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...

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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 pmCost:  $25 per person at the doorVenue:  Mangiamo!Address:  1033 Lake Dr., Grand Rapids, MIDetails:  "Meet the Midwest's top brewers. With live music from the BeanPoles. Specialty Brews From:Bell's Brewery - KalamazooFounders Brewery - Grand RapidsNew Holland Brewing - HollandArbor Brewing - Ann ArborSaugatuck Brewing...

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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...

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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...

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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. ...

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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 13th 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...

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2nd Annual Short's Fest

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } 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...

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