The 14th Annual Michigan Summer Beer Festival: A Recap

A bit of the Short's Brewing Co's set up in the "Back Forty"

I’m a Michigander originally and have been attending the Michigan Brewer’s Guild’s winter beer festivals since I could drink beer. This year, I decided to make it a priority to get to the Summer Festival because these events are truly a blast. They allow both amateur and expert beer lovers alike a chance to get a taste of everything Michigan has to offer, all in one setting. Considering the limited distribution and availability of some of these breweries, it’s truly a treat to be able to experience them all together. This was my first summer fest, and it won’t be my last.

Held in Ypsilanti, Michigan, the festival hosts over 60 Michigan breweries large and small. Well known breweries like Bell’s, New Holland, and Dark Horse have nice long lines and lots of special beers on tap. At this particular event, there were six separate Dark Horse tables to accommodate the brews they brought. Alongside these breweries are start-ups like Odd Side Ales from Grand Haven, or brew pub restaurants like Big Rock Chop House. I won’t lie; you’re likely to find a few “dud” breweries mixed in with the great craft beer here. I personally wouldn’t waste a token on someone like Schmoz’s if you can have Short’s instead.

Uh oh, my beer is gone!

It was a hot day Saturday. I arrived about an hour early and was let in within 5 minutes of the start time, despite being somewhat deep into the line. Each ticket affords you 15 three ounce pours, although it’s up to a brewery if they’ll give you a bit more. There was also a lot of great local food at this festival, from some of the breweries as well as other well-known restaurants. It’s important to have a full stomach at an event like this. Since it was about 90 degrees outside plus humidity, I was glad to see ample water stations as well. But let’s get back to what really matters: THE BEER. I have included a full list of what I tried, with links available if possible. I had a few favorites, which I will speak to more now.

Jolly Pumpkin was a favorite of my companion (let’s call him The Wolf). It was hard to get The Wolf away from the Jolly Pumpkin tent, honestly. I think he spent about a third of his tokens there. I can’t really argue with him, though. Jolly Pumpkin has really got a knack for great sour beers.  The Biere de Mars Grand Reserve was a personal favorite of mine at this festival, and a nice change from their white ale, which had originally been my favorite brew of theirs.

I was also incredibly impressed with The Livery. The staff was friendly and helpful when I visited their station, which was located on a gazebo overlooking the river. It was the perfect setting to catch a breeze and try their delicious RuneMeister. I can’t say I am incredibly familiar with imperial pilsners, but this one was balanced, with the honey masking the fact that it was nearly 10%. The Wolf and I were taken aback at how refreshing this imperial draft was and were pretty tempted to make a second trip until we remembered we were late for the tapping of Founders’ Blushing Monk!

Me and the Blushing Monk

If there was any brewery I would most identify with, it’s Founders. I spent my twenty first birthday in their tap room and have continued to love them since that time. So when I heard that I might finally get a chance to try the Blushing Monk, a raspberry beer that is often considered the imperial version of their Rubaeus, I was stoked! Blushing Monk hasn’t been brewed since 2007 and it was just released in very limited amounts this month. Founders’ own staff was only allowed two bottles of the stuff – it’s that limited! I have to say, this beer fully lived up to its reputation. If you’re not typically a fruit beer drinker, this certainly isn’t your typical Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. The deep red color warns of its high fruit content, but the taste is incredible. If beer and seedless raspberry jam ever had a love child, it would be this beer. If you come across it – do not hesitate. Buy it immediately. Then mail it to me.

I want to say a lot more about each of these beers, but I think it would be better for you to experience them for yourselves. I have tried to link each of them to their info on beeradvocate.com or ratebeer.com, but some of them are so limited that you might only find them in the tap room or at one of the Michigan Beer Festivals. Hope to see you all there next summer!

