Rochester Mills shares it’s birthday (June 19th) with Rob and I’m sure both of them will be enjoying a huge blow-out tonight. Here is the details from an email Eric sent out on the Rochester Mills Beer Company’s 10th Anniversary Beach Party…
June 19th
$1.50 pints (mugs) 11:30am - 4pm
$3.00 pints (mugs) 4pm - close
Live music from 4pm - close
Mechanical surfboard 4pm - 10pm
Food and drink specials all day
Pig roast (3 of them) available starting early afternoon
10th Anniversary Barley Wine NOW ON TAP!
Special tapping of Bourbon Barrel Barleywine at 6pm (free samples)
Commemorative 6-packs featuring 5 cans of Lazy Daze and 1 can of Barley Wine
Beach dance floor
Stop by for a little while or hang around all day. The beer prices apply to the Barley Wine today also! Hope to see you soon.
Eric Briggeman and the people at Rochester Mills are fantastic host and I know if you make the trip to there, you will have a great time.
Posted in Beer Event, Michgan products 
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June 16, 2008 by Rob
By: Mary Bergin - The Capitol Times - Madison, WI
St. Louis, home to the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Co., wanted it. Milwaukee, home to Miller, Pabst, Schlitz and Blatz beer, wanted it.
But the National Brewery Museum turned down both Midwestern brew-hubs and will instead be opening in the tiny town of Potosi, Wis., on June 19, with the official grand opening celebration on July 5.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
*Article tip from: Brian Richards. Thanks!
Posted in Beer News 1 Comment »
McGeady’s Town Pub has added some beer to their menu. Two Detroit Breweries are now available. You can go to Monroe’s downtown and enjoy a Detroit Dwarf from Detroit Beer Co or 2 different ales from Atwater Brewery. One of the Atwater ales they have there is the Vanilla Java Porter. Last night, we went and the VJP was my dessert. In my opinion it is one of the best beers that Atwater brews. Since the new owners have taken over the beer selection has improved. The beer is also reasonably priced. They even have discounts on their beer. Gone are the days when this place was nicknamed McGreedy’s.
129 Lounge is still this best bar to get MI beer in Monroe. Although, since I went out after work 3 Fridays in a row in May their supplies have dwindled. I know that no one at 129 will read this but PLEASE, BRING BACK POET STOUT! It is my session beer.
Now, if we can only get Michigan Bar and Grill or Pete’s Garage on board with selling MI beer we might end up with a nice little beer community in this town. They won’t though. The server at MB&G said they have no room in their refrigerator for MI beer. I guess it is too full of 20 different kinds of lagers. It is frustrating when chain places like Buffalo Wild Wings has a better local beer selection than a local restaurant. I am real close to not returning to either of those places until they serve craft beer from the state where they made a lot of money in.
Well, what started as a small post about a local bar selling some local beer turned ugly toward the end. Sometimes, it is nice just to have a place to vent your frustrations with things around you. Believe me, I am thankful that this is the biggest frustration in my life. This post should be on a whine blog and not a beer blog. Thanks for taking that detour with me.
Posted in Beer Bar 6 Comments »
June 13, 2008 by Rob
You heard right. 100.3 WNIC has these specials every so often where you purchase a $50.00 gift card for half the price. I was speculative at first, but purchased one from them to a restaurant in Wyandotte. It worked! My wife and I had a great meal, and I probably spent half of the card on yummy beers.
This offer is too good to pass up. The card is valid for both food and drink, so you could just use the $50.00 toward good beers on tap at Ashley’s, or, head up for some good beers and a meal. Whichever, it’s a heck of a deal.
The suggestion is to use the gift card at the Westland location only. I’m not sure if they are marked this way, but if not, I’m sure they could be used at any of the locations. My guess is they are trying to drive some traffic to Westland. Either way, the way I look at it is: $25.00 free beer. 
Click here - $50.00 Ashley’s Gift Card for $25.00!
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“Now Apu, Mrs. Simpson claims that she ‘forgot’ that bottle of… delicious… bourbon. Brownest of the brown liquors… so tempting. [Holds the bottle to his ear and whispers] What’s that? You want me to drink you? But I’m in the middle of a trial! [puts it down] Excuse me.”
- Lionel Hutz, The Simpsons
I was trying to avoid featuring two beers from the same brewery in a row. My excuse for breaking this rule is that I 
have only one of this beer and I want to drink it now. I just got FKB from Rob last week and I can’t wait any longer to open it up!
Kentucky Breakfast is recognized as one of the top beers in the world. It is made right here in our state. This beer is one of the reasons why Michigan is quickly getting the reputation as a “Great Beer State”.
