I find myself bugging my roommates a lot about beer-related events. At this point, I’m amazed they don’t immediately roll their eyes whenever I say something like, “so there’s this beer thing happening…”
Imagine my delight when my roomie Sarah told me about an event at Gold Star Beer Counter in Brooklyn! As a native Chicagoan, she was excited to see that they were celebrating the debut of Rainbow Never Ends, a double IPA brewed collaboratively by Chicago’s Half Acre and Brooklyn’s Other Half. As Other Half happens to be one of my favorite breweries, I couldn’t resist. Even better, my two other roomies agreed to come along!
Gold Star Beer Counter is an adorable bar. As you can see from the picture above, it was full to bursting when we arrived. We still managed to weasel our way up to the bar to get our first beers of the night. Eventually, the crowd parted and we were able to snag one of only three tables. I think the beer gods were listening to me; moments earlier, I’d been complaining that I had nowhere to set down my beer so I could take pictures.
Note the crowd, and the bottles! All the bottles!
Sarah started out with Rainbow Never Ends, since it was the belle of the ball that night. It was a nice double IPA full of hoppy goodness, and deceptively light for an 8.5% beer. It ended on an herbal syrupy note that wasn’t overly bitter. Delightful!
My own beer was also a delight. Since I’d never had Half Acre’s beers before, I decided to start off with their Freedom of ’78. This IPA was brewed with guava – if you have an IPA brewed with tropical fruit on your menu, you can bet I’m going to order it. There was so much guava in this, you guys. It was essentially a hopped, alcoholic guava soda and I loved it.
That’s the Freedom of ’78 in front, and the Rainbow Never Ends in the background.
For my second beer, I decided to go against my usual preferences and try Half Acre’s Gin Barrel Aged Pony Pilsner. I’m definitely not typically a pilsner drinker. I find a lot of them have a distinct, off-putting aftertaste. the Pony Pilsner doesn’t have that. The gin comes through loud and clear, and it has lots of herbal and floral elements. Looking for a gin and tonic with the body of a beer? This is your pony. (I now have Ginuwine’s Pony stuck in my head. Again.)
ride it, my pony/my saddle’s waiting, come on and jump on this tasty beer
At this point, Sarah and I were getting peckish. Beer cheese to the rescue! Even better, it was made with Daisy Cutter, Half Acre’s flagship pale all. It was indeed very beery, a little spicy, and wonderfully delicious. It was also served with an entire sleeve of Ritz crackers for only $6!
And that, my friends, is called winning.
At that point, my two other roommates decided to be responsible adults and call it a night. Sarah and I decided that we had more beer to drink! I stopped taking notes at this point, so I can’t say much about the other beers we tried. However, I did have a sip of Other Half’s Peachwood Aged, which was very surprising. It tasted like peaches, champagne, and diamonds. Just one sip made me feel like I was dripping in jewels.
We ended up befriending the people next to us, and they very kindly let us try some of their beers. At one point, they left a full bottle of stout sitting on their table while they all drunkenly migrated to the bar. I may have stolen an extra pour or two.
Guilty as charged. Whoops!
My beer-thieving ways are usually a sign it’s time to go home. So after making a few more friends, off we went to the subway! One ill-advised (but amazing) pizza stop later, we were home. Another night of wonderful beeriness accomplished. Miraculously, I even avoided impulse-buying any bottles – although I can’t promise that it won’t happen in the very near future.
Bed-Stuy isn’t typically a neighborhood you’d associate with craft beer, despite the hints of gentrification in the form of new coffee shops and French bistros (There’s two within a five block radius on Malcolm X. Two!). Which is why I was ecstatic when The Wilky opened up on Patchen this past winter. 18 taps? Check! 10 minute walk from my apartment? Check! Frequent special events and tap takeovers? Ultra check!
I’ve been here for a few special Wednesdays before – particularly notable was the Goose Island Bourbon Country Vertical Tasting, where they served three vintages of the renowned imperial stout.
Also one of the owners took a picture of us that would have been totally adorable if my eyes weren’t closed. (photo by Jimmy Fisher)
This week, The Wilky showed its local pride with a line-up that exclusively featured beers from Brooklyn. Most of them were already breweries I know and love, like Other Half and Evil Twin. However, a few of the names were still unfamiliar – so that’s where I started, with a nice glass of Folksbier’s Selvina. (Apologies for the terrible photography, I don’t have access to a decent camera at the moment.)