•           Rapunzel Wheat IPA, Arcadia Ales
•           Zaison “Super” Saison, Brewery Vivant
•           PrickPA Prickly Pear IPA, Dark Horse Brewing Company
•           Fore Smoked Stout, Dark Horse Brewing Company
•           Cashew Mountain Brown, Founders Brewing Company
•           Blushing Monk, Founders Brewing Company
•           Biere de Mars Grand Reserve, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
•           Calabaza Blanca with Hibiscus, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
•           Noel de Calabaza, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
•           Big Shoal Bay Summer Brown, Lily’s Seafood Grill and Brewery
•           RuneMeister Imperial Honey Pilsner, The Livery
•           Bier Munro Rye IPA, The Livery
•           Railyard Raspberry Wheat, Mount Pleasant Brewing Company
•           Archangel Summer Wheat, North Peak Production Company
•           Fig Brewton, Odd Side Ales
•           440 Pepper Smoker, Original Gravity Brewing Company
•           Dan’s Pink Skirt Ale, Short’s Brewing Company
•           Alter Spalter, Short’s Brewing Company

Myself with "Chug" of Odd Side Ales and Siciliano's Market and "The Wolf"

The Pros and Cons of Canned Craft Beer

For seasoned craft beer drinkers or even newer folks like myself, it can be hard to get away from the stereotype that good craft beer only comes in bottles. Some craft breweries have caught on to the idea of cans already, but overall, when I roam through my favorite beer shops, its filled with an overwhelming amount of bottles. There are many reasons for this. One reason being that small breweries or new breweries can often find good deals on used bottling line equipment to get production started. This was the case for Arcadia Ales out of Battle Creek, Michigan to name one example, and I'm sure many others. But now, we're starting to see a trend in canned craft beer that I can't deny my excitement for.

There are a lot of arguments regarding the economic impact of bottling versus canning. It is my understanding that if recycling programs didn't exist, bottles would be much more cost effective and would impact the environment quite a bit less. The mining of bauxite, the aluminum ore chiefly responsible for the cans you drink out of, is pretty land scarring. Additionally, it takes nearly twice as much energy to mine and manufacture bauxite into a can as it does to turn silica into a glass bottle. Why am I arguing for cans, then, you ask? Because recycling does exist, and that really changes things.

Recycling programs allow both cans and bottles to be repurposed and turned into new cans and bottles (among other things). That should be old news to all of my readers. What you may not know is that around 40% of an aluminum can can be recycled, while only about 20-30% of a glass bottle can be repurposed. Additionally. the energy savings you accumulate by recycling a ton of aluminum cans is much higher than when you recycle glass. There is nearly 96% energy savings accumulated in recycling a ton of aluminum, while glass only yields around 26%. While recycling only accounts for a portion of can and bottle production, there is a significant amount of energy saved per can.

There are many non-environmental arguments for canned beer. A lot of public areas (where drinking is legal, of course) still prohibit glass bottles. Unless you want to pony up to a case of Natty Light like my roommates, I think you'll be thanking craft breweries for switching to cans when you hit your favorite park or beach this summer. Safety is another factor. Cans aren't danger free, but it's more likely that you cut yourself on broken glass. Plus, I've never heard of anyone breaking an aluminum can over someone's head in a bar fight. You can't easily skunk a beer in an aluminum can, but the light damage to beer stored in clear or green bottles can. Cans are versatile, and they also allow for breweries to get creative with new labels as they adapt from paper versions to printing direct on aluminum.

I can't deny that bottles trump cans in some cases. For example, you can't acheive the same elegance for an anniversary ale or limited edition brew if you store it in a deuce rather than a 750ml bottle. Additionally, many breweries haven't taken the plunge with canned beer yet, so you may not be able to get some of your favorites in a bottle. On the flipside, newer breweries such as Brewery Vivant out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, distribute strictly from cans. You can read their argument (perhaps a little more can-biased that this post) here. The main point I'd like to stress here is that everyone should be open to the idea of craft beer, regardless of its container. Happy drinking!

A Beer Drinking Social Network

To me, that almost sounds redundant.

A love for beer has many consequences. Primarily, beer creates the opportunity to make friends. I’ve made this argument before. But that social network came about at the advent of beer, and has, until recently, remained somewhat muted online. Now, there are more ways than ever to use the “information superhighway” to further our passion for all things fermented.

I can’t pretend that I’ve searched every nook and cranny to find every beer-related source online. But here are a few that I think are truly neat.

