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2010 MBG Winter Beer Festival this Saturday!

Time has slowly and inaudibly slipped forward and wouldn't you know, this Saturday is the Michigan Brewers Guild's Winter Beer Festival over in Grand Rapids. Held at Comstock Park the event is apparently sold out online, but some tickets are rumored to be available at local breweries and pubs. This should be a fantastic event, and with the line up below, why wouldn't it be?

Arbor Brewing Co.
Abby Normal
Huxell Best Bitter
CryeBaby
Pleasuring the Pirate Imperial Porter
Honey Lavender

Arcadia Brewing Co.
Roggen Berry
Brigid’s Irish Red
Cereal Killer Barleywine
Hop Mouth Double IPA
Coffee Cocoa Loco
Big Dick’s Olde Ale

Atwater Block Brewery
Vanilla Java Porter
Voodoovator Doppelbock
Teufel Bock
Double Down Imperial Amber Ale
Dirty Blonde
Atwater Pale
Michigan Lager
Mai Bock

Bastone Brewery
Dubbel Vision
Coffee Stout

Bell’s Brewery
Best Brown
Two-Hearted Ale
Amber Ale
Batch 9000 American Strong Dark Ale
Hopslam
Sparkling Ale
Java Stout
Rye Stout
Third Coast Old Ale
Winter White
Consecrator Doppelbock
Pale Ale
Special Double Cream Stout
Black Note Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout
Bourbon Barrel Aged Hell Hath No Fury

Big Buck Brewery
IPA
Dunkel
Doc’s ESB
Buck Naked Light
Raspberry Wheat
Imperial Porter
Winter Ale

Big Rock Chop & Brewhouse
Norm’s Raggedy Ass IPA
Bonnie’s Raggedy Ass Imperial IPA
Flying Buffalo Stout
Wheat Wine
Bourbon Stout
Reserve Pilsener

Black Lotus Brewing Co.
Detroit Hip Hops IPA
Funkin’ A Apricot Wheat
The Gift Belgian Strong Ale
Black Bottom Bourbon Stout
Columbian Ski Team Extra Coffee Stout

Blue Tractor Brewery
The Darkside Lager
Smoked Silly Red
“Hands Off My Goat!!” Stout
Schokolade Weizen

B.O.B.’s Brewery
Tiramisu Stout
BOB’s Robert the 4th Barrel Aged Brown
Scotch Ale Wee Heavy
Bier de Garde Belgian Wheat

Copper Canyon Brewery
Northwestern Gold
Devil’s Peak IPA
Blueberry Vanilla Cream Ale (11-2:30)
Rocktoberfest (11-2:30)
Ginger Kids Revenge Imperial Red (11-2:30)
Elzar’s Spice Weasel Explosion (11-2:30)
Apple Streudel Tripel (2:30-5)
India Pale Lager (2:30-5)
The Beer Wench Belgian IPA (2:30-5)
Heidrun Finnish Sahti (2:30-5)

Corner Brewery
Jackhammer Old Ale
Espresso Love Breakfast Stout
Phat Abbott Dubbel
Ypsi Gypsi Pale Ale
Michael Faricy’s Irish Stout

Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Crooked Tree IPA
Raspberry Ale
Double Crooked Tree IPA
4 Elf Winter Ale
Scotty Karate Scotch Ale
Boffo Brown Ale
Perkulator Doppelbock
Beat Your Wheat Toasted Wheat IPA
Busterhighmen Cherry Ale
Donut Beer
Smells Like Weed IPA
One Oatmeal Stout
Too Cream Stout
Tres Blueberry Stout
Fore Smoked Stout
Plead the Fifth Imperial Stout

Detroit Beer Co.
Russian Imperial Stout
Chocolate Lager
People Mover Porter

Detroit Brewing Co.
Detroit Lager
Detroit Dwarf

Dragonmead Microbrewery
Final Absolution Tripel
GT’s Dortmunder
Juggernaut Double Red
Full Fathom Baltic Porter
St. Nicole’s Weizenbock