Folksbier Selvina – Bière de Garde/Alsatian Farmhouse Ale, 7.5%
This one’s brewed with rose hips! That floral goodness comes out slightly on the aroma, which is mostly the scent of a freshly baked banana muffin. On the taste, that Belgian banana yeastiness hit me first, and kept building. After a few sips, it died down and I could taste hints of clove, floral notes, and honey. The Selvina is almost mead-like in flavor, but finished nice and crisp like a white wine. It shows that Folksbier is a brewery that puts a great deal of care into their yeast, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of their beers. The brewery is apparently based in Carroll Gardens, but sadly not open to the public.
Next, I went with a wild ale, because if you have a wild ale on tap, I’m probably going to drink it.
Grimm Artisan Ales Rainbow Dome – Wild ale brewed with apricots, 5%
Yeah, it’s super dark, but I was really proud of the framing with those candles in the back!
This was hands down my favorite of the night. Its yellow, hazy appearance was calling to me from the moment it was set down in front of me. The aroma was even better, with some huge mango, pineapple, and orange juice. It was like someone had taken a mimosa and combined it with really good lemonade.
It tasted like brunch. Funky apricot right up top, mango and pineapple throughout with some nice pepper and lemon zest notes. The sour hits fast but fades quickly to a delightful barnyard funk. (Side note: before I started drinking sours, I didn’t think “barnyard funk” could ever be a good thing.) It’s peppery, it’s juicy, it made me want a giant plate of bacon and hash browns.
Although I could drink sours all night long, I took it in a different direction with my next selection.
Evil Twin Wet Dream – Espresso brown ale, 6%
Photo via Evil Twin’s website, because I got lazy.
And now for something completely different! This was like dessert – essentially, it was a stout with the body of a brown ale. Still, my favorite thing about this beer is the name. Every time I think about it, I giggle.
But on to the beer. There was lots of espresso in this Wet Dream (hurr hurr), and it builds a lot. The taste was reminiscent of a nice strong cold brew that has some deep, dark chocolate notes. It was tasty, but so intense that I wish I only had half the pour I got. I mean, it was light in terms of alcohol content, but big and full bodied in a way that made me feel like it was much stronger.
My last choice was also mostly based on the name:
Other Half (in collaboration with Omnipollo and Tired Hands) Debbie Downer – IPA brewed with mango and white chocolate, 6.5%
Image via BeerAdvocate
Really, I’ll take any opportunity to reference one of my favorite SNL sketches!
I love Other Half’s IPAs because they really do excellent things with their hops, and this one is no different. Lots of grassy stuff and lemon pith. My first sip was a little off-putting – maybe there was a hint of cream cheese right up top? There was also a sweet, milky aftertaste that reminded me why I don’t usually eat white chocolate. The Debbie Downer did get better as it warmed up. the flavors melded together and the mango came out a lot more, mixing with that milkiness to create something reminiscent of a mango lassi.
The full beer list, for the curious.
All in all, it was a solid line up, and another great event at The Wilky! Looks like their next event is a tap takeover by Grimm Artisan Ales ON MY BIRTHDAY. When August 3rd rolls around, you’ll know where to find me (and buy me a drink)!
Hey, remember that time I took a really, really long hiatus without warning? Yeah, me neither. (But seriously: sorry! I’m back now, I promise.)
Note to self: when attending beer festivals with unlimited samplers, keep in mind that you are a lightweight. If you don’t, and end up having over 40 five-ounce glasses in three hours, you will end up sobbing into a slice at Two Boots Pizza. At 4:30pm. On Halloween. And that is the ugly truth, my friends.
Once again, I have disappointed Ryan Gosling (via Giphy)
I went into last October’s NYC Craft Beer Festival with the best of intentions. Having volunteered the night before, I was pleasantly surprised with a VIP pass to the next afternoon’s session. It was Halloween, but no big deal, I figured. Since the session started at 1pm, I’d have plenty of time to pace myself, try some good beers and sober up enough to go out with my friends that evening.
Downside to being a volunteer = not being allowed to taste the beer you’re serving. So I was extra excited to gain entry the next day.
You’d think I’d know myself better by now, especially when the VIP pass allowed me an extra hour of drinking (An extra hour to pace myself, I thought naively). We also had access to a curtained-off lounge. As soon as I walked in, I noticed a sign leading to secret area.
They didn’t do a great job of keeping it secret, tbh.
I asked two people about it: one claimed you had to pay extra, the other said you didn’t. I decided to try my luck – the worst they could do is kick me out, right? So in I went, immediately recognizing two other volunteers. Surely that must mean I’m allowed to be here!
Sitting in front of me was a dream: a line-up of ten or so bottles of beers I’d never tried before, as well as Dieu Du Ciel’s Pêché Mortel! I immediately goaded my friends into trying it (I can’t hide my Montreal pride) and proceeded to taste as many beers as I could.
