Michigan Beer Festival Saturday

Waking up to the weather on Saturday, the sun appeared to be still sleeping and left the rain in its place. But things quickly changed, becoming sunny and breezy her eon the east side. My good friend Nick had called late friday and said he was pulling a late night to be able to make the festival on Saturday. We shot out there, arriving in sunny Ypsilanti close to two. As many people were walking away from the entrance gates as were walking towards them. Apparently the festival had sold out, a promise fulfilled by its organizers. It wasn't a very pleasant site. I overheard one group talking about the disappointment and confusion with this. Perhaps in the nearest future, there will be some new form of accommodation.

With the festival selling out, that meant 8,000 (or more) attendees were all after the coveted and most talked about beer Michigan has to offer. Surprises were abound, with many breweries offering special tapping's throughout the day. There were some disappointments too. Many breweries ran out of some, or nearly all, of their servings. One brewery (who is very local to the location of the festival) was reduced to one sampling very early in the afternoon. In fact, I think it was only the second sampling of the afternoon. The pourer made a tongue in cheek comment about how they are that popular. My response politely was for them to drive down the street to get some more. I wasn't met with a response. This was my freshman year at the festival, so I am uncertain how much of an occurrence this tragedy could be, but I would beckon to argue that if I were a brewery, I would much rather over stock and bring excess home than guesstimate and leave some patrons sour. However, my ingenuity may have already been recognized, and possibly these breweries DID compensate with plenty of beer, and were just that much more popular.

Nick and I were soon joined by some other friends Amy and Carle, who were stuck at the gate without tickets for a short moment. Somehow, thankfully, and quickly, they made their way in, with great charm and good looks I am sure. Amy and Carle both had rather larger plastic cups than we had. They were freebies from Kegglove, a company marketing its pretty awesome chilling potential for mobile kegs and such. Nick and I obtained these cups with the premonition that a four ounce sample in the festial cups would actually translate to six or more samples in these new cups. For the most part we were right, and towards the finale of the festival some samples were a full cup (because no one wants to go home with a partially filled keg!). The four of us made our ways around the festival many times. I took notes of some samples, and am sure ill have to recall some memory of others, so here goes.

Founders Devil Dancer
Short's Nicey Spicy
Jolly Pumpkin Kriek
Kuhnhenn Simcoe Silly
Copper Canyon Full Gard
The livery, some Lager
Rivht Brain IPA
Royal Oak Whit
Dragonmead Raspberry Wheat
I know theres a stout in there somewhere,i think from Olde Peninsula
Arbor Brewing Batch 2000
New Holland was visited as well...
And I believe one more was in there somewhere

Throughout the afternoon, hoots and hollers were heard throughout the festival at various locations. At first i thought, and they very well could have been, cheers for special tappings. But after being in the middle of several, i think it was just the celebration gaining momentum, with everyone raising their cups.

Six o'clock came way too soon, calling for a personal protest for the festival to extend longer. "I swear it was 3:30 just 30 minutes ago" I said to all. With that, we all made our way out to find some well deserved food.

I had a great time at my first Michigan Brewers Guild Beer festival, and con not wait until the next and newest engagement of theirs in late October at Eastern Market.