madison, WI, in order to bring you the experience of Michigan Beer at the Great Taste of the Midwest.

As any craft beer lover living in Michigan knows, we are fortunate to have one of the best craft beer scenes in the US. Still, it is nice to sometimes venture outside of the state to other breweries and festivals. This allows individuals the chance to see how Michigan breweries fare outside of the state and even try a few beers from outside Michigan.

Through the generosity of Shakespeare’s Pub and Short’s Brewing, Beth and I made the five-or-so-hour trek to Madison, Wisconsin to attend the 25th Annual Great Taste of the Midwest. As the name implies, the festival showcases beer in the Midwest, with breweries from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri bringing the best of their beers to be sampled by 6000 beer lovers.

Our day started off at the Short’s tent, where we donned our volunteer t-shirts and began pouring for the brewers and their guests before the festival officially began. However, calling Short’s area a “tent” is perhaps a mistake – Short’s brought the full arsenal to Madison, a beach-themed double bar comprised of a surfboard sawed in two. To be honest, there were almost as many comments about the booth (and the view of beautiful Lake Monona) as there were for the beer!

The Booth...

and the view!

Short’s came to the Great Taste prepared, with ten of their beers on tap. The experimental Carrot Cake and Bloody Beer were crowd favorites, as I expect attendees scanned the program for something “different.” Collaboration beers like the Captain Fantasy (pear saison) with Half Acre out of Chicago and the Cornholio (a dark lager with horehound and popcorn) with Dogfish Head upped Short’s “street cred” a bit. After all, surely two well-known breweries attached to a beer is better than one!

Pouring was only part of the reason we drove all the way to Madison, so we quickly set out with our own souvenir glasses to check in on the other Michigan breweries. Many Michigan breweries were present at the Great Taste, each with their own take on presenting themselves. We began our journey at Kuhnhenn Brewing from Warren. They brought, among other beers, their sour series; they took a base sour beer (“A Play in the Hay,” delicious in its own right) and then augment it with flavors such as Blueberry, Cherry and Tangerine. The beers were well-received, an encouraging feat as sour beers still seem to be finding their place in the craft beer scene.

Dark Horse Brewery from Marshall used a wall of fruit to attract customers and set themselves apart from those around them. Attendees were encouraged to grab a watermelon, orange, pineapple or lemon from the side booth as they sampled the Dark Horse beer. They offered some of their better known beers (Crooked Tree IPA, Raspberry Ale, Sapient Trip Ale, Boffo Brown) as well as the Red Hot Shocker (brewed with jalapenos and red hot candies, and surprisingly delicious, given that I don’t prefer spicy foods) and the “Smells Like Weed” IPA, tapped at -- you guessed it – 4:20pm. While this was not quite the same as their gigantic six booth setup at Summer Beer Fest in Ypsilanti, Dark Horse certainly made a strong showing.

Equally strong was the presentation from New Holland Brewing. They listed sixteen beers in their section on the program, with many beers being offered in different forms throughout the day. The Pilgrim’s Dole Wheat Wine, for instance, was offered in a Rum Aged form at one point, then again in a 2008 legacy bottle later in the day. As if the panoply of beers wasn’t enough, the New Holland staff came dressed in a Wizard of Oz theme, with Dorothy pouring beer out of their signature Elvis tapper which was dressed as Tin Man. Seeing Fred (New Holland’s “Beervangelist”) decked out as the Cowardly Lion, pouring Pilgrim’s Dole out of a giant Magnum bottle was certainly reason enough to pull you to the New Holland booth, and the delicious beer did its best to keep you there!

Fred from New Holland, finding his Courage

My favorite beer of the day was the Black Note from Bell’s. A 50/50 mix of the Expedition Stout and the Cream Stout, this beer is aged in bourbon barrels for 12 months and it is knock-your-socks-off good, on par with the Three Floyd's Dark Lord and Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout -- to my palate, even a bit better. Perhaps it was the rain pouring outside the tent, allowing Beth and I to just stand there and sip pour after pour of this amazing beer, but it won the day and capped off an amazing event!

Pouring was not something that Beth and I have experienced before, but it is definitely something we would love to do again. Being able to interact with fellow beer lovers (and to give them delicious beer!) was awesome, and it was an honor to have our first pouring experience be for a brewery we love and respect. It was great to see such an amazing turnout, especially since several of these Michigan breweries -- including Short’s -- don't even distribute to Wisconsin.

Cheers! Thanks to Short's Brewing, Shakespeare's of Kalamazoo, and the Michigan Beer Blog!

3rd Annual Suds on the Shore

2011-08-22T22:29:00.000-04:00

The 3rd annual Suds on the Shore Micro Brew Festival and Home Brew Competition is in the books and the weather couldn't have been nicer for a late summer's afternoon. The warm, clear sunny day saw a lineup of a wide variety of beer, wine, and cider arranged throughout the outdoor park-turned-beer garden.

The milder temperatures made the experience of drinking 4-oz samples of beer much more palatable than it could have been had the weather been in the mid-90 degree range as we've seen in recent weeks in Michigan. Trust me, I've been to beer festivals in the middle of the summer, on an asphalt parking lot ... it doesn't take long until you're ready to trade your beer glass in for a cup of water and a place to sit in the shade. Thankfully, though, the weather was kind and the beer (and wine and cider) was plentiful.

We poured beer for Arbor Brewing for the first half of the festival.

This year's event saw record attendance of about 900 people, which helped raise about $15,000 for the United Way of Mason County. The money raised will be distributed to local programs that are working with families to be financially stable, teaching people to have a healthy lifestyle and helping children to be successful. Drinking for charity -- what a beautiful concept.

One thing I really like about the smaller festivals like this one is that the atmosphere is so laid back. When you're only competing against 900 people for samples instead of 9,000 like at the Summer Beer Fest in Ypsilanti, lines are pretty much non-existent, and may only grow to about three deep at their worst. So, if you left without attaining your preferred level of beer happiness, it was no one's fault but your own.

No line at the Short's table? You don't see that at the Summer Beer Fest

The downside of a smaller beer festival: the beer lineup was extensive, but by no means exotic. The three large white beer tents had mostly the mainstays from a lot of the bigger Michigan breweries, but for those that may just be getting into the craft beer scene or aren't able to travel to a lot of different breweries and festivals, it's a perfect opportunity to get acquainted with some brews you've never tried before.

Saugatuck's Singapore IPA

I shouldn't complain. Sometimes it's nice to just sip on what you know and love all day long on a perfect August afternoon. The atmosphere was as laid back as could be. The brewery folks were amiable and happy to chat. We enjoyed live music by C-Spin, followed by Zeek & Wally, and then finished the evening with Who's Jason. When the hunger set in after all the furious beer sampling, there was plenty of grilled food being offered up by the Pour Souls homebrewers. The Pour Souls also did live homebrewing demonstrations throughout the afternoon and were on hand to answer any homebrew queries festival-goers may have had.

Homebrew demonstration

Oh, and did I mention I met two pirates?

Kudos to all of the sponsors and volunteers for making this event happen. We had even more fun this year than last year, and we know it'll be even bigger and better next year, and we're already looking forward to it. Mark your calendar for next year, Saturday, August 18, 2012. You know we'll be there.

For more photos from this event, please visit our Facebook Page.

Weekend Beer Events - August 18-21

2011-08-18T09:18:00.002-04:00

This weekend is a very special one. Why? Because this weekend, for three hours only, you will have the rare opportunity to taste some sweet, sweet nectar of the gods poured by the delicate hands of Seth and myself. That's right -- from 1pm to 4pm this Saturday, we will be pouring beer at Suds on the Shore in Ludington.

Okay, so maybe the part about us pouring your beer isn't really that exciting, but we went to Suds on the Shore last year and it was a really fun time, so you should at least go for that reason. Plus, you get to drink beer and help benefit the United Way of Mason County at the same time. Everybody wins. So, we hope to see you out there!

Thursday, August 18:

Brew For The River -- Jolly Pumpkin
Time: 4:00 pm
Cost: Proceeds will benefit the Huron River Watershed Council
Venue: Jolly Pumpkin
Address: 311 S. Main St, Ann Arbor
Details: "The Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) and five of Michigan’s most famous microbreweries will celebrate the Huron River with special public events on Thursdays, August 11 through September 8, 2011. Wolverine (8/11), Jolly Pumpkin (8/18), Grizzly Peak (8/25), Arbor Brewing (9/1) and Blue Tractor (9/8) will participate. Each brewer has something special planned for their night and will donate a portion of their proceeds to HRWC. Attend all five events for a chance to win 10 months of beer or a priority spot for Jolly Pumpkin’s limited beer releases. Winners will be announced at Blue Tractor on September 8 and must be present to win. Visit http://www.hrwc.org/events/brew-for-the-river/, or contact Margaret Smith at HRWC, msmith@hrwc.org, (734) 769-5123 ext 605 to learn more, including how to get a Brews for the River passport to win prizes.

Beer is around 90 percent water, and it takes good quality water to brew good beer. Here in Ann Arbor brewers get their water from the Huron River, the cleanest in Southeast Michigan. HRWC works to protect our source of safe, clean water every day. Everyone is invited to raise their glass to support water quality, water conservation, and HRWC’s good work for the river since 1965.

Jolly Pumpkin (8/18) 311 South Main, http://www.jollypumpkin.com/. Brewer Ron Jefferies premiers Hummocky Lick Sumac Sensation Starting at 4 p.m"

Cask conditioned ale tapping at Fort Street Brewery
Time: 8:00 pm to 2:00 am
Cost: Varies depending on the beer
Venue: Fort Street Brewery
Address: 1660 Fort St., Lincoln Park, MI
Details: A new cask is tapped every Thursday. For more information, call 313-389-9620

Friday, August 19:

New Holland Brewing Co. Backyard Beer-B-Q
Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Cost: No cover charge
Venue: New Holland Brewing Co.
Address: 66 East 8th St., Holland, MI
Details: "Our Backyard Beer-B-Q Series 2011 has begun! Every Friday we’ll be grillin’ on our back patio starting at 5pm. Each week we’ll have a different recipe using a New Holland beer. Grab your favorite NHB brew and rock out to the classics by your buds."

Free Mead Tasting at B. Nektar Meadery
Time: 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: Free
Venue: B. Nektar Meadery
Address: 1505 Jarvis, Suite B, Ferndale, MI 48220
Details: "Mead is one of the oldest forms of fermented beverages. At it’s most basic, mead is a simple wine fermented from honey, water and yeast. B. Nektar’s award-winning meads start with good quality raw honey and then improvise from there.
On the first and 3rd Friday of every month, B. Nektar opens its doors to the public. Taste a wide selection of the meads, talk to our meadmakers about what we do, meet other mead enthusiasts and homebrewers, and see where the magic happens- all for absolutely free. It’s a great time- all that’s missing is you!"

Saturday, August 20:

Suds On The Shore
Time: 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Cost: $25 in advance/$30 at the gate. Ticket includes: entry, 8 tokens, and a souvenir mug
Venue: Ludington City Park
Details: "Suds on the Shore is a craft beer and Michigan wine tasting festival (and home brew competition) held annually to benefit United Way of Mason County."

Dark Horse Annual Chicken Wing Thing
Time: 3:00 pm to 12:00 am
Cost: $7 at the door
Venue: Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Address: 511 South Kalamazoo Avenue, Marshall, MI
Details: Chicken wings, sauces galore, beer, cornhole tournament, and rock!

The Livery 6th Anniversary Party
Time: 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Venue: The Livery
Address: 190 5th Street, Benton Harbor
Details: "An afternoon “Garden Party” from 12 to 6 pm. Custom menu from our Cafe. DJ Danny Boy returns with his epic vinyl collection.

BEER LIST:
Livery 6th Anniversary Ale: Imperial brown ale aged in a rye barrel
Impeche: Barrel aged peach ale
Golden Nectar: Barrel aged nectarine ale
Trippel Weizenbock: Bourbon barrel aged wheat lager
Carvaceous: Barrel aged hoppy & sour ale blend"

Sunday, August 21:

Microbrew Tastings with The Traverse City Tall Ship Co.
Time: All day
Cost: $50 per person
Venue: Traverse City Tall Ship Co.
Address: 13390 S.W. Bay Shore Dr., Traverse City, MI 49684
Details: "Join us on Sunday evenings aboard the tall ship Manitou (mid-June through Labor Day) for a sampling of superb local beer from Short’s Brewing Company , paired with Traverse City’s own Crusted Creations pizza. For more information please call 231-941-2000 or 800-678-0383. "

Open Jazz Jam Session at HopCat
Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: No cover
Venue: HopCat
Address: 25 Ionia SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Details: "Every Sunday night West Michigan's jazz artists and jazz fans will have a place to relax and hang and get together for an 'old skool' jam session at HopCat in downtown Grand Rapids. After the first set, competent musicians and serious jazz students will be invited to join the trio hosted by drummer Randy Marsh. There may be an occasional Organissimo sighting when Jim Alfredson is home off the road."

Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

2011-08-16T23:07:00.001-04:00

The Kuhnhenn (pronounced like the last syllable of “raccoon” married to a female chicken) Brewing Company should be a familiar name to many. It’s a mainstay at the festivals, and well known for its flair, personality, and experimental beer. At the 13^th Annual Summer Beer Fest in July, 2010, for example, they featured two men in spacesuits offering samples of a bourbon aged barleywine:

Additionally, Kuhnhenn is responsible for the heavyweight Solar Eclipse Imperial stout, an 18% abv beer:

Eric and his brother Bret’s story is quite original: they started in the same location they’re in now as a hardware store. Given their passion for home brewing and the fact that a good portion of their profits were coming from selling homebrew equipment, they decided to convert from a hardware store to a microbrewery. Now they’re successful enough that they’ve purchased the extra room available from the auto shop next door to expand their capacity.

Their brewing facility in Warren, MI, wasn’t short on flair, either: an airy, wide open environment dominated by an enormous, four corner bar in the center and thick wooden high top tables all around. In one corner sat much of the brewing equipment, and in another, the entrance to their cooling facility. We were fortunate enough to actually meet Eric Kuhnhenn, one of the owners of the establishment, who was gracious enough to give us a tour of the beer making portion of the place. He showed us his whole operation, from the escalator type machine they used to get the grain outside to the mash tun inside to the chillers where his lagers were fermenting.

Eric Kuhnhenn

I can’t judge the place based on their food, because the selection was limited to snack items. However, their beer did not disappoint. We shared several different Kuhnhenn selections, and a few really stood out:

Imperial Crème Brulèe Stout: I had to mention this. The Imperial version of Kuhnhenn’s extremely popular java ale is competitive with the best stouts in the state. The use of crème brule coffee at the end of the brewing gives this beer a lot more depth than one would expect; the nose has all the dry, roasted character I anticipate from a coffee beer, but a delicate, vanilla sweetness lurks therein. I wish the alcohol content (8.1%) was lower, but not because the beer suffered from a strong alcohol taste. To the contrary, the alcohol smoothed the effects of dry roast and sweet vanilla, making this beer all too easy to drink.

Heather Ale: Kuhnhenn retains their reputation for “out of the ordinary” beers with this delicately balanced “ale.” This beer replaces traditional hops with heather tips, which gave this Scottish ale a completely different aroma. Instead of bitter, citrus, or floral notes associated with hops, the heather adds a much more earthy and perfume laden character to this traditional gruit. It’s a sweeter beer; I don’t think the heather is as effective as hops for muting the malt flavors (although I could be wrong, the malt used was intended to yield a sweeter beer). The finish was somehow both light and earthy, almost like tea. I haven’t had a lot of experience with gruit and other “ancient” style beers, but this one was certainly worth trying.

Alsace Saison: We are both huge fans of farmhouse style beers, and Kuhnhenn again does not disappoint. The Alsace Saison (which gets its name from the French produced Alsace hops used in brewing) delivers a smell like a barn filled with fresh hay. The nose was dusty yet bright, letting just a hint of tartness focus the flavors of straw and fruit. This competes with the best farmhouse ales I’ve had from the country, including the venerable Jolly Pumpkin offerings.

Loonie Kuhnie, Alsace Saison, White Devil, Heather Ale, and the Creme Brulee Stout

Kuhnhenn Brewing offers an original and inviting solace on the east side of the state. Eric and Bret’s “evolved hardware store” offers enormous windows encouraging sunlight to alight on every table, the easygoing and welcoming staff doing their best to make you feel like family, and a stable of beer ranging from well crafted mainstays to intriguing new ideas. This brewery should be on everyone’s beer tour list.

Bourbon Barrel 4th Dementia -- amazing!

For many more photos from our trip to Kuhnhenn, please visit our Facebook page.

2nd Annual Short's Fest

2011-08-07T20:39:00.003-04:00

For craft beer connoisseurs, summer is a fantastic time to be in Michigan. From the largest beer festival of the year in Ypsilanti to the plethora of smaller events going on every weekend, there is always something fun going on to keep us entertained.

Elk Rapids' Harbor Days celebration has been a popular event in northern Michigan for over 50 years. People of all ages can enjoy the abundant activities provided throughout the 4-day event. Of course, the one that we at Michigan Beer Blog are most interested in has only been a part of the celebration for two years now: Short's Fest.

In case you aren't familiar with the town, Elk Rapids, located on the east arm of the Grand Traverse Bay, is a a very small town, unique in charm and ambiance. It also happens to be home to Short's Brewing Company's production facility since 2008, and is the perfect setting for an outdoor beer festival to showcase Joe Short's latest and greatest brews.

There was an actual rainbow that appeared to be beaming out of Elk Rapids on our drive in. See what I mean about it being cute?

Maybe it's a little too perfect. This weekend’s second annual Short's Fest so surpassed expected attendance forecasts that about an hour and a half into the fest, Matt Drake, Operations Manager for Short's, informed us that they were already at the total attendance level from the previous year. With four and a half hours to go and the lines showing no signs of dwindling, Joe Short wasted no time coming up with a solution to get beer in his thirsty patrons' hands – he brought out cases of bottled beer and created a third line where he started handing the beer out himself, and from that point on, the lines were very short (no pun intended).

The lines to get beer around 6:45 pm.

Joe Short handing out bottles of beer.

The weather ended up being great for everyone to rub elbows with fellow beer geeks and Short's staff members. Some rain was falling right at the beginning of the fest at 6 o'clock, but within about 45 minutes, the drizzle had largely stopped, leaving the rest of the fest with perhaps the best kind of beer-fest weather, overcast with temperatures around 80. No unwanted sunburn this year.

If you've ever been to their pub in downtown Bellaire or even just a beer festival that has Short's beer, you know that their selection never disappoints; Short's Fest was no exception, offering 23 different beers on tap. From lighter, fruitier beers such as the Strawberry Short's Cake or Agave Peach Wheat, to pale ales like the Pandemonium or Prolonged Enjoyment session pale ale, to the more experimental brews such as the Captain Fantasy saison, the Spruce Pilsner, and one of their latest collaborations with Dogfish Head the Cornholio baltic porter – there really was a beer for everyones tastes.

Tours were available at the beginning of the evening to allow Short's fans to experience the creative beer-making process that has produced some of the most innovative beers in the United States, including 2010's Gold Medal Winner in the experimental category at the Great American Beer Festival, Key Lime Pie. Live music was provided by the band Valentiger throughout the evening, which could be enjoyed while eating some food from The Blue Pelican, or while playing ladder ball, big birdie golf, or corn hole, or maybe just while taking a leisurely stroll around the property to admire the new beer festival truck, the S.S. Honeybadger. Beer not really your thing? Joe also had some of his homemade, alcohol-free sodas available throughout the evening. During our time there, we also caught wind that Short's may soon be jumping on the canning band wagon by starting to can some of their beers. Only rumor at this point, but we think that's pretty great!

Valentiger

S.S. Honeybadger

The ladder ball/big birdie golf/corn hole area.

Soaking up the last summer moments before they're over is a must, and the people, small town charm, and gorgeous lakes of Elk Rapids can't be beat (the fact that such delicious beer is produced there is a given). So, what else is there to say, but that we’re already looking forward to next year’s fest!

Us with Joe Short

True Short's fans -- these guys drove all the way from Chicago!

Curt, one of the brewers at Short's and Matt, Operations Manager at Short's taking a little break from pouring beer.

To view more photos from this event, visit our Facebook page.

Weekend Beer Events - August 4-7

2011-08-03T20:48:00.001-04:00

We're halfway through the week...time to start thinking about the weekend! Seth and I will be at the 2nd Annual in Elk Rapids this Saturday. Sounds like it's going to be an really fun time and we hope to see you there! If not, there are still plenty of other Michigan beer events going on. It's going to be another hot and humid weekend, so get out there and enjoy some cold, refreshing Michigan beer!

Thursday, August 4th:

Hot Glass + Cold Beer
Time: 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: $55 tickets and $200 VIP tickets available.
Venue: Glass Academy
Address: 25331 Trowbridge, Dearborn 48124
Details: "A spectacular glassblowing beer tasting event on August 4, 2011 from 5-10pm. New this year: Green Handcrafted Glass Tumblers! Enjoy Michigan Breweries, Food Samples from Amazing Restaurants and Vendors, and LIVE Glassblowing! Get your tickets now because this event will sell out!"

UNIQUE Michigan Craft Beers Event
Time: 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Cost: $25
Venue: Mercy's
Address: 300 S. Thayer, Ann Arbor, MI
Details: "We will be showcasing over 30 beers from:
Wolverine State Brewing, Ann Arbor Brewing Co, Bell’s, Arcadia, Shorts, Jolly Pumpkin, Dark Horse, and more. Appetizers and finger foods included."

Cask conditioned ale tapping at Fort Street Brewery
Time: 8:00 pm to 2:00 am
Cost: Varies depending on the beer
Venue: Fort Street Brewery
Address: 1660 Fort St., Lincoln Park, MI
Details: A new cask is tapped every Thursday. For more information, call 313-389-9620

Friday, August 5th:

Hop Field Day & Tour
Time: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Cost: $25 per person which includes lunch and transportation by charter bus.
Venue: MSU Horticultural Station
Address: 6686 South Center Highway, Traverse City
Details: "Offered by Michigan State University Extension. Participants will meet at the MSU Horticultural Research Statio, 6686 South Center Highway, and travel to Doug Periard’s hop yard near Suttons Bay, New Mission Organic’s hop yard near Omena for tours and then to Empire Hops Farm for lunch and a tour of their processing operation, then return to the Research Station for a research update, followed by an educational beer tasting led by local brewers.

This field day is for hop growers and anyone interested in hops production and harvesting. The cost is $25 per person which includes lunch and transportation by charter bus. Some costs are being defrayed by a USDA OREI grant and the Michigan Restaurants Association."

New Holland Brewing Co. Backyard Beer-B-Q
Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Cost: No cover charge
Venue: New Holland Brewing Co.
Address: 66 East 8th St., Holland, MI
Details: "Our Backyard Beer-B-Q Series 2011 has begun! Every Friday we’ll be grillin’ on our back patio starting at 5pm. Each week we’ll have a different recipe using a New Holland beer. Grab your favorite NHB brew and rock out to the classics by your buds."

Free Mead Tasting at B. Nektar Meadery
Time: 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: Free
Venue: B. Nektar Meadery
Address: 1505 Jarvis, Suite B, Ferndale, MI 48220
Details: "Mead is one of the oldest forms of fermented beverages. At it’s most basic, mead is a simple wine fermented from honey, water and yeast. B. Nektar’s award-winning meads start with good quality raw honey and then improvise from there.
On the first and 3rd Friday of every month, B. Nektar opens its doors to the public. Taste a wide selection of the meads, talk to our meadmakers about what we do, meet other mead enthusiasts and homebrewers, and see where the magic happens- all for absolutely free. It’s a great time- all that’s missing is you!"

Saturday, August 6th:

2nd Annual Short's Fest
Time: 6:00 pm to 12:00 am
Cost: Admission is free. Drink tokens cost $3 and are redeemable for Short’s beer or Short’s homemade soda pop.
Venue: Short's Elk Rapids Production Brewery
Address: 211 East C Loomis Drive, Elk Rapids‎ MI‎ 49629
Details: "Join us during Harbor Days in Elk Rapids for the 2nd Annual Short’s Fest. We created this event last year and it was a huge success… so this year we decided to make it even better. Features include: free admission – all ages welcome; 20 Short’s Brews on tap, include 3 real ales; natural, alcohol-free soda brewed by Joe Short; food from the Blue Pelican; unveiling of the S.S. Honey Badger (Short’s new beer truck!); plus live music by Valentiger from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Short’s Fest will also be a great place to watch the Harbor Days Fireworks! Be sure to embrace the “Short’s” theme by wearing your favorite cargo shorts or cut-offs!"