Eight months later and I’m still drooling over that Troy cider.
After six or seven samples, another volunteer appeared and proclaimed that we needed a special armband to be there – which I decidedly did not have. Whoops! I grabbed one last sample from the bartender and quickly made my exit.
By that time, I was tipsy. I continued on with my volunteer friends for a while. Let me tell you, it’s not easy keeping up with two dudes over six feet tall when you are definitely not one.
But all that beer was just so tasty!
By the time we were ushered out so the next sessions could start, the whole world was a blur. Obviously, I did not make it to my Halloween party that night (see above RE: crying into pizza).
But at least The Dude abides, as he always does. Two Boots’ artwork definitely cheered me up.
My recommendation? Bring a buddy who can drink at least three times as much as you can.
Especially if that buddy comes with coffee.
That’s what I did for February’s Extreme Beer Festival in Boston. I decided to accept that as a lightweight, I probably shouldn’t finish any beers that I wasn’t absolutely in love with. Beer Nerd Boyfriend was there for that. I was prepared to be the Robin to his beer-soaked Batman. As we stood in line before the start of the festival, I thought I was ready; I had mapped out the bathrooms, we had a list of priority beers, I made Nick promise we’d stop for food after an hour or two.
And then it all went out the window as soon as I walked in the door.
HELLO SENSORY OVERLOAD!
I was surrounded by taps, excited beer nerds, and some of the weirdest stuff I’d ever seen – peanut butter beer? Barrel aged everything? TOMATO GOSE?
That Tomato Gose was from these guys, and it was delicious.
Before I knew it, I was tipsy turvy at 4:30pm again, eating nachos at a nearby pub and embarrassing Beer Nerd Boyfriend with my public declarations of love.
The face of shame (note how it’s still light outside).
Was it all worth it? Hell yes. But I like to think I learned my lesson. Maybe. How about you just ask me after the next beer festival?
N.B. I’m all about moderation and definitely don’t condone drinking like this all the time. Or even most of the time. Two times a year is pretty ideal, actually. And please, for Pete’s sake, never drink and drive! Pete will thank you later when you call him an Uber.
This has been such an insane week! So insane, in fact, that I while I have notes for this week’s post, I’ve had no time to actually write it. I’m going to have to delay it – mostly due to an activity related to next week’s post! And Halloween. That too. (I don’t even have a costume yet! Help!)
To tide you over until I can post a full article, here are short reviews of two beers from Oddside Ales in Grand Haven, Michigan. We didn’t have the time to stop by their brewery on our trip, but managed to grab a few of their bottles in Kalamazoo. You may remember their Granny’s Apple Pie beer from my beer haul post last week. The following two beers are also part of their usual line up.
How Now Brown Cow, Brown Ale, 6%
The first thing I love about this beer is the bottle. All Oddside Ales beers have taglines of sorts, usually a description of what’s in the beer. This one, however, simply reads “The arsonist has oddly shaped feet.” This beer is absurd, and I love it! The beer itself isn’t quite as distinctive as the bottle, but still quite tasty, easy drinking. There’s lots of coffee on the nose. The taste is of a lot of coffee, a bit of chocolate, and a little metallic tinge. It is very drinkable!
Firefly Pale Ale, 5.75%
This unique pale ale is brewed with papaya and habanero peppers. I was a little hesitant off the bat, because it seemed like my bottle had a lot of debris in it – but I decided to go ahead and taste is anyways. It still had a lovely aroma, full of citrus, papaya, and grassy hoppiness. It tasted just fine! Very strong papaya and citrus notes, along with a subtle burn that builds, and a light bitterness. Whatever was in my bottle, it didn’t seem to impact the taste at all.
Stay tuned next week for not one, but TWO new articles! I’ll update this on a regular schedule someday, I promise.
It’s been quite the week for your favorite Beer Intern! I’m typing this up a little later than expected (it’s still technically Thursday, right?) because I’m still recovering from the incredible weekend I had. Last Saturday, I joined my family in celebrating the wedding of my cousin Ally and her now-husband Jason at the gorgeous Mont Tremblant in Quebec.
We spent the weekend drinking, dancing and eating too much – basically, all the things you’re supposed to do at a wedding.
Such a beautiful wedding!
But before we kicked off the wedding weekend, Beer Nerd Boyfriend and I had a day to dive into our stash of tasty treats. Some of these beers were leftovers from our Michigan trip, and some I had just picked up at Prospect Heights Beer Works, my go-to bottle shopping spot. Without further ado, here are some short reviews of what turned out to be a very excellent beer night.