Beer: Founder’s Kentucky Breakfast
Brewery: Founder’s, Grand Rapids, MI
Availability: Quarterly (limited production, pre-order only)
Style: 22C Wood Aged Beer
Beer Advocate Rating: A+, This beer is ranked #6 in the world according to BA.
ABV: 10% IBU: 25
Serving Temperature:42 degrees Fahrenheit according to Founder’s website. I think you can serve this up to 50 degrees.
Food Pairing: This is a great beer to eat with cheese. BA recommends more of a buttery cheese. That is not my style, I would put a burger made of ground sirloin on the grill and finish it with Gouda, kalamata olives, and caramelized onions with a little steak sauce. Really, it would be awesome with any grilled meat. Sarah and I made a dish last year which consisted of sliced venison encrusted with cracked peppercorn and then pan fried with a chili/beer dipping sauce. That meal and this beer would be an awesome combination.
Appearance: The body is black with a halo of light brown head. An island of carbonation lingers in the center. As I twirl it I can see the legs cling to the glass - a visual representation of the ABV that I am about to imbibe.
Aroma: Right away the scent of bourbon hits you. Yet, there are hints of coffee and vanilla. (They don’t call this beer Kentucky Breakfast for nothing.)
Taste and Mouthfeel: I think the sign of any great oak aged high alcohol beer is that you feel the alcohol but you don’t taste the alcohol. This what this beer has. The bourbon flavor is unmistakable with a slight under current of coffee. Some fruity flavors and vanilla come through closer to the finish. I’m getting a strong bourbon taste through the finish. The mouthfeel is heavy and lulls your tastebuds into a relaxation with little or no carbonation. The beer also stays in your mouth letting you taste it for an extended period. That is what you want out of a sipping beer. Once the flavor leaves, you will know that it is time for another sip.
Overall Impression: What can you say about one of the world’s great beers? You know what you are going to drink so the anticipation can cause you to feel disappointment. Not here. It is an outstanding representation of this style. It has the taste and aroma of the oak aged bourbon, and yet it doesn’t overwhelm the stout flavors.
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June 11, 2008 by Rob
I got the call yesterday from Brad Sancho letting me know Monroe County’s only brewery was now open for business. I called a few friends and headed up right after work.
The place looks awesome and the beer is excellent. The patio area is going to be a great summer hangout, complete with the long picnic tables straight from Leopold Bros in Ann Arbor.
Right now, Brad said they don’t have the food (sandwich’s) ready for serving, but will in a couple of weeks. He gave me the list of sandwich’s they’re going to be serving, and I was drooling after reading it. The first one I’m going to try is the BBQ Bologna. Others include: Buffalo Chicken, Rosemary Ham and Provolone, Smoked Turkey, Ham and Cheese, Pastrami Reuben, Pastrami, Turkey and Guacamole, Italian, Veggie, Grilled Cheese, Nutella and Banana and Peanut Butter and Jam. All sandwiches served on deli style panini bread and include chips and a pickle. Drooling yet?!
The Beers! I almost forgot. There are four choices right now, and Brad plans on brewing some experimental batches to test out. For example, when he opened Saturday, he had a keg of his Belgian with orange tic-tacs added to it. The beer tasted so good, the folks that were there blasted through it, and didn’t save any for us! The lineup now includes: Belgian, Bitter, Porter and an Amber. I had a tough time picking my favorite, but I really liked the Belgian and the Amber. The best bet is to try a sampler to find out which one is your favorite. If you really like one, you can buy an Original Gravity growler for $12 and refill it on your next visit for $8.
The hours are currently 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., but in a couple weeks, will shift to 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Hope to see you all there!
- Click here to see some more photos.
- Click here for a Previous Beer Buzz article on Original Gravity
- Click here for OGbrewing.com
Posted in Beer News, Brewery/Brewpub 5 Comments »
June 9, 2008 by Rob
Wheatstock ‘08
June 9-14 New beers released each night @ 8 p.m.
Fort Street Brewery
1660 Fort St. Lincoln Park, MI
www.fortstreetbeer.com
Wheatstock is a celebration of wheat beers. Six days, seven different wheat beers. While we don’t include every wheat beer style, and do include some unrecognized styles, we feel that Wheatstock presents a great variet of flavors. For lovers of wheat beers, or anyone curious about the different wheat beer styles, Wheatstock is for you!