Copper Canyon Brewery Presents Beerposium #25 -- Session Beers
Time: 5:00 pm
Cost: Reservations will be taken as seating is limited. $20 in advance $25 day of event. You will get at least 12 different beverages.
Venue: Copper Canyon Brewery
Address: 27522 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield, MI
Details: "Session Beer is a relatively new term (earliest ref appears to be in the 1980's), however, “session” is a term that dates back to WWI. During WWI, workers were allowed to go to the pub in two different 4 hr “sessions” and at the time beer strength was mandated by law and high tariffs. So, effectively, it was a time where one could go to the pub, have several beers in a “session” and not stagger home. Here we are doing a tasting of beers under 4.5%. Remarkably, there are many beers out there that fulfill this standard and are still quite tasty. You will be surprised by the variability of beers and styles that will be represented. These are the perfect beers of summer, where you want a couple to quench your thirst, yet allow you to finish the work at hand."

Sunday, July 3rd:

Microbrew Tastings with The Traverse City Tall Ship Co.
Time: All day
Cost: $50 per person
Venue: Traverse City Tall Ship Co.
Address: 13390 S.W. Bay Shore Dr., Traverse City, MI 49684
Details: "Join us on Sunday evenings aboard the tall ship Manitou (mid-June through Labor Day) for a sampling of superb local beer from Short’s Brewing Company , paired with Traverse City’s own Crusted Creations pizza. For more information please call 231-941-2000 or 800-678-0383. "

Open Jazz Jam Session at HopCat
Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: No cover
Venue: HopCat
Address: 25 Ionia SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Details: "Every Sunday night West Michigan's jazz artists and jazz fans will have a place to relax and hang and get together for an 'old skool' jam session at HopCat in downtown Grand Rapids. After the first set, competent musicians and serious jazz students will be invited to join the trio hosted by drummer Randy Marsh. There may be an occasional Organissimo sighting when Jim Alfredson is home off the road."

White Flame Brewing

2011-08-02T19:17:00.002-04:00

Citizens of Hudsonville! This article takes some liberties with your town. Please take the comments in the tongue-in-cheek manner they were intended.

Prior to 2007, Hudsonville was a dark, medieval place. Apparently ignorant of the fact that teetotalers had lost their grip on the public discourse with the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the citizens of Hudsonville resolutely shut their eyes to progress, dug their heels in the sand, and kept their town free of alcohol for an additional 74 49* years. This encouraged economic growth outside the city as adults were forced to spend their imbibing dollars in other districts, but it really didn't do much for the city proper.

*Correction: Hudsonville did not actually become a dry city until 1958. This has been noted.
In 2007, the citizens of Hudsonville realized the error of their ways, overturned the law, and paved the way for the city to enjoy all the delights of a modern landscape. . .including locally brewed Michigan Beer. Four years later: enter Bill White. A Jamestown resident and building contractor, the Michigan housing market has not been kind to those in his profession. However, as an avid and successful home brewer, White saw opportunity: a previously dry city, halfway between Holland and Grand Rapids, minutes from his home, with available commercial real estate. Hudsonville was ripe for a microbrewery. Taking a fusion of his last name and his red headed wife’s nickname, White Flame Brewing was born.

Michigan Beer Blog had an opportunity to explore White’s new facility in July while it was still in the nascent stages of creation. In other words -- it was still more office building than bar room. White did have some great visual representations of what he was creating, though: White Flame will feature an open and comforting atmosphere, with a room for darts, a largely, semi private table for larger parties, and (initially) room for almost 70 people. His current 75 gallon brewing system will be capable of providing at least five different beers to begin with, and he has room to expand up to 12 taps, all running different beer. He did have a selection of beers available for us to taste, and I am confident that they are more than retail ready.

Three beers really impressed me: Willy’s Wheat (6.1%), a light and summery wheat beer with a hoppier pedigree than one typically associates with wheat beers. In terms of comparison, I would put it on par with an Arcadia Whitsun, with Whitsun’s aggressive citrus nose muted significantly and replaced by the floral hop character. The IPA (tentatively named Proven Fighter (7.2%) was excellent, with a more aggressive, floral hop character that did not hide the sweetness of the malt. Finally, proving that he is well versed in all types of IPAs, the Black Sheep (8.5%) Black IPA won me over. I’ve developed a real fondness for black IPAs; a good one combines smooth texture with some roasty malted notes without losing that edge from the hops, and White Flame’s beer does exactly what it needs to.

There won’t be food served at White Flame Brewing, putting it on equal footing with Odd Side Ales, Schmohz, and Right Brain. That said, White is considering the option in the future. In any event, regular craft beer drinkers know a lack of a kitchen in a brewery does not imply a lack of food, and White encourages his patrons to bring in local fare from around the Hudsonville area.

While we recently mourned the loss of the Grand Rapids Brewing Company, it is heartening and exciting to see the Michigan Beer market continue to expand. With White Flame opening halfway between Holland and Grand Rapids (and Grand Haven not far away), Bill White’s new brewery won’t just be the first microbrewery in a previously dry town. It won’t be just another new name to add to the list of Michigan breweries. It’ll be a perfect reason for a brewery tour from the Lake to Grand Rapids. The bad news, of course, is that we all have to wait until October for this place to become a reality. Until then, check back with the Michigan Beer Blog for updates on White Flame Brewing!

1st Semi-Annual "Weird Michigan" Beer and Food Exhibition

2011-07-29T14:11:00.006-04:00

To say that Michigan brewers are having fun with their beer is a massive understatement.

Sometimes it seems like one big competition to see who can brew the weirdest, craziest, most bizarre beer ever. I'm a big fan of the spirit behind these beers and will try even the craziest-sounding brews at least once. Sure, some of them are complete flops, but I admire the creativity and enthusiasm that go into making them. And hey, some of them are really fantastic!

Last night, Seth and I made a trip out to the Shark Club in Howell for the first of what will be many “Weird Michigan” events to come -- an event celebrating the unique spirit that Michigan beer encompasses. Weird Michigan was truly a chance to see the creativity of Michigan’s wonderful brewing community, and highlighted some of the more uniquely "abnormal" brews this state has to offer.

What exactly do I mean by "abnormal"? Well, I'm sure you've had chips and salsa and washed it down with a cold beer before, but have you ever had a chips and salsa beer? Or a Mackinac Island Fudge Stout? Arbor Brewing Company certainly hit the nail on the head with these two concoctions. Some of the beers were based on traditional or historic brews, like Mount Pleasant's Gruit and Kuhnhenn's Heather Ale, a Scottish-Style ale that uses heather tips instead of hops. Many brewers are also playing around with infusions, like Dark Horse's ROD, an amber laced with "aphrodisiac herbs", and Michigan Brewing Company's Vicious Hibiscus. Others, like the Original Gravity Ginger Ale, an unhopped hard ginger ale brewed with malted barley, candi sugar, and spiced with fresh and crystallized ginger, were wholly new creations. It's great that brewers are pushing the boundaries of the "normal" beer styles or abandoning them altogether.

MBC Vicious Hibiscus

OG Ginger Ale

The beer that stole the show for me, though, was hands down Original Gravity's 440 Pepper Smoker amber ale. Smoked beers and pepper beers are extremely hit or miss for me (generally erring more on the side of a “miss,” especially when you combine those two flavors), but this one is really well balanced and not over-the-top; the feeling of “all I can smell is smoke and it tastes like I'm licking a spicy band-aid” did not come to pass with this beer. We had the opportunity to speak with Brad Sancho, the owner/brewer at Original Gravity, and he said that was his intention, and he achieves that balance by brewing the beer with smoked German malts and adding fresh jalapenos during several stages of the brewing process, rather than dumping them all in at once. He was spot on with his recipe. The flavor starts out a little sweet, with some great smoked malt flavors in the middle, which is then joined by the jalapeno to produce a smoked chipotle flavor. After the swallow, the smoke mellows out and leaves a lasting pepper burn in the end with some grainy flavors in the finish. The pepper is added with a skilled hand; not over done as sometimes can happen, and adds more than it takes away.

Inspiration for the event's creator, Jonathan "Danger" Cole, came when he was going through catalogs of beer available for Shark Club’s new 68 tap system, and saw how many unique beers Michigan has to offer. Cole, the beer purchaser and event planner at Shark Club, told us this first event was much more successful than he ever could have imagined, and they plan on having this event every eight months after this one. The events will continue to grow, featuring a wider selection of Michigan beer, food, and live entertainment.

Barely an empty seat in the entire place!

Many of these beers can be found in bottled form at your local speciality beer market. If you're up for something out of the ordinary, give them a try!

Me with a Short's Adia's Ale (strawberry kiwi)

Seth with an ABC Chips 'N Salsa Beer

To view more photos from this event, visit our Facebook page.

Weekend Beer Events - July 28-31

2011-07-28T09:10:00.004-04:00

We're almost to the end of Michigan Craft Beer Month and over halfway through the summer (oops, I said it!), so it's time to make the most of what's left! Get out and enjoy some of these great beer events going on this weekend. Seth and I will be kicking off the last weekend in July by attending the 1st Semi-Annual "Weird Michigan" Beer and Food Exhibition at Shark Club in Howell tonight. It's going to be a great chance to enjoy some of the rarest beers in the state, so we hope to see you there!

Thursday, July 28:

1st Semi-Annual "Weird Michigan" Beer and Food Exhibition
Time: 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: No cover. $1 4-oz tastes, special beer and food prices
Venue: Shark Club
Address: 1140 S. Michigan Ave, Howell, MI
Details: "Celebrate all that is weird, strange, unique and wonderfully Michigan. We will be featuring the most unique beer this state has to offer as well as its quintessential foods. Join us for Beer, Food and Trivia centered around weird Michigan facts and brewery facts. We will have a ton of giveaways and people from the industry to mingle with."

For more information and to see a list of some of the beers that will be offered, click the link above.

Cask conditioned ale tapping at Fort Street Brewery
Time: 8:00 pm to 2:00 am
Cost: Varies depending on the beer
Venue: Fort Street Brewery
Address: 1660 Fort St., Lincoln Park, MI
Details: A new cask is tapped every Thursday. For more information, call 313-389-9620

Friday, July 29:

New Holland Brewing Co. Backyard Beer-B-Q
Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Cost: No cover charge
Venue: New Holland Brewing Co.
Address: 66 East 8th St., Holland, MI
Details: "Our Backyard Beer-B-Q Series is in full swing at New Holland Brewing Co. Restaurant & Pub! Join us this and every Friday out back on the patio! This Friday, Jul2 29, we will be featuring live music from 5:00 – 8:00 pm with Red Tail Ring and food hot off the grill to tantalize your taste buds. Grab your favorite New Holland brew and join us every Friday through the summer out back on the patio!"

Saturday, July 30:

3rd Annual Brew-Ha-Ha!
Time: 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Cost: $5 Gets you the official Brew-Ha-Ha! souvenir mug and first beer.
Venue: Fort St. Brewery
Address: 1660 Fort St., Lincoln Park, MI 48146
Details: "5 of our own beers on tap, including 8 new ones! 8 More beers on tap from Buckeye Brewing Co. & Voodoo Brewing Co. Live music from Odd Man Rush & McSpillin' Starting at 2 p.m. Brewery collectables for sale! A live brewing demonstration!"

Busch's Great Tastes of Michigan
Time: Busch’s of Ann Arbor: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm & Busch’s of Saline 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Cost: Free
Venue: Busch's of Ann Arbor and Saline
Address: 2020 Green Road, Ann Arbor & 565 E. Michigan Ave, Saline
Details: "Free Samples from all over Michigan! Featuring OVER 40 different companies and products. Enter to win a Michigan Vineyard Weekend. See store for details."

Pig & Whiskey
Time: 12:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Cost: Free to attend, tickets necessary for food and drinks.
Venue: Downtown Ferndale
Address: E. Troy Street between the WAB and The Emory
Details: "Metro Times is partnering with the Woodward Avenue Brewers (WAB) and the Emory to close E. Troy Street for this event and the event will be free to attend. Pig and Whiskey will be the premier regional barbecue event with a whiskey-drenched twist.