Untappd

Untappd is a fusion of all things I like about social media, and tailored specifically to beer geeks. It’s a social network for sharing your beers. For me, it helps me track things I’ve tasted and enjoyed in a passive, easy way. With access on the web and on any mobile platform with a browser, uptappd.com lets you check in, rate, and share the beer you’re enjoying. Additionally, you can earn fun badges for your progress. While I’m relatively new to Uptappd, I can’t wait to keep using it to discover more beer, meet fellow enthusiasts, and collect badges like a grown-up girl scout.

Check out the video below from Brad Chmielewski (@beerad on Twitter) to learn more about Untappd.


Untappd - Drink Socially from Brad Chmielewski on Vimeo.

Google +

No, Google + wasn’t created specifically for beer. But it’s a great platform for sharing information. If you haven’t joined yet, you can leave your email address here and I will send you an invite. While the bugs aren’t fully worked out yet, Google + offers very easy management of the groups you follow and share information. So if you love beer, you can create a “circle” for it and follow all your beer friends – virtual or otherwise. You can keep your personal information for your family and close friends, and still get a ton of great information, news, and event invites related to any of your interests (but most especially, beer).

Blogs

Siciliano's Market: The Buzz

Cleveland Food and Brews

Clearly, you’re aware of this medium, or you wouldn’t be here. But I’d like to take a quick minute to point out some of the blogs I follow. You can see the list to your right.

So…there’s a lot to be excited about online when it comes to beer. Don’t forget that you can also check out many of your favorite microbreweries, brewers, and beer evangelists on Twitter (you can find me @emilygremily), Facebook, Tumblr, and more.

The Fort at Ponshewaing - Up North Beer Paradise

Finding a truly great beer store can be a difficult process. After moving to Cleveland last spring, I heavily relied on Beer Advocate to guide me to the most hidden and well-stocked beer stores in Northeast Ohio. But Cleveland is also a large city, so even its specialty groceries like Heinen’s are deliciously stockpiled. That is not the case in Northern Michigan, where many towns are so small that they don’t have a grocery store. So imagine my concern when, on my drive through Indian River, Michigan (population 2000), I received a text from the friend I was on my way to visit: bring more beer.

I thought for certain I’d be stuck snagging a case of PBR or comparable. With no instruction as to where to pick up this additional beer, I was flying blind. My co-pilot also had limited knowledge of the area. As we cruised down M-86, things looked desperate. But I was so wrong.

“DRAGON’S MILK” a sign proclaimed, just under a larger sign, calling out “The Fort at Ponshewaing”. The place looked quaint, and I was surprised to see it still open right around 10 P.M. I pulled a hard left to enter the parking lot, nearly giving my driving companion whiplash. I had to see what this place had to offer.

Upon entering, it was Up North paradise embodied. The store was clean but very homely, and a friendly woman was behind the counter. Their wine and liquor selection lined most of the shelves, while a majority of their beer was in the back, refrigerated. Considering we were only 10 minutes from our final destination and a bonfire, I appreciated that almost everything I wanted came pre-chilled. While the store boasted 275+ varieties of beer, I don’t think they had that much in stock. Regardless, they did have some treasures. Being less than an hour away from Short’s Brewery, I was excited to see a nice selection of their beer, sold in Michigan only. A lot of Michigan favorites were there, including Bell’s, Arcadia, Dark Horse, Mt. Pleasant, and many more. The store offers mixed six packs, so I was able to bring a larger selection to the bonfire.

I should note that they had a pretty nice “big bottle” selection, and these come both chilled or straight off the shelves. I didn’t snag anything from there, but I would recommend taking a look at what they offer – you’d find some real gems.

Once I finally narrowed it down to a few different brews, I had a nice chat with the salesperson. She was incredibly friendly and pretty knowledgeable about what I was purchasing. I find this is always nice, because I often will buy a few random beers I’ve never heard of. It was nice to get a second opinion before dropping about $2 a bottle.

While I know that not all of my readership will be heading to the northernmost regions of the Lower Peninsula, I felt that it was my duty to spread the word about this diamond in the rough of a beer store. I highly recommend you plan it into another northern Michigan vacations you have planned this summer. Cheers!

Michigan Beer & Vacation Recap

The blog’s been a little quiet, which I’m hoping won’t become a trend. Reason being, I finally took a vacation. If you don’t know already, I’m a transplanted Clevelander – originally from West Michigan. The adjustment wasn’t too difficult – moving from one area ripe with craft beer to another. For my extended Fourth of July weekend, I headed back to my native land for a lot of lakes, laughs, and oh yeah…beer.