2015 Le Terroir Dry Hopped Sour Ale, New Belgium
We started off with a sour we picked up as we left Kalamazoo. This dry hopped sour ale is a yearly release, and each batch is aged for three years in giant wooden barrels called foeders. The result is a beer that hits some citrus and grass notes on the nose, but undeniably stars some serious sour cherry. The taste is tart and funky, like a good sour should be. The cherry builds slowly, and the finish is sour, bitter and sweet all at once. Those citrus notes from the hops are there too. Yum!Chocolate Sombrero, Clown Shoes (brewed by the Mercury Brewing Company)
This one was a complete surprise. Neither of us had ever heard of Clown Shoes or Mercury Brewing from Ipswich, Massachusetts. We just bought it because – well, c’mon, look at that label! How could you not? Especially when the beer in question is a chocolate stout brewed to be reminiscent of Mexican hot chocolate. I think I’ll let Clown Shoes describe the beer, because I don’t think I can do any better than this:
Roasted dark malts plus extra chocolate malts plus ancho chile plus cinnamon plus vanilla extract plus a chocolate loving, beer drinking, Clown Shoes wearing, multi-limbed, gorgeous and glorious Mexican wrestler on the label. That’s the recipe for a Chocolate Sombrero!
All of that is right there, both in the aroma and the taste (including the wrestler). The mouthfeel is beautifully thick, and intensely chocolatey. The spice and vanilla build gently, and the cinnamon is both very present and very delicious. This is just such a fun beer!
Forgotten Tales of the Last Gypsy Blender: Series 1 Vol 1, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Once again we returned to our beloved sours for this saison brewed with tamarind and mango. This is a collaboration between Jolly Pumpkin, one of our favorite makers of sour beers and a stop on our Michigan tour, and Celina Tio, chef/owner of JULIAN and The Belfry in Kansas City. This brew is definitely mango-like in its orange hue, and gives off an aroma of tartness, peachy funk, citrus sweetness and a lot of orange. The taste is like a fresh, tart glass of orange juice; fairly sweet across but with bright citrus, a ton of mango and a pineapple funk near the end that builds to a grapefruit bitterness. In the words of Beer Nerd Boyfriend, “it’s citrus salad in a glass.”
Granny’s Apple Pie, Odd Side Ales
The last beer on our list was from Odd Side Ales, a brewery we didn’t have time to check out on our travels through Michigan. It’s an ale with cider, milk sugar and spices. The color is murky brown, exactly like fresh cider. It smells like a lot of apple, cinnamon and booze. To me, it tasted about the same. Strong on the apple, a little floral, lots of spices and vanilla, some crust-like stuff in the middle along with an astringent finish. Not my favorite beer of the night, but then again I’m not a huge apple pie fan. It did a fine job of replicating all the right flavors of a fall favorite pie. If you love apple pie, you’ll probably like this.
There you have it, an evening’s worth of delicious beers! And now I’m off to nurse my still hurting legs – that DJ was serious business. Trust me, dancing was mandatory at this wedding.
Sometimes I forget where I live. Even after a year, it’s still weird to think that I can hop on a subway train and arrive at Times Square less than an hour later. Weird that I’ve been (unsuccessfully) attempting to get rush tickets to Hamilton, a probable 2016 Tony-Award winner, with a friend on a weekly basis. This week, it was nice to be reminded why I love this city so much, even if it’s big and loud and cluttered and dirty and sometimes more than a little smelly.
On Wednesday evening, I decided to venture out to Greenwich Village by myself to check out Blind Tiger Ale House, a bar I’ve been meaning to check out for a long time. It’s just one of those craft beer places that seems to show up on every single list of best bars in Manhattan. The deciding factor yesterday was an Other Half Brewing Company event. A ton of their brews would be available on tap at Blind Tiger – 27, to be exact. I’ve only tried a few of Other Half’s beers, but they’ve all been stellar. Considering this brewery is still less that two years old, I made attending this event to try a couple of pints a priority. (Ironically enough, Other Half’s brewery is actually located in Brooklyn, about three subway stops away from my apartment.)By the time I made it over to Blind Tiger, it was PACKED. I had expected it to be full – even if it is lower, it is still Manhattan, after all – but this was nuts. It was an adventure just to get near the bar, and even more so to put in a drink order. I decided to pick the beer I wanted most, and go from there.
All the beers on that list are from Other Half. Bald head not cropped because it’s hilarious.
That beer was the red wine barrel-aged Grand Cru Tripel, quite a heavyweight at 8%. Although it was very dark, I noted the deep red hue. The aroma was heavy on the berries, with a bit of wine-like tartness and perhaps a lingering hint of banana and spice. It was a delicious beer; starting off with the taste of dark red berries and a little bit of wood and a slow but steady build-up of robust red wine and booziness. It had a bitter, dry finish. Another one knocked out of the park by Other Half, as far as I was concerned.