Whiskey and BBQ will be available to sample from 12-8 p.m. Live music begins at 5 p.m. and will end with the Detroit Cobras at 9:45 p.m. The beer tent will stay open through the entertainment! Pig and Whiskey is free to attend!"

For more details, and to see a list of Michigan beers that will be available, click the link above.

Sunday, July 31:

Microbrew Tastings with The Traverse City Tall Ship Co.
Time: All day
Cost: $50 per person
Venue: Traverse City Tall Ship Co.
Address: 13390 S.W. Bay Shore Dr., Traverse City, MI 49684
Details: "Join us on Sunday evenings aboard the tall ship Manitou (mid-June through Labor Day) for a sampling of superb local beer from Short’s Brewing Company , paired with Traverse City’s own Crusted Creations pizza. For more information please call 231-941-2000 or 800-678-0383. "

Open Jazz Jam Session at HopCat
Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: No cover
Venue: HopCat
Address: 25 Ionia SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Details: "Every Sunday night West Michigan's jazz artists and jazz fans will have a place to relax and hang and get together for an 'old skool' jam session at HopCat in downtown Grand Rapids. After the first set, competent musicians and serious jazz students will be invited to join the trio hosted by drummer Randy Marsh. There may be an occasional Organissimo sighting when Jim Alfredson is home off the road."

14th Annual Summer Beer Fest

2011-07-24T22:46:00.000-04:00

On the third Saturday of July, wrapping up the end of one of the hottest summer weeks in Michigan, the Michigan Brewers Guild hosted the 14^th annual Summer Beer Fest. Over 60 breweries across the Great Beer State lugged 450 different beers up, down, and over to the Riverside Park in Ypsilanti, Michigan. A bit late to the party, by the time the Michigan Beer Blog arrived on Saturday, the biggest beer party in Michigan was already in its second day.

The line to get in stretched forever.

The grounds just prior to public entry

Same grounds mid festival

With over 9000 brewers, pourers, and beer drinkers in attendance, mother nature saw fit to soothe some of the blistering heat with some light showers before the Festival began. Michigan Brewers really answered the challenge of pleasing all those palates this year; flavors ranging from Kuhnhenn's Gone Wild sour series, the Dark Horse Stout Table, and Unity Vibrations' Kombucha beer, the range of flavors boggled the mind.

Kombucha beer

No, neither Laura nor I tasted all 450 beers. It turns out that there's logistical problems with that goal. We did, however, want to highlight some of what we thought were spectacular entries:

Joe Short never disappoints: his Captain Fantasy Saison was light and refreshing with a twist of pear, and the Cornholio Baltic Porter (while perhaps not a beer suited for a hot summer day) was well balanced and delicious. I also happen to think Captain Fantasy is the best name for any beer.

Jake and Trent, brewers for Dark Horse

Dark Horse seemed to desire to take over the epic festival, with tables strewn about the entire area. Laura and I were extremely impressed with the Red Hot Shocker beer, a creative and curious ale brewed with jalapenos and cinnamon really stood out.

Finally, Kuhnhenn's Gone Wild series of sour ales showed how delicious a sour ale can be. I preferred mine tinged with blueberry, but the tangerine and pineapple flavored sour ales were close behind.

If ever there's an event that shows off the best Michigan has to offer, it's the Summer Beer Festival. If you didn't make it this year, or are on the fence about attending in the future, I can't think of a better way to spend a day in July. A special thanks to Scott Graham, Diana Stampfler, and the rest of the Michigan Brewers Guild who work hard to make this festival fun and safe every year!

Scott Graham, executive director, MBG

Pinata hat!

New Holland's famous Elvis tap

More pictures are available at our Facebook Page. For the curious, here is the list of beers Laura and I actually got to try:

Arcadia B Kraft Black Double IPA
Arcadia Roggen Berry
Atwater Vanilla Java Porter
Atwater VJ Black 11% imperial stout
Big Buck Banana Bourbon
Big Buck Raspberry Wheat
Big Rock Chop & Brewhouse Michigan Sour Cherry Tripel
Cheboygan Light House Amber
Cheboygan Summer Cervesa
Copper Canyon Devil's Peak IPA
Copper Canyon Melange des Fleurs
Dark Horse Bourbon Barrel Plead the Fifth
Dark Horse FigPA Fig IPA
Dark Horse Plead the Fifth Imperial Stout
Dark Horse Red Hot Shocker
Dark Horse Smells Like Weed IPA
Dark Horse Surprise Stout
Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout
Dragonmead K2 Strawberry Blonde
Dragonmead Redwing Raspberry Wheat
Dragonmead Willy's Oompa Loompa Chocolate Stout
The Hideout Cherry Mango Chile Pineapple Pilsner
The Hideout Double Bubble DIPA with Bubblegum
Hopcat Farmhouse Hoppopotamus Belgian IPA
Hopcat The Rapture American Wild Ale
Jolly Pumpkin Roja de Kriek
Kuhnhenn Play in the Hay Blueberry
Kuhnhenn Play in the Hay Pineapple
Kuhnhenn Play in the Hay Straight
Kuhnhenn Play in the Hay Tangerine
Lily's Seafood Fairbanks Point Framboise
Lily's Seafood Propeller Island Pilsner
Livery Kentucky Kaffinator
Livery Maillot Jaune Farmhouse Ale
Livery Taxman Imperial Stout
Livery Trippelweizenbock Lager
New Holland 2006 Blue Goat Dopplebock
New Holland Cocoa Saison
North Peak Wanderer Session IPA
Right Brain Black Magic Lavender Wheat
Right Brain Strawberry Fields
Saugatuck SIPA Session IPA
Short's Captain Fantasy Saison with Pear
Short's Beach Wheat
Short's Cornholio Baltic Porter
Shorts Kolsch 45
Unity Vibration Triple Goddess Raspberry Beer
Unity Vibration Pineapple Ginger Kombucha Tea

a note: we did not have a full 4 ounces of each of those beers. Often, just a taste is all you need!

Weekend Beer Events - July 21-24

2011-07-20T08:07:00.000-04:00

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you've probably heard that there's this little event going on this weekend called the 14th Annual Michigan Summer Beer Festival. If, for some reason, you aren't going (shame on you!) and you're looking for something else to do this weekend (in between uncontrollable fits of crying because you aren't at the festival), don't worry -- I have your back.

Thursday, July 21:

Wolverine State Brewing Co. Indoor Art Fair

Time: 4:00 pm to 12:00 am

Cost: No cover

Venue: Wolverine State Brewing Company

Address: 2019 W. Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI

Details: "The Wolverine State Brewing Company will host an indoor art fair, beginning Saturday, July 16 through Sunday, July 24, 2011. Works from four artists will be represented:

John Copley. www.johnacopley.com

Shaun Williams. www.thetidesdepth.net

Charles Owens. www.charlesowenswatercolorgallery.blogspot.com

Keith Maguire. www.thesidedoorgallery.com/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=31

The Wolverine West Side Art Fair welcomes all locals and visitors to our fair city during the Art Fair season. All works will be available for purchase through the artists’ contact information, not through the brewery."

Cask conditioned ale tapping at Fort Street Brewery

Time: 8:00 pm to 2:00 am

Cost: Varies depending on the beer

Venue: Fort Street Brewery

Address: 1660 Fort St., Lincoln Park, MI

Details: A new cask is tapped every Thursday. For more information, call 313-389-9620

Friday, July 22:

Alden Hops & Berries

Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Cost: $15 in advance, $20 at the door

Venue: Alden Depot Museum & Park

Address: 10670 Coy Street, Alden, MI

Details: "On Friday, July 22 Alden’s Annual Wine & Beer Tasting, “Hops & Berries” will be held on the shores of Torch Lake from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Local vineyards & breweries offer tasting at the Alden Depot Park on the South end of town accompanied by live Jazz and a silent auction. Sponsored by the Downtown Alden Business Association. Contact Coleen Richmond at 231-331-4711."

New Holland Brewing Co. Backyard Beer-B-Q

Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Cost: No cover charge

Venue: New Holland Brewing Co.

Address: 66 East 8th St., Holland, MI

Details: "Our Backyard Beer-B-Q Series is in full swing at New Holland Brewing Co. Restaurant & Pub! Join us this and every Friday out back on the patio! This Friday, July 22, we will be featuring live music from 5:00 – 8:00 pm with Dave Boutette and food hot off the grill to tantalize your taste buds. Grab your favorite New Holland brew and join us every Friday through the summer out back on the patio!"

Wolverine State Brewing Co. Indoor Art Fair

Time: 4:00 pm to 12:00 am

Cost: No cover

Venue: Wolverine State Brewing Company

Address: 2019 W. Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI

Details: "The Wolverine State Brewing Company will host an indoor art fair, beginning Saturday, July 16 through Sunday, July 24, 2011. Works from four artists will be represented:

John Copley. www.johnacopley.com

Shaun Williams. www.thetidesdepth.net

Charles Owens. www.charlesowenswatercolorgallery.blogspot.com

Keith Maguire. www.thesidedoorgallery.com/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=31

Saturday, July 23:

Brewery Vivant Tours

Time: 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm

Cost: $5 and includes beer samples

Venue: Brewery Vivant

Address: 925 Cherry Street Southest, Grand Rapids, MI

Details: "Want to learn about what makes Brewery Vivant beer so special? There is no better way than to learn from the very people whose passion put that beer in your glass. Tours are also a lot of fun. Impress your out-of-town guests by bringing them down to see how your local beer is made.

Official Brewery tours are given every Saturday at noon and 2:00. No reservations needed, just show up. Must be 21 years or older to take the tour. Cost of the tour is $5 and includes beer samples. All tour attendees get 10% off coupon from the company store. Use it for shirts, hats, beer glasses, or take a 4 pk or case of beer home with you."

Wolverine State Brewing Co. Indoor Art Fair

Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 am

Cost: No cover

Venue: Wolverine State Brewing Company

Address: 2019 W. Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI

Details: "The Wolverine State Brewing Company will host an indoor art fair, beginning Saturday, July 16 through Sunday, July 24, 2011. Works from four artists will be represented:

John Copley. www.johnacopley.com

Shaun Williams. www.thetidesdepth.net

Charles Owens. www.charlesowenswatercolorgallery.blogspot.com

Keith Maguire. www.thesidedoorgallery.com/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=31

Sunday, July 24:

Microbrew Tastings with The Traverse City Tall Ship Co.

Time: All day

Cost: $50 per person

Venue: Traverse City Tall Ship Co.

Address: 13390 S.W. Bay Shore Dr., Traverse City, MI 49684

Open Jazz Jam Session at HopCat

Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Cost: No cover

Venue: HopCat

Address: 25 Ionia SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Wolverine State Brewing Co. Indoor Art Fair

Time: 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Cost: No cover

Venue: Wolverine State Brewing Company

Address: 2019 W. Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI

Details: "The Wolverine State Brewing Company will host an indoor art fair, beginning Saturday, July 16 through Sunday, July 24, 2011. Works from four artists will be represented:

John Copley. www.johnacopley.com

Shaun Williams. www.thetidesdepth.net

Charles Owens. www.charlesowenswatercolorgallery.blogspot.com

Keith Maguire. www.thesidedoorgallery.com/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=31

Weekend Beer Events - July 14-17

2011-07-14T10:37:00.001-04:00

Looking for something to do this weekend? As always, Michigan isn't going to let you down. Check out some of these great beer events going on throughout the weekend!

Thursday, July 14:

ABC Brew Pub - Beer Tasting: Wheats and Lambics
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Cost: $25 in advance, $30 if purchased on tasting day. Call 734-213-1393 to order tickets over the phone.
Venue: Arbor Brewing Company
Address: 114 E Washington St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Details: "This tasting truly has something for every palate. From light and fruity wits, to clean refreshing American wheats to knock your socks off sour Belgian Lambics. We’ll select the best 2 dozen or so brews from the wide spectrum of wheat beers and pair them with an appetizer buffet, provide style and tasting notes, and top off the night with a door prize drawing."

Friday, July 15:

A Sip of Michigan - Birthday Bash (this event is SOLD OUT -- hopefully you already have your tickets!)
Time: 8:00 pm to 12:00 am
Cost: Sold Out
Venue: The Rattlesnake Club
Address: 300 River Place, Array, Detroit, MI
Details: "Join us for the biggest bash of the summer! We are joining forces with the Rattlesnake Club in Detroit and Homefront Hugs to put on the second Sip of Michigan party in honor of our 1st birthday. All event profits will be going to Homefront Hugs, a Michigan-based organization dedicated to taking care of our troops stationed overseas, our wounded heroes,and our brave military families for 10 years now since 9-11."

