Cranker’s Brewery | Fifth Voyage

Since moving out to a lake, my dad divides his life between Ski Season (meaning winter) and Other Ski Season (meaning there’s no ice and he can water ski/wake board). … Read More

Brewery Showcase | Keweenaw Brewing Company (Houghton, MI)

There must be a phrase (I’m assuming in German) for the relief felt when seeing the chaliced lines of a passing lane. This would be a feeling I don’t have often; driving … Read More

Cheboygan Brewing Company | Blood Orange Honey

Photo credit: Alicia Lemorie, Cheboygan Brewing Company

5.7% ABV

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Event Preview | Third Annual Festival of the Angry Bear

Northern Michigan practices a winter amnesia that convinces us November through March wasn’t all that bad. It’s moronic and ignorant and we buy it in bulk and then we stay here. By June or July, rarely any of us can remember what the official first day of spring would have been, whether it was mid-April or late-March, or that one person who reminds us February once hit 60. That person is an optimist and Machiavellian.

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Short’s Brewery to Distribute in Illinois Come March 4

Short’s Brewing broke the news a couple weeks ago about their intentions to begin distributing outside of Michigan for the first time. They would head to Pennsylvania and Illinois within the near future, exciting many Chicagoans at no longer having to make the trek to New Buffalo, MI for their Short’s fix.

With Pennsylvania already receiving their first shipments of Short’s, many Chicago fans were anxiously awaiting their own fix. Well, it appears now that all the Illinois distributors have been solidified, and Chicagoans can expect their first taste of Short’s beers on March 4^th! Read More

Cooking with Beer | Dragon’s Chili

It’s the NFL Super Bowl – aka time to get your chili game strong. Check out this recipe for New Holland Brewery’s Dragon’s Milk infused pork green chili. You won’t be disappointed, even if your team loses.

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Wasatch Brew Pub | Ginger, Apple, Wheat Ale

4% ABV

When I headed to my hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan for Christmas, a town so steeped in its microbrew culture that it has a semi-pro baseball team called the Growlers, I’d planned to write a beer showcase from Bell’s Brewing’s Eccentric Café, my old college stomping ground. But then I got to Bell’s and saddled up to the bar with some old friends. Read More

Bell’s Brewery | Christmas Ale

I know what you’re thinking: “Christmas is over. Why are you still talking about a Christmas beer?” Because Bell’s Christmas Ale is an incredibly light and sessionable beer to savor during the cold months, and a perfect beer to drink beyond the merry holiday. While a lot of other winter warmers and dark beers made for this season are heavy in their ABV and body, this Christmas Ale is nothing what you’d expect.

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Literary Beer Collection | Halloween Edition

I am excited to bring you a second edition of the Literary Beers series. Can we call it a series now that there is more than one? Meh, who is counting… I lost count long ago.

This edition of Literary Beers will focus on stories/brews that are centered around Halloween.  I have scoured retail shelves and library catalogs to find you the most intriguing and haunting of literary brewing collaborations. So, light a candle and grab a pumpkin ale because this is about to get real!

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Festival Recap | Augusta Beerfest 2015

The 2nd Annual Augusta Beerfest was full of fun and flavor this year. There were dozens of breweries showcasing their most popular beers. Imbibers had over 100 beers to to sample and enjoy throughout each session. A few vendors were present displaying products and explaining their business concepts to the inquisitive passerby. All-in-all,  this was a successful festival that remains the only show in town for the second year running.

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Founders Brewing Co. | Porter

ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 45

If you’ve been to the Founders taproom – particularly on a Monday for $3 pint night – in Grand Rapids, MI, you know it’s a lively, friendly place. Chalkboard beer lists hang over the long wooden bar that’s almost always packed with people jostling to get closer to the rotating taps. Outside on the deck, tables and benches are organized around large fire pits that enable guests to enjoy their beer outdoors even during harsh Michigan winters. The Founders taproom is, in fact, my favorite place to visit and catch up with friends and family when I return to my hometown for the holidays. On a typical trip, I spend at least one night each weekend in the comforting arms of my favorite brews like the namesake of this article, the Founders Porter. It’s a plan that works well, as it enables me to combine my favorite people with my favorite brewery.

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Bell’s Brewing Co. | Mars – The Bringer of War

ABV: 10.1% | IBU: 100

It is my pleasure to introduce you to the first of what is going to be an incredible beer series, Bell’s Mars – The Bringer of War. A roaring Double IPA that is the first brew to roll out of Bell’s Brewing Co. “Planets Series”. A series that has been inspired by Gustav Holst’s seven-movement orchestral suite, “The Planets.” As a fundraiser for the arts and consumer of higher quality beer, my passions are colliding in this deliciously tasteful work of art known as the Planet Series.
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New Holland Brewing Co. | Dragon’s Milk

Like many of my friends, I have hit a wall when trying to figure out when George R. R. Martin will be coming out with Winds of Winter (Book 6 … Read More

Founders Brewing | Breakfast Stout

ABV: 8.3% | IBU: 60

I used to think this brew was best poured into a wide base tulip on a cool summer’s evening. I have changed my mind. This breakfast beer is best served with breakfast. It’s a big beer but not too big. Grab a mug, pour a Founders Brewing Breakfast Stout and grab a slice of coffee cake. Take a seat on your front/back porch with the morning paper. It’s time for breakfast the way it was intended.

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