A terrible attempt at photography in a dark, crowded space. Shout out to the guy on the phone for letting me perch on the corner of the bar.
After my beer, I decided to go outside to regroup. I had had the intention of trying a few beers, but I hadn’t banked on it being quite that busy (a silly move). So, already a little tipsy (I’m a lightweight, what can I say), I started to wander around Bleecker Street, just for fun. Luckily, I found an open bookstore right around the corner. Since my defenses were down and I have an addiction to bookstores, I left with a couple of purchases.
Guess which one was the true impulse buy.
Then, I had gelato for dinner at GROM, a little shop that had caught my eye on the way to Blind Tiger. Although it was quite pricey for such a small serving, it was fortunately very delicious. My particular favorite was the lemon and ginger sorbet, which wasn’t overly sweet and definitely made the ginger the star of the show. Then, I just wandered around, taking in the night and the noise until I retreated back to Brooklyn. Even though the night didn’t quite go as planned, I still had a great time and got to try at least one new, delicious beer. After a long summer in Ottawa, I just found myself feeling like I was back in my element, back in this crazy place. And without a doubt, Other Half’s brewery will be one of my stops in the near future!
Listen, it’s no secret that I love fall. How could you not? The leaves are turning, sweater weather is finally upon us, and everything you can eat or drink involves pumpkin. In fact, I can directly identify with the following clip from Iliza Shlesinger’s comedy special Freezing Hot: (WARNING: There’s a fair amount of profanity here, so maybe don’t watch this at work. Also the quality is terrible – I recommending heading to Netflix to watch the full special, if you can.)
So last weekend I commenced Operation PUMPKIN EVERYTHING. I started by picking up two seasonal beers I know are quite widely available and beloved; Southern Tier’s Warlock, an imperial stout, and the Pumpking imperial ale. The Pumpking is a little too sweet for my tastes, but I figured it would be perfect for use in a dessert.
First of all, I had to make a main course. I decided to go for the ideal fall meal – a hearty vegan chili, made with the Warlock for some extra warmth. I based myself on this recipe and improvised based on what I had. Zucchini? Kale? Extra cocoa? In the pot it went!
Well, everything except the dish soap in the background, that is.
Since I’d bought a large bottle of the Warlock, I had some leftover. Not a problem. I do quite like the Warlock. It’s strong on the pumpkin spice, molasses and booze on the nose. The taste reminds me of a cup of coffee with some of Starbuck’s pumpkin spice syrup mixed in. It also masks the fact that this is a 10% beer – maybe a dangerous choice for my baking exploits, but a tasty one nonetheless.
While the chili simmered away, I put the Pumpking to good use and began making this pumpkin bread. It ended up much more bread-like than I expected, although this may be due to the vegetable oil I used instead of the butter. Even with the intense sweetness of the Pumpking, the bread itself wasn’t sweet at all. However, it was quite tasty when it came out of the oven, drizzled with a bit of honey. Next time, I’d double the amount of pumpkin, and probably add a touch more sugar.
When I get excited about baked goods, I take blurry pictures.
The chili turned out great – I may have been a little overzealous with the cocoa but the pumpkin came through loud and clear, and the Warlock added a little more depth to it. Not at all a bad way to use up some veggies that were starting to look shady!
And with that, my pumpkin cravings were satisfied.
Brewery openings have become a fairly regular occurrence in Ottawa. This year, we’ve ballooned to over 30 breweries in the city, the vast majority of which have opened in the last two years. So why am I devoting my first post to the opening of Tooth and Nail Brewing Co. two weeks ago?
Tooth And Nail Brewing Co. is the first brewery I’ve personally been excited about in a long time, and it lived up to my expectations. Matt Tweedy, the owner/brewmaster is a well traveled brewer, having experience in both home experimentation and in production brewing. He has worked in many breweries, from Beau’s in Vankleek Hill and King Brewery just north of Toronto, to a guest spot at Cantillon in Belgium.
The long and short of it is, he’s been training for YEARS to gain the proficiency to open a brewery he could call his own.
He’s there. With wife and partner Dayna – former owner and manager of Beer Bistro in Toronto – at his side and managing the front of house, Tooth And Nail is poised to make a big splash in the Ottawa beer scene.
Apologies for terrible photography, I don’t usually do this
The interior of the bar is clean and rustic, while still stepping a toe into the modern world. A road map of the city is painted along one entire side of the seating area – immediately opposite the bar – while the taps are mounted in minimalist fashion on simple black switch handles atop large stainless counters. The “kitchen” consists of a small prep fridge and a meat slicer, and each charcuterie plate is designed to be paired with a specific beer.