Corks for Conservation
Time: 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: $40/person or $75/couple; Pre-event wine tasting class - $15/person
Venue: Binder Park Zoo
Address: 7400 Division Drive, Battle Creek, MI 49014
Details: "Come to Binder Park Zoo’s Corks for Conservation wine tasting event on Friday, July 15th from 6:00pm to 10:00pm and sample some of the best wine and beer Michigan has to offer! Enjoy the Zoo after-hours with live music, delicious hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, live animal presentations, a complimentary Corks for Conservation wine glass and of course wine from over eight Michigan based wineries and beer from Arcadia Brewing Co., all while helping conserve endangered wildlife!"

New Holland Brewing Co. Backyard Beer-B-Q
Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Cost: No cover charge
Venue: New Holland Brewing Co.
Address: 66 East 8th St., Holland, MI
Details: "Our Backyard Beer-B-Q Series is in full swing at New Holland Brewing Co. Restaurant & Pub! Join us this and every Friday out back on the patio! This Friday, July 15, we will be featuring live music from 5:00 – 8:00 pm with Rick Doogie and food hot off the grill to tantalize your taste buds. Grab your favorite New Holland brew and join us every Friday through the summer out back on the patio!"

Free Mead Tasting at B. Nektar Meadery
Time: 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: Free
Venue: B. Nektar Meadery
Address: 1505 Jarvis, Suite B, Ferndale, MI 48220
Details: "Mead is one of the oldest forms of fermented beverages. At it’s most basic, mead is a simple wine fermented from honey, water and yeast. B. Nektar’s award-winning meads start with good quality raw honey and then improvise from there.
On the first and 3rd Friday of every month, B. Nektar opens its doors to the public. Taste a wide selection of the meads, talk to our meadmakers about what we do, meet other mead enthusiasts and homebrewers, and see where the magic happens- all for absolutely free. It’s a great time- all that’s missing is you."

Saturday, July 16:

First Annual Riverwalk Grill Microbrew Beer Fest
Time: 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Cost: For Reservations and ticket information, please call: 989-246-9123
Venue: Riverwalk Place
Address: 777 W. Cedar Ave, Gladwin, MI
Details: "Featuring live music from The Blues Creators, this beer fest will feature beer samples, burgers and brats, and a full service bar. Come join in the fun!"

Roots Rock Reggae Fest wsg Zion Lion
Time: 7:00 pm to 1:30 am
Cost: Free admission
Venue: New Holland Brewing Co.
Address: 66 E. 8th St., Holland, MI
Details: "Hey Mon! It’s time again for this year’s Reggae Party on Saturday, July 16! The evening will start with front man Adrian Butler, of the band A.B! & Coconut Brown, spinning da beats from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. This year’s headliner is Zion Lion, performing from 10:00 pm – 1:00 am. Zion Lion is know as the “baddest reggae band” to hit the West Michigan music scene. The members are a combination of several bands from the Kalamazoo area that crossed each other’s path along the way and decided to form what they call the right mix of reggae."

Brewery Vivant Tours
Time: 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm
Cost: $5 and includes beer samples
Venue: Brewery Vivant
Address: 925 Cherry Street Southest, Grand Rapids, MI
Details: "Want to learn about what makes Brewery Vivant beer so special? There is no better way than to learn from the very people whose passion put that beer in your glass. Tours are also a lot of fun. Impress your out-of-town guests by bringing them down to see how your local beer is made.

Official Brewery tours are given every Saturday at noon and 2:00. No reservations needed, just show up. Must be 21 years or older to take the tour. Cost of the tour is $5 and includes beer samples. All tour attendees get 10% off coupon from the company store. Use it for shirts, hats, beer glasses, or take a 4 pk or case of beer home with you."

Sunday, July 17:

Microbrew Tastings with The Traverse City Tall Ship Co.
Time: All day
Cost: $50 per person
Venue: Traverse City Tall Ship Co.
Address: 13390 S.W. Bay Shore Dr., Traverse City, MI 49684
Details: "Join us on Sunday evenings aboard the tall ship Manitou (mid-June through Labor Day) for a sampling of superb local beer from Short’s Brewing Company , paired with Traverse City’s own Crusted Creations pizza. For more information please call 231-941-2000 or 800-678-0383. "

Open Jazz Jam Session at HopCat
Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: No cover
Venue: HopCat
Address: 25 Ionia SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Details: "Every Sunday night West Michigan's jazz artists and jazz fans will have a place to relax and hang and get together for an 'old skool' jam session at HopCat in downtown Grand Rapids. After the first set, competent musicians and serious jazz students will be invited to join the trio hosted by drummer Randy Marsh. There may be an occasional Organissimo sighting when Jim Alfredson is home off the road."

Primetime Brewers First Annual Food and Beer Pairing Dinner

2011-07-11T13:19:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, June 29^th marked the first ever Beer and Food Pairing Dinner held by the Primetime Brewers, a home brewing association based in Grand Rapids. Hosted in the beautiful Rockford Community Cabin, the group of avid beer and cider brewers came up with 20 dishes designed explicitly to showcase beer brewed by the same people making the food.

Who got the privilege of judging the winners? We did! It was no easy decision, either. The Primetime Brewers know their food as well as they know their beer; the gamut ran from rich and hearty pork, venison, and cheese sausage served with smoked potatoes to the original and delightful IPA spring rolls served with mint. There was even a good representation of desserts, with two different ice creams made with beer, a cake, cookies, and even a cheesecake.

When all the tasting was said and done, however, here were three that stood out among all the choices, bringing together a great balance between flavor, creativity, presentation, and beer/food compatbility.

Third Place: Troy Hammond, Drunken Asparagus Spears

Troy's drunken asparagus spears took the judges' hearts away; blanching the asparagus spears in the home brewed American Amber lightened and sweetened the bitter quality asparagus has naturally and lent an excellent balance to the salty feta and smooth prosciutto. It was a perfect summer appetizer.

Second Place: Brandon Roberts, Belgian Beer Ice Cream

Michigan Beer Blog has made beer ice cream before, so it was with astonishment that we tasted this absolutely delicious creation. Brandon took his powerful Belgian strong dark ale (brewed with cardamom and grains of paradise, which spiced up and lightened the otherwise heavy beer) and turned it into ice cream, which made for an extremely smooth, silky flavor that played with the vanilla base he used. The real win here was the pairing; serving the belgian ice cream with the beer from whence it originated made for a surprising and delicious taste; I've made plenty of “beer floats” in my life, but these two combinations beat out any chocolate stout / vanilla ice cream combination I've ever tried. Kudos to Brandon for such originality and thoughtfulness.

First Place: Paul Bierlien, Stilton Blue Cheesecake

Fair warning: I don't like cheesecake. It's typically oppressively sweet, heavy, and unbalanced, with nothing to cut through cloying film that develops in the mouth. Even the fruit toppings people use are usually a heavy, sweet glaze that just weighs down a dish already too heavy to enjoy.

Paul's cheesecake, however, was different. Using Stilton blue cheese (which hails from England), the dessert was more savory than it was sweet. Instead of a heavy dessert, this cheesecake had plenty of tang to balance out the light sweetness hovering around the edges of each bite.

And like Brandon's ice cream, this dessert truly shines when paired with a deep, rich barleywine that brought out and added to the flavors in the cheesecake. Aged on cedar, the barleywine added a little more sweetness to the flavor without covering up the aggressive blue cheese flavor. It added a subtle woodiness, complementing the cheesecake without overpowering it. While the blue cheesecake and barleywine combination is a traditional dish and thus perhaps not quite as original as others, the execution more than made up for it.

The winners from left: Paul Bierlien, Brandon Roberts, and Troy Hammond

Congratulations to all of the contestants at the Primetime Brewers First Annual Food and Beer Pairing dinner. All of the entries were fantastic and we truly had a difficult time picking winners of such a competitive bunch. Keep doing what you're doing; the Michigan homebrew market is clearly a healthy, diverse, and exciting place to be! Special thanks to Eric Fouch, President of the Primetime Brewers, for planning this event. Keep Brewing!

Cooking With Michigan Beer: Fourth of July Edition

2011-06-30T19:40:00.002-04:00

The Fourth of July weekend is coming up, which means it's time to gather up a group of friends, light the barbecue, and bust out those grilling tongs! Here are a few recipes I developed for your cook-out, picnic, or wherever you'll be chowing down and waving that flag this weekend.

First up:

Kalamazoo Stout Stuffed Burgers

A delicious burger really is a classic American summer food. Adding a bit of beer to the ground beef is the secret to making these burgers super tender and juicy. So, what could be better than a nice juicy burger hot off the grill on the Fourth of July? How about a burger stuffed with sautéed Kalamazoo Stout onions and extra sharp cheddar cheese? Oh, yes. Top with thick cut bacon, mustard, tomato, and some crisp lettuce, and you'll be sure to bring your blasé backyard BBQ to a whole new level.

For this recipe you'll need:

2 pounds ground beef (I used ground beef from round)
1 bottle of Bell's Kalamazoo Stout, divided
1 large onion chopped, reserving 2 tablespoons of minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
About 5 ounces of cheese (I used extra sharp white cheddar)
Salt
Pepper

1) Before getting started with cooking the onions, reserve 1/4 cup of the Kalamazoo Stout for the ground beef for later. Then, chop the onion and reserve about 2 tablespoons of minced onions for the burgers for later. Spray a small sauté pan with non-stick cooking spray and add the chopped onions and the rest of the beer to the pan. Cook the onions, stirring frequently over medium heat, until they are caramelized and the liquid is cooked out.

2) While the onions are cooking, prepare the burger patties. In a bowl, combine the ground beef, 1/4 cup Kalamazoo Stout, 2 teaspoons Worcestershiree, 2 tablespoons minced onion, and a generous amount* of salt and pepper. Be careful not to over mix the meat, or it will get tough.

*I find that most people really under season their meat when making burgers, so don't be afraid to add a little more salt than you think you should. Trust me, it makes a HUGE difference.

3) With 2 pounds of beef, I ended up with 5 stuffed burgers, so I started out by making 10 thin patties.

4) Top each patty with one square of cheese, allowing enough room around the edges to be able to pinch the edges together once the top patty is placed.

5) Top each burger with about 1-2 tablespoons of the Kalamazoo Stout onions once they are done cooking.
*While it's the stuffing we love, be sure not to over-stuff or you'll lose all the goodness to the grates of the grill.

6) Place the top patty and squeeze the edges, creating a seal to prevent the stuffing from leaking out.

7) Grill the burgers for about 6 minutes per side for medium, but keep in mind the size of your burgers and the temperature of your grill will determine how long yours actually need to be cooked per side.

8) Once the burgers are cooked, serve on buns with your favorite toppings. We opted for thick cut bacon from Sobie Meats, mustard, tomato, and lettuce.

Next up:

London Porter Baked Beans

For the perfect side dish to go along with my burgers, I took a little inspiration from a recipe I found on tablespoon.com. This pot of big, rich, hearty beans is perfect for a holiday weekend because you can just let it bubble away for a couple hours while you go about your business. The beans are cooked in a decadent mixture of beer, bacon, chipotle peppers, molasses, and a few other flavorful accents. The sauce cooks way down and thickens into the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. I think you'll really love these!

For this recipe, you will need:

1 48 ounce jar of mixed beans (you could also use pinto)
6 strips thick cut bacon
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 15 ounce can stewed tomatoes
2 chipotle peppers, minced (remove the seeds if you don't want your beans very spicy)
2 tablespoons adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
2 bottles Arcadia London Porter
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark molasses
1 heavy pinch salt and pepper

1) Drain and rinse the beans.

2) In a heavy cast iron skillet or dutch oven, add bacon over medium low heat and cook until bacon renders out most of the fat but doesn't get very crispy, about 10-15 minutes. Remove bacon and set aside for later.

Delicious thick cut bacon from Sobie Meats

3) Chop onions, green peppers, and chipotle peppers.

4) Add onions, green peppers, and chipotles to bacon grease. If it is really dry, add a drizzle of oil to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are soft.

5) Add tomatoes, adobo sauce, and beans. Stir well to combine.

6) Add the London Porter, molasses, and brown sugar next. Bring to a simmer and stir frequently until sugar is dissolved. It will look pretty liquidy, but that's okay.

