Round Barn's 19th Annual Harvest Party

 

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.

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Weekend Beer Events - August 25-28

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

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.

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

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, 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

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"

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

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."

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25th Annual Great Taste of the Midwest

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!

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3rd Annual Suds on the Shore

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.

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Weekend Beer Events - August 18-21

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."

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Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

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.

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2nd Annual Short's Fest

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.

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