Monday: Good Vibes Weizenbock
A little known beer out of Germany that was heavily influenced by the popular bock beers. They combine the rich maltiness of bocks with the refreshing banana flavors of the weizen yeast strains. ABV=7.75%
Tuesday: Wheat Love, American Style
This beer describes it’s style as German with an American twist. Similar to traditional German weizen beers, but with less of the typical banana and clove flavor. ABV=5.9%
Wednesday: Groovalicious Lemon Wit
This beer calls it’s taste Belgian Americana. Truly innovative, with a refresh-ness that could make this beer an eventual headliner. Brewed like a Belgian witbier, which normally uses orange peel as an ingredient, but with lemon peel instead.
Thursday: Summer Sunsation IV
The headlining act of Wheatstock, making it’s fourth appearance, albeit with a different line-up each year. Made with 50% malted wheat, sweet orange peel, blueberries and fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. This beer seeks to make you forget every bad thing your mother ever told you about fruit beers. ABV=5.25
He Ain’t Hefe, He’s My Brotha’
A standard German-style hefeweizen with it’s amps turned up to 8, as in percent ABV!
Friday: Psychedelic Wheat
Comprised of ingredients that previously made up Summer Sunsation, this beer splintered off to do their own thing. Made with the same base as the Summer Sensation IV, minus the blueberries and fermented with a spicy Belgian yeast strain. A very unique taste that will have you trippin’.
Saturday: Flower Power
This German-style wheat beer seeks to carve out a name for itself by incorporating all of the classic influences, but with the addition of Tupelo honey, which is both spicy and exotic. ABV=7%.
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”Alcohol is a way of life. Alcohol is my way of life, and I aim to keep it.” - Homer Simpson
Once again people will say “in the old time, it was not a crime”. Why am I quoting Gogol Bordello? Because in London it is now a crime to drink on the tube. Also because fellow-blogger Chibebrau once worked in The Clash and MST3K into one post and it inspired me. One day I hope to throw in more references in one post than the Beastie Boys in their song “Shadrach.”
I’m sure most of you know by now, a party broke out throughout the London Underground last week. Shockingly, up to June 2008 it was legal for people to drink in the London subway system. How do you protest banning alcohol on the Tube? Of course by throwing one of the biggest parties ever - ON THE TUBE. Thousands of drinkers gathered in stations and trains. I guess only 17 were arrested. Not too bad, although 6 stations needed to be shut down because the partying was so disruptive. I have to admit that this party might have been too loud and wild for me. If you want to check it out here is a link to YouTube. The real question is, one day when the revelers sit their grandchildren on their knee will they be able to say’ “I was a part of one of the biggest parties ever”. Not according to the good people at Mental Floss.
In last year’s Mental Floss Top Ten issue, they compiled “10 Historic Drinking Stories That Put Yours to Shame”. The article is very funny with stories that run the gamut from extravagant parties to just plain being over-served. CNN.com reduced the ten down to five. Click here if you want to check out some of the stories that made the list. One of the best stories is 1814’s Meux’s Horse Shoe Brewery in London ruptured vat. Once you read it you see why this story puts last week’s London Underground party to shame. I always enjoy these types of stories. They prove that idiocy wasn’t invented by the generation after yours and that idiocy is a fundamental right of the human race.
Signed,
One of the proud idiots of the human race.
Posted in Beer History, Beer News, Uncategorized No Comments »
I came across this cool article in the April 7th 1933 Monroe Evening News. Since this year is the 75th anniversary of the end of prohibition, I figured why not post it? The story is about when certain states amended the Volstead Act. Remember this list is as of April 7th, 1933.
3.2 beer went on sale on April 7th, 1933 in: District of Columbia, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware (in Wilmington only), Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Dates have been set for the sale in the following seven states: Louisiana, April 13; Maine, June 10; North Carolina, May 1; North Dakota, July 1; Vermont, May 1; West Virginia, June 8; Wyoming, May 18.
Legislative or other action still pending in these 15 states: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, and South Carolina.
Beer legislation has failed in these three states: Arkansas, Georgia, and Idaho.
No action taken in these 4 states: Kansas, Mississippi, Utah, and Virginia.
Sale subject to referendum in 1934 for this state: South Dakota.
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June 4, 2008 by jnaz
Larry Bell becomes a farmer.
A subsidiary of Bell’s Brewery Inc., called Bell’s Brewery Farms LLC, purchased an 80-acre farm in Shephard.
That barley will most likely be used for a new specialty brew, Bell said.
http://appellationbeer.com/blog/larry-bell-brewer-and-now-farmer
Posted in Beer News, Brewery/Brewpub, Michgan products No Comments »
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