Yup, that’s a homegrown hop cone on my plate!
At the back end of the restaurant, you can step right up to large windows with the brewing space immediately behind. A gorgeous 15 barrel system beckons from beyond. Seating is designed in communal fashion, with few small tables and many large tables designed for friend making.
Well, this beer geek is drooling
Now to the beer!
Matt is dedicated to brewing classic styles with slight twists to make them truly unique. While decidedly skeptical about “culinary beers,” he is more than happy to brew outside the parameters of tradition.
My first ever pint of Tooth And Nail beer was the Stamina, a Belgian “session” ale at 5.2%. It pours a brilliant yellow/gold, with a big billowy white foam cap on it that persists well down the glass. Aromas are very true to the Belgian styles with some banana, pepper and clove, and mild hints of citrus tending towards lemon. On the palate, carbonation is crisp and the banana-like flavours of Belgian yeast are fairly subdued, with light bready malt character up front, and a lemon/orange citrus, light grassy bitterness and coriander that bites only slightly into the finish.
Tenacity Pale Ale was also a treat, with bright orange, pineapple and biscuity/caramel tones showing on the nose. Flavour is medium caramel malt with resinous and grapefruit/orange fruity notes. With only slight bitterness showing on the back end, this is a juicy, fruity pale ale full of fun for the whole family!
The one beer I wasn’t particularly a fan of was the collaboration with Beau’s Brewery. While the early collaboration speaks volumes about their respect for their former brewer, I can’t say that Housewarmer made me feel particularly welcome. In addition to barley, Housewarmer was brewed with rye and wheat. While this did give a very complex malt flavour, it all seemed to be a bit muddled with orange pith and mild spicy notes, without a clear personality or direction to it.
Rabble Rouser in all its glory!
I returned a few days later for the release of TnN’s “Rabble Rouser” IPA (don’t get it confused with Sam Adam’s’ Rebel Rouser). A fairly big beer at 6.8%, it is deceptively easy drinking. Not your standard IPA hop profile with grilled pineapple, mango and orange making appearances on the nose. The taste carries a medium malt profile tending towards biscuits and toast. The hops make a splash in a big way with pineapple, orange and pine resins. The finish is nowhere near as bitter as one would expect with the massive hop character throughout but gives enough of a kick to balance it out.
While decidedly a brewpub, Tooth and Nail does offer wine for those firmly stuck in the “I won’t drink beer” camp (or the Celiac camp, for that matter). For the gaming crowd, they have a few boards of “Pucket,” a game I never knew existed until getting frantically enraged by it.
Seriously, it’s super fun and addictive.
Also, they have promised to show all the Senator’s hockey games this season, which is a huge plus for me (really though, I might just move in).
Tooth and Nail will be releasing a pilsner and an imperial stout in the coming weeks, and you had better believe I’ll be there to try them! If you’re in town, you certainly should, too.
(This is the final post in a series detailing my recent trip to Bell’s Funvitational in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Check out part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5 if you want to read more!)
Three days of driving from brewery to brewery had led us to this point; standing in a winding line in a football field, anxiously waiting with our recently issued tasting glasses and beer tickets. After a long trip, it was finally time for Bell’s 30th Anniversary Funvitational! Although we were an hour early, the line was long ahead of us. It grew even longer behind us as we waited. I was so excited I could hardly stand still.
Finally, just before 4pm, they allowed us to enter the baseball stadium where we were to spend our afternoon drinking and reveling in the celebrations of a Kalamazoo institution. I appreciated the few minutes head start we were given; these are people who understand that we had so many beers to try (almost 100 breweries showed up!), and only five hours to do so. The atmosphere was incredible. You could feel the excitement in the air, even from the security staff. People pumped their fists high into the air to show their entry bracelets, and I got at least three high fives from the volunteers as we entered. We were greeted by a multitude of beer tents and a small marching band, all decked out in birthday-wear. We threw ourselves into the line for Russian River Brewing Company right away, and definitely weren’t the only ones. This California-based brewery is quite the name in the beer world, with their focus on small-batch, intensely hopped styles. Due to the small batches, some of their beers – like the Pliny the Elder and Supplication they had brought – are very rare. Since we live so far from California, we weren’t about to miss our chance!
My expectations were high, but Pliny the Elder definitely met them. I mean, what else can you expect out of a beer that has a 100% rating on Beer Advocate? This imperial IPA delivered on the hops, proving to be complex, fresh and balanced throughout – totally living up to the hype. The Supplication, a sour brown ale aged in Pinot Noir barrels with sour cherries, was also delicious. Again, well-balanced, with quite a bit of wine character. I hope to have the chance to drink both of these beers again someday!