7) Simmer this on the stove top until the mixture thickens, probably about 30-45 minutes.

8) Add a big pinch of salt and pepper and taste for flavors.

9) Remove from the heat and add strips of bacon from step #2 on top of the beans.

10) Bake bean mixture in a 375 degree oven until thick and bubbly and bacon is very crispy, about 45 minutes. This time may vary depending on how much liquid is in your dish.

11) Let cool for a few minutes, remove the bacon with tongs, chop it, and add it back to the pot and serve immediately. This keeps perfectly in the fridge for up to a week, as well.

And finally, for dessert:

Strawberry Blonde Apple Pie

What's more American than apple pie? Nothing, except apple pie made with beer! The yeasty flavor the Belgian-style ale gives the pie is a perfect complement to the tart apples. My brother-in-law, a true pie connoisseur, said it was the best pie he's ever had. Who am I to say he's wrong? You'll just have to try this for yourself, I guess.

For this recipe, you will need:

5 thinly sliced apples (I used 3 Golden Delicious and 2 Granny Smith)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 water
1 bottle Arbor Brewing Company Strawberry Blonde Belgian-Style Ale

In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside.

Pour beer and water into a Dutch oven over medium heat. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add to beer and water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until apples are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Cool apples until room temperature, and pour into your favorite prepared, unbaked pie crust (or store bought).

Top pie with another crust, crimp the edges, and score the top with the knife so steam can escape.

Bake at 425 degrees until crust is golden brown, approximately 30-45 minutes.

No Independence Day celebration is complete without burgers, beans, and apple pie. So crank up the grill and grab something cold to drink. Your burgers and your buddies will thank you for it.

Happy 4th of July from Michigan Beer Blog!

Odd Side Ales Off Beer Tasting

2011-06-29T17:35:00.005-04:00

Chris Michner, brewmaster and co-owner of Odd Side Ales, recently gave the Michigan Beer Blog the opportunity to attend one of his exclusive beer tasting events. Typically, this would involve a lengthy, 3-6 course meal in which specific beers crafted by Michner would be paired with food from a participating restaurant.

This was not to be the case; instead, Chris had prepared for us a very complex and educational tour of the hurdles faced by home brewers and commercial brewers alike. He took his Jackalope amber ale and “spiked” it with different flavors meant to represent the different ways an abundance of given chemicals could affect the flavor of the beer. The flavor descriptions and scientific names came from the Siebel Institute Analysis kit, which unfortunately doesn’t have a list on their web page. In an effort not to reinvent the wheel, I will direct you to check out this post by a person I found via Google. I have no affiliation with Kristyn, but that list of 24 flavors is exactly what Michner put in his beers.

Full Disclosure: this was not the most pleasant beer tasting of my life. I do not recollect the last time I waxed sublime about “hints of metal,” or “an aggressive taste of dirt,” or (everyone’s favorite) “a solid sewer profile.” There were some that were pleasant – the almond, the clove, and the vanilla notes – but it’s important to note that typically these flavors are seen as contaminants to the beer. What Michner was doing was educating the audience’s palates, giving us solid scientific information to use whether we’re brewing beer or tasting beer. In other words. . .the next time we go to a brewery and wonder why a given IPA has a sweet, butterscotch flavor, we can be confident that it’s likely the beer has too much diacetyl.

A huge thank you to Chris and Alyson for hosting the event; I think I’ve made it clear in my previous posts that I consider Michner one of the most talented brewers in the state, consistently developing the most intricate and complex beers available. While his educational classes are currently invitation only, I highly recommend every beer connoisseur to explore his place in Grand Haven.

Weekend Beer Events - June 30-July 3rd

2011-06-29T09:00:00.005-04:00

No plans yet for the upcoming holiday weekend? Well, look no further because there are plenty of Michigan Beer events going on throughout the state:

Cask conditioned ale tapping at Fort Street Brewery
Time: 8:00 pm to 2:00 am
Cost: Varies depending on the beer
Venue: Fort Street Brewery
Address: 1660 Fort St., Lincoln Park, MI
Details: A new cask is tapped every Thursday. For more information, call 313-389-9620

Friday, July 1st:
(The first day of Michigan Craft Beer Month!)

New Holland Brewing Co. Backyard Beer-B-Q
Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Cost: No cover charge
Venue: New Holland Brewing Co.
Address: 66 East 8th St., Holland, MI
Details: "Our Backyard Beer-B-Q Series 2011 has begun! Every Friday we’ll be grillin’ on our back patio starting at 5pm. Each week we’ll have a different recipe using a New Holland beer. Grab your favorite NHB brew and rock out to the classics by your buds, Formerly Hip!"

Free Mead Tasting at B. Nektar Meadery
Time: 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: Free
Venue: B. Nektar Meadery
Address: 1505 Jarvis, Suite B, Ferndale, MI 48220
Details: "Mead is one of the oldest forms of fermented beverages. At it’s most basic, mead is a simple wine fermented from honey, water and yeast. B. Nektar’s award-winning meads start with good quality raw honey and then improvise from there.
        On the first and 3rd Friday of every month, B. Nektar opens its doors to the public. Taste a wide selection of the meads, talk to our meadmakers about what we do, meet other mead enthusiasts and homebrewers, and see where the magic happens- all for absolutely free. It’s a great time- all that’s missing is you
       Our next tasting is this Friday, June 3rd starting at 5:30 pm. It is completely free. We hope to see you there!
http://www.bnektar.com"

Saturday, July 2nd:

Brewery Vivant Tours
Time: 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm
Cost: $5 and includes beer samples
Venue: Brewery Vivant
Address: 925 Cherry Street Southest, Grand Rapids, MI
Details: "Want to learn about what makes Brewery Vivant beer so special? There is no better way than to learn from the very people whose passion put that beer in your glass. Tours are also a lot of fun. Impress your out-of-town guests by bringing them down to see how your local beer is made.
           Official Brewery tours are given every Saturday at noon and 2:00. No reservations needed, just show up. Must be 21 years or older to take the tour. Cost of the tour is $5 and includes beer samples. All tour attendees get 10% off coupon from the company store. Use it for shirts, hats, beer glasses, or take a 4 pk or case of beer home with you."

Up North Fourth at Short's
Time: All day
Cost: General admission tickets $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Kids 5 and under free. Short's Brewery Experience tickets $20 additional (includes commemorative pint glass and 5 7-oz pours, with extra tokens available for purchase).
Venue: East Park
Address: 107 West Antrim, Charlevoix, MI 49720
Details: "Short's will be offering "the Short's Experience" at Up North Fourth on July 2 at East Park in Charlevoix, MI! We'll have 10 beers on draft and our brewers will be bringing our festival setup. What a great way to enjoy northern Michigan on Fourth of July weekend!"

Sunday, July 3rd:

Microbrew Tastings with The Traverse City Tall Ship Co.
Time: All day
Cost: $50 per person
Venue: Traverse City Tall Ship Co.
Address: 13390 S.W. Bay Shore Dr., Traverse City, MI 49684
Details: "Join us on Sunday evenings aboard the tall ship Manitou (mid-June through Labor Day) for a sampling of superb local beer from Short’s Brewing Company , paired with Traverse City’s own Crusted Creations pizza. For more information please call 231-941-2000 or 800-678-0383. "

FUNKTION live at Short's Brewing Company
Time: 8:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Cost: $5 suggested donation
Venue: Short's Brewing Company
Address: 121 N Bridge St, Bellaire, MI 49615-9509
Details: "Our good friends Funktion are back to rock the up north holiday weekend scene and will be making a stop at our Bellarie brew pub on Sunday, July 3rd. We teamed up w/ this Kalamazoo based funk-rock-R&B-soul sound machine over two years ago when they played at one of our Brewski Bash celebrations. They brought a sound so tight and rocked all of those in attendance that we had to have them back to see if they could do it again. Another successful Brewski Bash later we decided that a summer time celebration was in order. Show will start between 8:30-9:00pm, but we recommed getting there early, because the house will be packed. An "honor cover" charge of $5 will be greatly appreciated and can be donated in a designated area located at the front of the stage. The band will also have CD's and merchandise for sale. "

Open Jazz Jam Session at HopCat
Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: No cover
Venue: HopCat
Address: 25 Ionia SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Details: "Every Sunday night West Michigan's jazz artists and jazz fans will have a place to relax and hang and get together for an 'old skool' jam session at HopCat in downtown Grand Rapids. After the first set, competent musicians and serious jazz students will be invited to join the trio hosted by drummer Randy Marsh. There may be an occasional Organissimo sighting when Jim Alfredson is home off the road."

Rather stay closer to home this weekend? What better way to celebrate Independence Day than by planning a cookout, picnic, or party at home!   Tomorrow I will be posting some recipes I developed (all with Michigan beer, of course) that will surely fit the bill no matter what kind of celebration you are having.Thursday, June 30th:

Weekend Beer Events - June 23-26, 2011

2011-06-22T18:45:00.002-04:00

It's Wednesday. For the observant ones out there, you may have noticed a pattern over the last three weeks. So without further ado, here are the fun Michigan beer-related events going on throughout the state this weekend!

Thursday, June 23rd:
Cask conditioned ale tapping at Fort Street Brewery
Time: 8:00 pm to 2:00 am
Cost: Varies depending on the beer
Venue: Fort Street Brewery
Address: 1660 Fort St., Lincoln Park, MI
Details: A new cask is tapped every Thursday. For more information, call 313-389-9620

Short's Beer Dinner at the Boathouse Restaurant
Time: 6:30 pm
Cost: $49 per person
Venue: The Boathouse
Address: 14039 Peninsula Drive, Traverse City, MI 49686
Details: "Hey Traverse City Short's fans! Come join us for a night of craft beer and exquisite food as Short's teams up with the Boathouse to create a dining experience that will truly be one to remember. This Thursday night (June 23rd) at 6:30 p.m., join us for 5 courses of culinary delight. Spaces are limited to 50 people, so act fast. To make your reservation today, please call the boathouse at (231) 223-4030."

Atwater Beer Dinner with Dylan's Raw Bar
Time: 7:00 pm
Cost: $32 per person
Venue: Dylan’s Raw Bar & Grille
Address: 15402 Mack AvenueGrosse, Pointe Park, MI 48230
Details: Five courses paired with 5 Atwater beers. To view the menu, click the link above. For reservations, please contact Dylan’s Raw Bar & Grille at 313-884-6030 ext. 3

Friday, June 24th:

New Holland Brewing Co. Backyard Beer-B-Q
Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Cost: No cover charge
Venue: New Holland Brewing Co.
Address: 66 East 8th St., Holland, MI
Details: "Our Backyard Beer-B-Q Series is in full swing at New Holland Brewing Co. Restaurant & Pub! Join us this and every Friday out back on the patio! This Friday, June 24, we will be featuring live music from 5:00 – 8:00 pm with Bryan Hammond and food hot off the grill to tantalize your taste buds. Grab your favorite New Holland brew and join us every Friday through the summer out back on the patio!"

Festival of the Moon
Time: 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Cost: $10 in advance/$15 at the gate/$25 weekend pass
Venue: Festival of the Sun and Festival of the Moon are located at Turner St. and Grand River Ave. in Lansing’s Old Town.
Details: "Make the most of one of the shortest nights of the summer at the 7th annual Festival of the Moon! Enjoy delicious food, great music from national bands and the best handcrafted beers supplied by Bell’s Brewery!"

Saturday, June 25th:

Festival of the Sun
Time: 2:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Cost: $17 in advance/$20 at the gate/$25 weekend pass
Venue: Festival of the Sun and Festival of the Moon are located at Turner St. and Grand River Ave. in Lansing’s Old Town.
Details: "The 12th annual Festival of Sun brings fine wines paired with tasty tapas, cold brews and Lansing’s best local entertainment. Enjoy wine tasting, local food sampling and live music from Hot Club of Lansing, Summer of Sol, Tree Hut Kings, and more!"

Brewery Vivant Tours
Time: 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm
Cost: $5 and includes beer samples
Venue: Brewery Vivant
Address: 925 Cherry Street Southest, Grand Rapids, MI
Details: "Want to learn about what makes Brewery Vivant beer so special? There is no better way than to learn from the very people whose passion put that beer in your glass. Tours are also a lot of fun. Impress your out-of-town guests by bringing them down to see how your local beer is made.