Founders Brewing Co.
Double Trouble Imperial IPA
Centennial IPA
Red’s Rye PA
Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale
Porter
Black Biscuit Baltic Porter/Old Ale
Kentucky Breakfast Stout
Nemesis Maple Barrel Aged Wheat Wine
Hand of Doom Barrel Aged Imperial IPA
Spite Pepper Pale Ale

Frankenmuth Brewing Co.
Munich Style Dunkel
Pilsener
Easy Brown Ale
Hefeweizen

Grand Rapids Brewing Co.
Lumberman Dark
Rye Pale
River City Red
Brown Ale
Pale Ale

Grizzly Peak Brewing Co.
Verloene Hosen Uber-Marzen
Sheerwater IPA
Edwyn’s Warm-Up Ale
Fouch Hill Dark Ale
Final Repose Ale Barley Wine

Hideout Brewing Co.
Smuggler’s Hazelnut Stout
Bootleg IPA
Scotch Ale
Hemp Amber
Sumatra Imperial Stout
Belgian Triple

Hopcat
Hopwork Orange
Black Scratch Fever Double Black IPA
Oil Rigger Imperial Stout
Sage Against The Machine American Pale
Step Child American Red

Jamesport Brewing Co.
Scottish Strong Ale
Weizenbock
Alt Bier

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Madrugada Obscura - oak aged sour Belgian style stout
Bog Beast - Robust Porter
Oro Guarjillito - oak aged Belgian style golden strong with peppers
Baniper - our classic farmhouse Bam Biere aged on Juniper berries

Keweenaw Brewing Co.
Pick Axe Blonde
Redjacket Amber Ale
Liftbridge Brown Ale
Widowmaker Black Ale

Kuhnhenn Brewing Co.
Loonie Kuhnie Pale Ale
Winter Wonder Eisbock
Fourth Dementia Olde Ale
Olde Bruin Flemish Brown with Cherry
Double Rice IPA

Liberty Street Brewing Co.
Liberty One Anniversary Porter
Russian Imperial Stout
Kilt Tilter
Tart Cherry Porter
Foreign Extra Stout
Pooh Beer
Siamese Dream

Livery
Telewhacker Winter Brown Ale
McGilligans IPA
Carvana Belgian IPA
1/10th of a Mountain Pilsener
Maillot Jaune barrel-aged Farmhouse Ale
Double Paw IPA
Umami barrel-aged Wheat Wine
Rye Barrel Jak Imperial Pale Ale
Karhu IPA

Michigan Brewing Co.
High Seas IPA
Winter Warmer
Celis Grand Cru
Russian Imperial Stout

Motor City Brewing Works
Ghettoblaster
Motor City Strong Ale
Bohemian Lager Beer
Motor City Hard Cider

Mount Pleasant Brewing Co.
Coal Stoker’s Blackberry
Iron Horse India Pale Ale
Steam Engine Stout
Train Wreck Amber
Cow Catcher Red
Second Wind Wheat

New Holland Brewing Co.
Dragon’s Milk barrel-aged Stout
2008 Dragon’s Milk
Existential Hopwine
Charkoota Rye Smoked Doppelbock
The Poet Oatmeal Stout
2009 Night Tripper Imperial Stout
Sundog Amber
Full Circle Kolsch
Mad Hatter IPA
2009 Pilgrim’s Dole Wheatwine
Black Tulip Trippel
2009 Brother Jacob Belgian Dubbel
Cabin Fever Brown Ale
Envious Sour Ale
Imperial Mad Hatter

North Peak Brewing Co.
Wired Pig Stout
J.C.’s Happy Juice Smoked Scotch Ale
More Cow Bell IPA
She Will Strong Belgian Dark

North Peak - Distribution
Diabolical IPA
Siren Amber Ale
Majestic Wheat
Vicious American Wheat IPA
Scotch Ale

Old Boys’ Brewhouse
Cerberus Belgian Strong Ale
Les Chiens de Mars
Kennel King IPA
Old Boys’ Brown Ale
Magnum Breakfast Stout
Dog’s Bane Chocolate Stout