I’ll have to keep the rest of my reviews short, considering we split 45 samples total! If I wrote about all of them, you’d be here all day. So let’s dive right in! While waiting in line for Russian River, I sent Beer Nerd Boyfriend on a mission to get two more beers on our list. He returned with Terrapin Brewing Company’s Liquid Lunch (a peanut butter & jelly porter made with real raspberries) and Brewery Vivant’s Paris (a red wine barrel-aged imperial saison). Both kicked off our festival in the best way – delicious, sour, rich and tasting like berries.
In no particular order, here are my top picks for MVPs of the day:
B. Nektar Meadery’s Ciders – I had wanted to stop here on our way to Warren, but they were closed. So I was delighted to discover them here! They brought two ciders, a Raspberry Ginger and the Zombie Killer (made with cherries). Both really captured their respective flavors, and made them shine as ciders.
BraVo! Restaurant & Café, Funfetti Cake Cream Ale – Who doesn’t love Funfetti? Even better, who doesn’t love a beer served with real sprinkles? The beer itself wasn’t exceptional, but it was refreshing and the presentation was a lot of fun.
How can you drink this without smiling?
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, Hopsavant Citra Brettanomyces Pale Ale & Petite Sour Blueberry – I loved the Hopsavant because Citra is one of my favorite hops, and it had a nice tartness without being too sour. Nick preferred the Petite Sour Blueberry for its true blueberry notes.
Just look at that color!
Jester King Brewery, Wytchmaker – We really leaned towards the sour styles, didn’t we? This was a remarkable farmhouse rye IPA. Lots of delicious pine, funk and citrus.
Maui Brewing Co., Imperial Coconut Porter – This was one of my surprise favorites. The line in front of this tent was long, and I didn’t understand why until tasting this porter. It was all coffee and chocolate up front, with the coconut appearing near the end and lingering. It was like drinking a chocolate-covered macaroon. Yum!
I like to call this one “Beers in the Wild.” That’s the porter to the right.
Saugatuck Brewing Company, Barrel Aged Neapolitan Milk Stout – This one is a Beer Nerd Boyfriend pick. The vanilla, chocolate and strawberry were all present and the texture was indeed reminiscent of ice cream.
The Bruery, Autumn Maple and Rueuze-Gueze – Okay, we cheated here. We’d already tried both of these beers before, but they were so good we couldn’t help but indulge. The Rueuze-Gueze remains one of my favorite sours ever, and the Autumn Maple seasonal nicely showcases all the spices involved without tasting like your typical pumpkin beer.
Bell’s Brewery, Mango Habanero Oberon – Here’s an embarrassing admission: we didn’t try much of what Bell’s had to offer at their own birthday party. Oops. By the time we made it to their tent, many of their special kegs had already been kicked. Not to mention I was a little tipsy and forgetful at that point, having been drinking for almost four hours already. However, I am happy we managed to get a taste of this special Oberon, which definitely shows that mangoes and chilies belong together, forever.
I found a party hat and things started going downhill from there.
Overall, it was a great birthday party. Everyone was happy to be there. A man accidentally spilled his beer on me and apologized by giving me an extra beer ticket. The food was delicious and affordable and there was giant jenga and cornhole for when you wanted to take drinking breaks. I’m still super impressed with the organization of this festival as well; everyone knew what they were doing and Bell’s even made a huge effort to reduce any waste materials. All your utensils, plates, napkins, etc.? Those could all be tossed in the compost bin.
They even had sharks! (Not really)
I have to admit that we left before the final fireworks. Embarrassingly enough, I was pretty toasty by the end and extremely insistent that we return to Rupert’s Brew House so I could pet the giant Great Dane some more. Since Nick is the best, he patiently obliged.
We had a blast, and I sincerely hope that Bell’s will be repeating this event at some point in the near future.
With that, our time in Michigan was done! I started classes that Monday, and this trip was absolutely worth the exhaustion and two-day hangover that followed it. Hopefully, we’ll be back soon – although there are still so many states, and so many beers to explore.
Those of you who have been reading through all of these, thanks! Stay tuned because I’ve got big plans for The Beer Intern. Starting next week, I’ll be putting up new posts EVERY THURSDAY to quench your beer curiosity. Beer Nerd Boyfriend, AKA Nick, will also be joining me from time to time for monthly articles.
There’s a whole world of beer out there! Stick around with me and we’ll go on an adventure.
(This post is part of a series detailing my recent trip to Bell’s Funvitational in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Check out part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4 if you enjoyed this!)