Foolishly, I didn’t stock up for beer before heading to Michigan. This may seem like no big deal because Michigan is so well known for its breweries. However, I was headed to Harbor Springs, Michigan – way up at the top of the Lower Peninsula. Luckily, I was saved by some stroke of grace. Just as the words had left my travel companion’s mouth about how we’d never find good beer in such a remote area, I saw a sign from heaven. Or from the beer gods, anyways. “DRAGON’S MILK” it proclaimed. I nearly gave my co-pilot whiplash as I swerved into the parking lot of The Fort of Ponshewaing – a quaint little store boasting over 275 varieties of beer.  I fully plan on going into more detail about my experience there in a future post, so I’ll press onward by saying that I found some great Michigan beers, as well as some out-of-state favorites.

Harbor Springs was beautiful and gave me an opportunity to knock back a few brews, including the Oarsman Ale by Bell’s, Dark Horse Raspberry Ale, and a few others. Nothing really says summer for me quite like sitting around a campfire with some friends, sipping some quality brewed beer. That is, unless you tempt me with 80’s music and darts.

My journey took me just there. After departing from Harbor Springs, I headed back to Grand Rapids, where I hail from originally. That is where my love of craft beer began. Situated so close to Founder’s, Bell’s, and New Holland, its hard NOT to fall in love with beer.  Immediately upon arrival, I met up with my favorite home brewer, affectionately called The Yeti. He and I peeled through a few beers while we danced like fools to 80’s music and attempted to play darts (I’m awful, for the record) with another fellow beer lover. It was an exciting chance to show The Yeti some Cleveland-brewed beer that he can’t get at home – Indigo Imp’s Blonde Bombshell. In exchange for my gift from Ohio, I was allowed a few sips of Founder’s Devil Dancer, a delicious triple IPA that packs quite a punch and flies off the shelves. If you can find it near you, I strongly suggest you pick up a bottle or six. 

Next, I headed back to The Yeti Cave to check out a few beers that he had brewed with his roommates. While I wasn’t able to try anything he brewed himself, I did have an amazing oatmeal stout. Nearly as impressive as the beer was their Kegerator, which is pictured on the left. Seven taps of homebrewed goodness flows on the regular in the basement. If any of my readers have a kegerator of their own, I’d love to hear about it (or try it out!). But seriously, if you own a kegerator, you should consider entering this contest.

The weekend sailed onward with more outdoor fun, a trip to the local artisan’s market, and a delicious treat from Short’s Brewery – the Black Licorice Lager. Let me preface this by admitting my biases – I personally dislike the taste of black licorice. Furthermore, lagers are one of my least favorite styles of beer – typically because there isn’t much to them. However, as usual, Short’s took an interesting idea with tons of potential to fail and made something truly beautiful. The lager is lighter on the anise – the flavor that turns me off to black licorice candy, and had great notes of the chocolate mint leaves they used for flavoring. It was refreshing, not too sweet, and certainly one of my favorite lagers to date.

As the vacation drew to a close, I knew I had to get some fireworks in. Sunday, a good friend was kind enough to invite me along to a family get together on Big Pine Island Lake. There, I enjoyed some delicious food and beverage, including a Moose Drool Brown Ale from Big Sky Brewing. Even more fortuitously, I got to enjoy the brew while viewing the sunset pictured at the right. 

The last thing I did on my way out of town was stop at my former local beer store, which has recently expanded. I’m hoping to cover that more once I can snap some pictures, but let me just say (again) that I highly recommend stopping into Siciliano’s Market if you ever want anything beer, wine, bread, disc golf, cigar, or tea related and are even remotely near the store. I’m mentioning them now for a few reasons other reasons. First, they are hosting the kegerator contest I mentioned above. Secondly, they not only have one of the best beer selections around – but they have homebrew supplies as well. And lastly, they have a greatly expanded book selection – where I finally bought one of my favorite beer reads, “Tasting Beer” by Randy Mosher.

Anyways, I’m now in somewhat of a post-vacation depression, but at least I have a nice selection of rare beers in my fridge and some great memories of my travels. Cheers!