Official Brewery tours are given every Saturday at noon and 2:00. No reservations needed, just show up. Must be 21 years or older to take the tour. Cost of the tour is $5 and includes beer samples. All tour attendees get 10% off coupon from the company store. Use it for shirts, hats, beer glasses, or take a 4 pk or case of beer home with you."

Sunday, June 26th:

The Great Northern Beer Tour
Time: 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Cost: $65 per person
Venue: Various breweries, including Short's, Jolly Pumpkin, and Right Brain
Details: "Join us on the first ever tour of its kind in Northern Michigan – one designed specifically for the craft beer lover. With a heavy focus on tasting, the Great Northern Beer Tour will sample beer in the breweries, taprooms and even a hops field of some of the country’s most accomplished and dedicated brewers. Set amongst the stunning backdrop of Northern Michigan and the Old Mission Peninsula, the Great Northern Beer Tour aims to inspire Michigan’s craft beer lovers. With tastings conducted by the experts from four distinct and well-loved breweries, we will learn more than just the basics of making and enjoying craft beer.

We will start the tour by visiting the Short’s brewing facility in Elk Rapids for a tasting and lesson in brewing from one of Northern Michigan’s most innovative brewers. Then we will head over to the Old Mission Peninsula where we will walk in a hops field and learn about the beautiful little clusters that have been flavoring beers for well over a millennia. Next, we will head to the Jolly Pumpkin restaurant to taste both Jolly Pumpkin and North Peak seasonal and annuals in a historic setting in the stunning Bowers Harbor on the West Bay. And we will top things off by visiting the eclectic Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City’s Warehouse District. For a day filled with lagers, stouts, pilsners, IPA’s, porters and a cask ale or two, call By The Bay Tours at 231.932.1065 to purchase tickets.

Included in the tour cost are tastings at every stop, transportation including Traverse City hotel pick-up/drop-off, all tours and tasting information with goodies along the way. Additional tastings along with beer to go and merchandise will be available to purchase along the way.

For any questions, please email tour designer Bob Lovik at rlovik@hotmail.com. Cheers!"

Microbrew Tastings with The Traverse City Tall Ship Co.
Time: All day
Cost: $50 per person
Venue: Traverse City Tall Ship Co.
Address: 13390 S.W. Bay Shore Dr., Traverse City, MI 49684
Details: "Join us on Sunday evenings aboard the tall ship Manitou (mid-June through Labor Day) for a sampling of superb local beer from Short’s Brewing Company , paired with Traverse City’s own Crusted Creations pizza. For more information please call 231-941-2000 or 800-678-0383. "

Real Time Farms Fundraiser at Jolly Pumpkin
Time: 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Cost: General Admission $45 per person, VIP $150 per person
Venue: Jolly Pumpkin Cafe & Brewery
Address: 311 S. Main St., Ann Arbor, MI
Details: "Get tickets now! We're rockin' it out - join us this Sunday, June 26th at 5:30 for a fundraiser dinner, live auction and live music by Appleseed Collective to support our brave Food Warriors of the local, Real Time Farms, as they document farms and food artisans across the country - we all deserve to know where our food comes from!"

New Holland Beer Dinner at Shanty Creek
Time: 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Cost: $50, all inclusive
Venue: Lakeview Restaurant at Shanty Creek Resort
Address: 5820 Shanty Creek Rd., Bellaire, MI
Details: "First in a series of Beer Dinners at Northern Michigan's beautiful, Shanty Creek Resort. New Holland's Beervangelist will present beer pairings and talk beer with guests.

$50 All Inclusive
For Reservations, call 800.678.4111, extension 7100". To view the menu, click the link above."

Bastone Brewing

2011-06-21T22:32:00.004-04:00

I've written before concerning the trend in Michigan breweries regarding beer and food. Among those that offer both, there's typically two types of establishments: breweries that serve food, and restaurants that make beer. Many times, Michigan breweries seem to focus more on one or the other portions of the food/beer equation, and that's not entirely a bad thing. If every Michigan brewery was the same, there wouldn't be a point to visiting them all, and I'd be out of a hobby. Rarely, however, you will find a place that really combines delicious, original food preparation with the delicate task of making great beer.

Bastone is one of those places.

Located on the corner of Main St and 5^th St in bustling downtown Royal Oak, the Bastone Brewery is named for the Belgian town of Bastogne (slightly massaged into English, of course). The restaurant gives its patrons some front row seating to people watch in one of the most attractive downtowns in Michigan. Inside, the brewery evokes feeling of spacious intimacy, with high ceilings contrasting with private booths and tables. It's comfortable without being claustrophobic.

Outside Seating

Booth Seating

Rockne, being awesome

Downstairs past the nightclub (yeah, they have a nightclub) is Rockne Van Meter's brewing facility. I can say this with confidence: the head brewer of Bastone is one of the hardest working people in the craft brew industry. First, he's the only brewer at Bastone. With no assistant brewers or beer staff, every Bastone beer you drink started as an idea in Van Meter's mind and every step along the process from grain to glass was accomplished solely by Van Meter. Second, the equipment he uses to create his Belgian style beer isn't exactly the most user friendly. Most breweries, for example, use a gravity powered system of tubes to get the freshly created wort from the mash tun to the kettle. Van Meter's too bad ass for that: he transfers the wort manually. With a bucket. Every drop of beer produced at Bastone – all 750 barrels annually – has been lifted by one guy. He is also solely responsible for cleaning every piece of equipment in the facility by hand. In other words...yeah he works a lot harder than you do.

Mash tun on the right

Lucky for us, we get to enjoy the fruits of Van Meter's labor. He's taught himself the tradition of Belgian beer so well that he now prefers that style over other beer styles. Van Meter also brews a great pilsner and an IPA, but he's known for the belgian ales, and his Dubbel and Tripel are excellent examples of his prowess. I admit that the dubbel is not my favorite style of beer: thick, sweet, fruity beers are just not my thing, but Van Meter's is nuanced without being sweet, and malty without tasting like bread. The Tripel somehow masks a 9% abv with a sense of fragility, letting the sweetness and fruitiness play together without being heavy. There's no wonder Bastone wins awards for the beers they serve.

Their food does not disappoint. In fact Bastone is one of the few places that does a fantastic job producing food of a high enough caliber to truly complement the beer, and allow the beer to complement the food.

Laura ordered a cup of their potato leek soup, followed by pan seared scallops and mustard glazed pork loin. While the soup ended up being a bit too creamy for what we were expecting, the taste was bold and delicious, well matched to Bastone's IPA. The scallops were cooked perfectly; there's about a 10 second window between raw scallops, perfect scallops, and rubber scallops, and the chef hit that perfect window. The scallops were seared with leek and tomatoes, making for a great dish that played well with Bastone's Tripel. Her entree was the spectacular mustard glazed pork loin. The thick, stone ground mustard gave the pork loin an aggressive bite, and the apple compote added a sweet balance. All of that made the smooth Bastone Dubbel a perfect pair.

I had the soup of the day, a spicy Southwestern chicken soup in a tomato base which was spicy and full of delicious chunks of chicken. My burger was made of buffalo, cooked medium (exactly how I like my ground meat), topped with Wisconsin Cheddar, garlic aioli and wild mushrooms and served with pommes frites. This was a masterpiece. I'm not super familiar with bison, but I will be ordering it regularly from now on. The ground meat had a smooth texture with a healthy portion of pink inside the burger; the garlic and mushrooms mixed with the sharp cheddar to create a really excellent complement to the meat. I really enjoyed the bite of the IPA with my burger, although the Witface was definitely a close second.

Want to see what the inside looks like?

Oh yeah.

This is a beer blog, so unfortunately I'm not equipped to handle speaking about the sister restaurants tied to Bastone in depth: but I should point out that if beer is not your thing (why are you reading our blog if it is not your thing?), Bastone is right next door to a wine bar called Vinotecca, which offers dozens of wines by the glass, as well as Cafe Habana, a Cuban styled cafe known for its mojitos and margaritas.

Brewmaster Rockne Van Meter works hard to bring Michigan a selection of Belgian inspired beer that could be put up against the best breweries around. The food at Bastone is excellent, and pairs well with the selections Van Meter is pumping out of his basement brewery. The atmosphere is intimate without being confining, and the waitstaff is friendly. I won't be visiting Royal Oak again without making a stop at Bastone Brewing.

More photos available at our Facebook page.

BRU Fest 2011

2011-06-20T20:43:00.003-04:00

How do you turn this:


The Royal Oak Farmers' Market the morning of June 18th.

into this:

The Royal Oak Farmers' Market during BRU Fest on June 18th.

in less than six hours?

Take about 1,000 people, a whole lot of beer, burgers, and chicken wings, and bring them together in the center of the Royal Oak Farmers' Market. But this wasn't your average beer festival; BRU was designed to bring people together with great food and quality craft beer to share their good fortune for the benefit of children and adults affected by leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood related cancers throughout the state of Michigan.

The brainchild of this event was William Seklar, the President and CEO of the Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan. When he pitched the idea to the other partners involved - Bell's Brewery, Bagger Dave's, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Treat Dreams - they were all instantly on board with the idea.

David Munro, left and William Seklar, right

The goal was to get 1,000 in attendance, and it appears that the young demographic that Royal Oak is known for made it the perfect setting for this event. Approximately 600 pre-sale tickets were sold, and the final number at the ticket counter was right around 1,000.

David Munro, the Regional Brewery Representative from Bell's informed us that they supplied 28 half barrels and 4 quarter barrels of 13 different Bell's beers Saturday night: everything from the well-known summer favorite Oberon to Batch 9,000, Batch 10,000, Cherry Stout, and Bell’s Consecrator Doppelbock. The Cherry Stout and Consecrator Doppellbock are usually not available at this time of year and the Batch 9,000 and 10,000 were limited release beers from 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Mark Dizik from Rave Associates handing out some beer samples.

Wings from Buffalo Wild Wings and burgers from Bagger Dave's were available throughout the evening, and were gobbled up as quickly as the cooks could get them out of the kitchen and the wait staff could serve them.

Treat Dreams from Ferndale offered up a surprising dessert menu that was not to be missed - a Bell's Oberon orange sorbet, salted caramel ice cream for making Bell's beer floats, and my personal favorite, a Bell's Cherry Stout ice cream with marshmallows and tart cherries swirled throughout it. DJ Mike Anthony was also on hand to provide musical entertainment for the evening.

Volunteers handing out samples from Treat Dreams

DJ Mike Anthony

Rick Gehlert, Account Manager at Cadillac Coffee Company based in Madison Heights, told us he was approached by two of his clients, Bagger Dave's and Buffalo Wild Wings, with the idea to provide coffee and other refreshments for the designated drivers at the event and was honored to be a part of such a great cause and couldn't refuse the opportunity. Event attendees even received a free sample of coffee from Cadillac when exiting the event.

Rick Gehlert

Judging by the phenomenal success of this inaugural BRU Fest, one can only assume that this will undoubtedly become an annual tradition, so I feel it's pretty safe to say that Seth and I hope to see you at BRU Fest 2012!

In America alone, one child or adult is diagnosed with leukemia every five minutes, and that rate of diagnosis is twice as much as compared to AIDS in the U.S. Leukemia accounts for about a third of cancer cases in children 0-14 years old. The Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan is a statewide nonprofit foundation that helps families by providing financial assistance, information, and emotional support. The foundation was formed in Detroit in 1952 by a group of parents who had been affected by the loss of a child due to leukemia. Over the years it has helped thousands of families fight the life-threatening illness, and has provided over $6.5 million in research dollars to Michigan's comprehensive cancer institutes. For more information or to find out how you can help support this great foundation, visit http://leukemiamichigan.org/.

*The WALK for Leukemia event is scheduled for June 25th in Grand Rapids, and there is still time to sign up and show your support.

More of our photos from this event are available on our Facebook page.

Weekend Beer Events - June 16-19, 2011

2011-06-14T18:35:00.003-04:00

All right, folks! Here are this weekend's beer events you need to know about. Once again, there are a lot of them, so budget your time wisely, my friends. If you know of an event I didn't mention here, please let me know so I can add it to the list!

Thursday, June 16:

Saginaw's Brew at the Zoo
Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Cost: $40 in advance; $45 at the gate
Venue: Children's Zoo at Celebration Square
Address: 1730 S. Washington, Saginaw, MI
Details: Annual fundraiser where attendees will taste samples of Michigan-made beers and wines; enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and music by Marty Viers and the Music Doctors. For more info, visit the link above.