After two and a half days full of beer and driving, we were quite tired by the time we arrived in Kalamazoo. However, we weren’t too exhausted to embark on a mini pub crawl! We rigorously planned our trajectory, since we were staying a little bit outside of town and would be cabbing in.
Our first stop was actually a total accident. Before our arrival, we had pulled into a gas station down the street and noticed a large sign that read “BREWERY” leading to One Well Brewing Company. We decided we had to go back, and I’m very glad we did.
Note the creative flavors!
We ordered a sampler of all the beers listed on the right of that board. Much like our stop at Kuhnhen, this turned out to be a surprise highlight. The Xalapa was my personal favorite, a jalapeno beer that managed to showcase all the flavor of the pepper but just a touch of its spice. Beer Nerd Boyfriend’s personal choice was the Root Beer Float stout, which tastes exactly like – well, a root beer float. Also in the stout range was the Sweetwater Street, brewed with doughnuts from Sweetwater’s Doughnut Mill. One Well excels at extracting flavors, as this beer tasted just like a chocolate doughnut. Meanwhile, the Professor Nutbutters had a little too much earthy peanut for BNB’s taste, but I liked it just fine. That jalapeno beer, however, was so good that I insisted we return the next day for lunch.
Still impressed. And wishing I was drinking it right now.
After that, we jetted off to downtown Kalamazoo, knowing we still had four bars left to visit – thankfully, all within walking distance of each other. We started the night at Rupert’s Brew House, which turned out to be another delight. To be honest, I’d added them to the list because I’d found out that they had a Great Dane named Captain Stooby who just hung out in the taproom. And hang out he did, although he was mainly more interested in pizza than humans!
“Yeah this is nice and all but can I have some noms please?”
The dog isn’t just a gimmick to make up for the beer because the booze is delicious. We managed to taste two cream ales, two ciders, a peanut butter porter and a double IPA. I’m not usually a fan of cream ales, but the dry hopped one they had on tap was delicious. Fruity and tropical, with a big pineapple taste and some distinct notes of corn husk. The raspberry cider was also a big hit with us. It was sweet with just a bit of tang, and some definite apple still present among the raspberry. The peanut butter porter smelled like a melted Reese’s but didn’t quite deliver on the taste. The winner, however, was the Double High PA, which was just juicy and intense, with lots of mango, lemon zest and orange. Absolutely one of the best Double IPAs I’ve ever had.
Artfully shown here as the best of the pack
Since we were hungry (and following a dog theme, apparently), we walked to Gonzo’s Bigdogg Brewing next, where we’d heard the food was delicious. The crab flatbread in particular really won my heart. Their kale slaw was also probably the best slaw I’ve ever had. I’ll be throwing sunflower seeds in all my future slaws, thank you very much. We took it easy on the beers here, since we were both starting to tire (as I write this, I’m noticing that BNB’s beer notes got noticeably sparser over the evening). Gonzo’s did have some very drinkable beers, such as Melons on a Blonde, a blonde ale that captured a cantaloupe-like flavor. The Shoddy Lock Stout was also quite nice, with lots of coffee and milk chocolate (direct quote from the beer notes: “super dark, yo!”).
Next stop was Tibbs, a charmingly small pub with some rather tasty beers. Once again, I gravitated towards the lighter fare, particularly the Citra and Take It IPA. Oh, did I mention that Tibbs is all about the puns? With beer names like the Hell Raisin Saison, I was delighted. Uncharacteristically, I really enjoyed the Auslander Hefeweizen, which had a nice balance of spice and bitterness, just enough to counteract the usual overwhelming Hefe taste of bananas.
Our last stop was Bell’s, where we got lazy with the notes. Can you really blame us? After all, it was our seventh brewery of the day. The brewery itself was incredibly cavernous. Since it was a Friday night, it was also packed to the brim with tipsy students. There was quite a bit to try here, as they were trying to kick a lot of their kegs to make space for things they would serve at the Funvitational the next day. The two highlights here included Le Bretteur, an American Wild Ale, and the Coffee Mustache, known as a California Common or an American-style lager. This style was common in the late 1800s when refrigeration was rare, since it uses a strain of yeast that responds well to warmer temperatures. Le Bretteur had a lot of white wine character, along with a lot of tartness and lemon. Meanwhile, the Coffee Mustache tasted like a real, good, robust, earthy cup of coffee.
The beers. They never end!
We finally returned to the hotel after this, completely exhausted. And maybe a little drunk. Don’t worry, mom, we took another cab home!
Next time, I finally get to the main event: Bell’s 30th Anniversary Funvitational! Join me again as I tell you about the fanfare, the fun, the surprises and, of course, the beers.
The Beer Intern 