Short's Beer Dinner at Andiamo
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Cost: ?
Venue: Andiamo
Address: 6676 Telegraph Rd., Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48301
Details: Visit the link above to see if Short's has posted more info on their website.

Brew Ha! Ha! featuring Dragonmead
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Cost: $40 plus tax and gratuity (includes tasting of 8 beers, hors d'oeuvres, and live music)
Venue: The Rattlesnake
Address: 300 River Place Dr # 1900, Detroit, MI 48207-5068
Details: "Summer in “The D” continues with our Terrace Tasting Parties! Next up is Dragonmead Brewery from Warren! We’ll be tasting 8 of their acclaimed brews, including the ever-popular Final Absolution (available everyday at The Rattlesnake on our Craft Beer List)!!

Our Chefs will be live-grilling up a few tasty treats, all expertly paired with the featured brews! The rockin’ sounds of The Unusual Suspects will keep the party hot while the river breezes keep you cool!"
"Bring your friends and enjoy an evening at the D's best spot for outdoor dining! Our pergola-covered riverfront terrace will surprise you with our lush Chef's Garden and sweeping view of the Detroit River and city skylines! Call 313-567-4400, ext 6226 to make your reservations today!"

Saugatuck Brewing Company's Sixth Anniversary Party
Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: No cover charge
Venue: Saugatuck Brewing Company
Address: 2948 Blue Star Highway, Douglas, MI 49406
Details: "Yes, its been 6 years since Barry Johnson started up the small start-up brewery across Blue Star Hwy. And almost to the day, we've been at our current location for 3 great years! Come join in the shananigans and help us celebrate with the Last Call Band, a complimentary buffet, $3 beer specials and $6 food specials!"

First Annual Fermentation Fest & Beer Bash
Time: 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: $20 wristband gets you all of the craft beer you wish to taste
Venue: Pizzeria Biga
Address: 29110 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI 48034
Details: "Taste 20 Craft Brewed, Limited Release and One Time only beers featured for your enjoyment. CALL IN ADVANCE TO RESERVE TICKETS (248) 750-2500." For more info, click the link above.

Friday, June 17:

Free Mead Tasting at B. Nektar Meadery
Time: 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Cost: Free
Venue: B. Nektar Meadery
Address: 1505 Jarvis, Suite B, Ferndale, MI 48220
Details: "Mead is one of the oldest forms of fermented beverages. At it’s most basic, mead is a simple wine fermented from honey, water and yeast. B. Nektar’s award-winning meads start with good quality raw honey and then improvise from there.
On the first and 3rd Friday of every month, B. Nektar opens its doors to the public. Taste a wide selection of the meads, talk to our meadmakers about what we do, meet other mead enthusiasts and homebrewers, and see where the magic happens- all for absolutely free. It’s a great time- all that’s missing is you
Our next tasting is this Friday, June 3rd starting at 5:30 pm. It is completely free. We hope to see you there!
http://www.bnektar.com"

Saturday, June 18:

BRU Fest 2011
Time: 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Cost: $35 Advance • $40 At the door -- includes 10 beer tokens, burgers, wings, and gourmet desserts
Venue: Royal Oak Farmers Market
Address: 316 East 11 Mile Road, Royal Oak, MI
Details: "Start with the hottest burgers in town from Bagger Dave’s, toss in the wildest wings from Buffalo Wild Wings, 8 premium craft beers from Michigan’s foremost micro brewery, Bell’s Brewery, then top it off with hot tunes from DJ Mike Anthony, and it all adds up to one rockin’ party … Bru Fest! The best part is that all ticket sales go to benefit the Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan."

Founders Fest 2011
Time: 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Cost: Advance tickets are only $15 for the general public and $10 for 2011 Mug Club Members. Day-of tickets will be $20 for the general public and $15 for 2011 Mug Club Members. *Keep in mind, Founders Fest is strictly 21+.
Venue: Founders (This is an outdoor event)
Address: 235 Grandville Avenue SW. Downtown Grand Rapids, MI
Details: "Our biggest party of the year, celebrating our three greatest loves: the city we live in; our fantastic, critically acclaimed beer; and really awesome music. We shut down the taproom and move the party outside, closing off the streets surrounding the brewery, with a majority of the Fest’s vast expanse taking place on the beautiful brick-paved of Grandville Avenue."

For A LOT more info (including the music lineup and info about all of the bands), visit the link above.

Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellies
Time: 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Cost: No cover charge
Venue: Saugatuck Brewing Company
Address: 2948 Blue Star Highway, Douglas, MI 49406
Details: Oh yeah...great bluegrass pickin', strummin' and vocals. More at www.lindsayloumusic.com

"Lindsay Lou, backed by The Flatbellys, dishes up a style of Americana with a powerful vocal style that recalls Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday." - The Lansing City Pulse

Sunday, June 19:

Father's Day Pig Roast & Cookout at Brewery Vivant
Time: 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Cost: Varies, view the menu at the link above.
Venue: Brewery Vivant
Address: 925 Cherry Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Mad Hatter Birthday Bash

2011-06-12T15:09:00.001-04:00

It doesn't take much for New Holland Brewing Company to find an excuse to throw a party, and believe it or not, Seth and I are okay with that. The IPA that has been a flagship for the brewery since it opened celebrated its birthday in style last night with an Alice in Wonderland-themed bash at their pub in downtown Holland. Outfitted from head-to-toe in Wonderland attire, the staff at New Holland welcomed its guests to celebrate the “Mad Hatter” IPA and sample some special, single-batch variations of the well-known beer, such as Black Hatter (brewed with dark malts), Rye Hatter (with Rye), Farmhouse Hatter (Belgian-style IPA), and even an Oak Aged Hatter (with smoked malts).

Our first beers, the Farmhouse Hatter

The festivities began at 5:00pm with a "Beer and Cheese Smackdown" between Little John (a brewer at New Holland and last year's champion) and Mike Baptista (manager at Zingerman's creamery in Ann Arbor). This popular event challenged the contestants to pair six different cheeses with a beer of his choice, and then voters decided which pairing they liked best. Little John obviously hasn't lost his touch, as he managed to keep his title as Beer and Cheese Smackdown Champion.

Immediately following the beer and cheese event was a Mixology Class led by Spirits Ambassador Rich Blair, featuring classic summer cocktail recipes using fresh local ingredients. An enormous, whimsical cake was on display all day in the decked out pub, before the cutting which aptly occurred at 10:06pm. Illustrator Kyle Bice from the Chicago area was on hand to sign commemorative prints of the labels he designed for this year's four limited edition Hatter beers. The Bike n’ Bar was available for rides around the block, there was a photo booth with plenty of props, along with complimentary tea party snacks and raffle prizes throughout the evening, and music provided by DJ Snax a little later in the evening.

The Bike-n-Bar

Another staff member in a great costume!

The Elvis tap on the back patio where brats, beans, and sautéed onions were all made with beer!

The cake

Illustrator Kyle Bice (center)

Drinks made with Hatter Royale Hopquila were also very popular with people not desiring a beer at this Hatter Day event. In fact, Hatter Royale was created as an experiment for a Hatter Day party a few years back. It is distilled from a barley-wash (unhopped beer), making its origins quite similar to un-oaked whiskey. It is then steeped on hops, before being filtered and bottled. Its dry-hopped character emulates tequila-like characteristics, with refreshing citrus notes.

The Mad Hatter Birthday Bash is an annual event that is definitely not to be missed, but if you couldn't make it out to Holland last night, they're hosting a similar party tonight at Cliff Bell's in Detroit starting at 4pm that will surely be a great time.

Our photo strip from the photo booth

Our signed posters from Kyle Bice

Weekend Beer Events

2011-06-08T20:05:00.001-04:00

All across our great state, from coast to coast and everywhere in the middle, beer events are happening daily. Even when you're pretty closely connected to the local beer scene like Seth and myself, it can be pretty difficult to stay abreast of all the fun activities going on across the state, so I've decided to do a weekly post highlighting the upcoming beer-related events throughout Michigan. So, dust off your drinking hat, hoist up your party pants, and get yourself some great Michigan craft beer with a few friends (or a whole bunch of strangers) -- and please feel free to comment on any other events we may not have heard about!

Thursday, June 9:

ABC Brew Pub – Beer Tasting: Fruit Beers and Ciders
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Cost: $25
Venue: Arbor Brewing Company
Address: Ann Arbor, MI, United States
Details: "At this fun, summertime tasting we’ll be serving up everything from Blueberry Stouts to Cherry Alts, from sweet to sour, and from easy-drinking to big and bold. We’ll select 25-30 of our favorite fruit beer and ciders, pair them with an appetizer buffet, provide style and tasting notes, and top off the night with a door prize drawing. Tastings run 7-9 PM. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 if purchased on tasting day. Advance tickets recommended as tastings often sell out in advance. Call 734-213-1393 to order tickets over the phone."

Friday, June 10:

Short's beer tasting at Whole Foods Ann Arbor (Cranbrook)
Time: 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Cost: Varies -- pints should be about $3
Venue: Whole Foods -- Cranbrook
Address: 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103
Details: Several beers will be on tap and available for tasting, including a Belgian IPA, Chocolate Wheat, Nicie Spicie, and possibly a few more.

Saturday, June 11:

Mad Hatter Birthday Bash at New Holland Brewing Co.
Time: 5:00 pm to 1:00 am
Cost: No cover to get in, various events $5-$10pp, drink specials
Venue: New Holland Brewing Restaurant and Pub
Address: 66 E. 8th St., Holland, MI
Details: "Help us celebrate Mad Hatter’s birthday- Alice in Wonderland style! The fun starts at 5pm with a Beer and Cheese Smackdown followed by a Mixology Class. The Bike n’ Bar will be available for rides, we will have a Photobooth in the house, complimentary Tea Party Snacks and Raffle Prizes throughout the evening. Music provided by DJ Snax from 9pm-1am and we will feature a Mad Hatter birthday cake you will have to see to believe!!! The cake will be on display through the evening with a carving and toast at 10:06pm. There is no cover for this event, no minors allowed after 11pm.
The Beer and Cheese Smackdown will feature our reining champion, brewer Little John vs. Mike Baptista – Creamery Manager – Zingerman’s Creamery. Six different cheeses, 12 different beers- who will this year’s winner be? You be the judge! The Smackdown is from 5-6pm and is $10 per person. Seats are limited- stop by the pub to purchase your ticket today!

The Mixology Class is from 6:30-7:30 and is $5 per person. Join Spirits Ambassador Rich Blair for a Hatter Days Cocktail Seminar. This year we will feature classic summer cocktails, each recipe using fresh local ingredients. Stay cool all summer with refreshing local cocktails!
Pick up your ticket at the pub today- seats are limited!

We are excited to release four new Hatters to the market this year- Black Hatter, Oak Aged Hatter, Farmhouse Hatter, and Rye Hatter. In addition to on tap at the pub, all four Hatters will also be available in 22 oz. bottles. They are limited, single-batch brews and won’t be around for long! Artist, Kyle Bice, will be in attendance signing copies of our new Hatter labels that he designed!"

Dark Horse Brewing Company 10th Annual Crawfish Boil
Time: 3:00 pm to 12:00 am
Cost: Cover at the Door: $20.00 includes all you can eat Crawfish and fixins and 6 live bands - Fixins include corn, potatos, onion, whole garlic, and bread.
Venue: Dark Horse Brewing Company
Address: 511 South Kalamazoo Avenue, Marshall, MI 49068-1718
Details:
"LIVE MUSIC ON 2 STAGES

3pm John Latini - 4:15pm The Whiskey Pickers - 5:30pmThe Beggars -6:45pm The Black Irish - 8pm Brandon Calhoon & 10 pm The JHD

Beer Garten opens at 3p.m. Taproom at 11a.m

21 and over only unless with a parent or Guardian - Children 12 and under $10.00 - Children 6 and under Free -

Door Charge is $20.00 - there is no different charge for people who don't want to eat.

Going to be an awesome experience so come on out and have a blast and party with us!

Check out music at
www.facebook.com/thejhd"

Greenbush Brewing Company's Opening Day!
Time: 12:00 pm until ?
Address: 5885 Sawyer Road, Sawyer, MI 49125
Details: GBC will officially open it's doors and will have beer available to-go by the growler. They have a limited supply of empty growlers, but will fill any one you bring from home for $2 less than the normal price.