Old Hat Brewery & Grill
Peche Peach Lager
Bees Knees Honey Ale
Tommy Stubbin’s Oatmeal Stout
Scotch Ale
Dirty Red Milf

Olde Peninsula Brewpub
Forest Street IPA
Stout Chocula
Dark Day IPA
Downtown Brown

Original Gravity Brewing Co.
Southpaw IPA
Belgian Training Wheels
County Street Amber
Primordial Porter
440 Pepper Smoker
Bellywasher Scotch Ale

Redwood Brewing Co.
Dopple Sticke Alt
English Barleywine 2005
Wheat Wine
Ordinary Bitter
Oud Bruin

Right Brain Brewery
My North Passion Brew Winter Warmer
Hearthside Stout
Stuck Truck Stout
Theodore Belgian Trippel
Magnum Hospitality XXIPA
Alter of Heaven Ginger IPA

Rochester Mills Beer Co.
Hops Up the Ass Double Dry-Hopped Double IPA (VIP Hour only)
Imperial Stout
Brown Ale
2008 Barley Wine
Double IPA
Wit’s Organic
Milkshake Stout

Round Barn Brewery
Cocoa Stout
Motha Pucker Dark Sour Ale
The Swartz Coffee Stout

Royal Oak Brewery
Snowdrift Winter Ale
Morning Glory Java Porter

Saugatuck Brewing Co.
Singapore IPA
Oval Beach Blonde
Pier Cove Porter
Saugatuck ESB Amber
Bamberg Rauchbier
Vanilla Nutmeg Oatmeal Stout

Schmohz Brewing Co.
Zingiberene Ale
Mad Tom’s Porter
Hopknocker
Barleywine
Miracle off 28th Street Old Ale
Kiss My Scottish Arse Scotch Ale

Sherwood Brewing Co.
Buxom BlonDDe
Gun Powder IPA - aged on Habaneros and pepper corns (1pm release)
Evil IPA
Leadbelly Oatmeal Stout
Mistress Jades Hemp Ale
Stimulator Doppelbock
Incinerator Doppelbock - aged on Habaneros (3pm release)

Short’s Brewing Co.
Key Lime Pie
Mystery Stout
The Curl Imperial Pilsner
Caramel Apple
Black Cherry Porter
Plum Rye
Pistachio Cream Ale
Chinook Pale Ale
Turtle Stout
Cup A Joe Coffee Stout

Tri-City Brewing Co.
Hell’s Half Mile Helles
Brownhoist Nut Brown
Fortunato Belgian Trappist
Giant Slayer Russian Imperial

Walldorff Brewpub
Hopnoxious IPA
Bee Sting Honey Rye
State Street Stout
Chocolate Baltic Porter
Barrel Aged Bee Sting
State Grounds Java Brown
Teresa’s Ceremonial Braggot
Blackberry Belgian Triple

Woodward Avenue Brewers
JiLfeWeizen
Raspberry Blonde
Custom Pale Ale
Vanilla Porter

9,000 reasons for this weekend

Well after a couple weeks of delays, or perhaps purposive teasing, Bell's 9,000 commemorative ale is now on the shelves. It is a very dark, and very rich taste, brewed with brewers molasses and licorice. The richness and tones of alcohol compliment the licorice very well, which some might find off putting, but not here, very tasty. It is being touted as an ager, and certainly many will purchase an extra bottle or two to keep on reserve. Now, many local craft beer supplies have this on the shelves. Champane's Liquor has a one six pack limit per customer at a price of $13.99, while Holiday Market has a two six pack limit per person at $14.99. One retailer has a two bottle limit, at $4.99 a piece. If you happen to be in that store, kindly pass your disappointment and go elsewhere.

Enjoy the weekend!

Bell's 9,000

Rumor has it, a store near you should have it. I will try to confirm tomorrow!

Founder's Nemesis to irk you

The premise of Founder's Nemesis series is a journey set forth for many years. The brewery implies that it will release a new Nemesis every year, a very special treat to accompany its list of unique experiments.

Speculation on the debut of this series is a maple bourbon barrel aged wheat wine, boasting a double digit ABV and 70 IBU's. The product has been rumored to have aged considerably in these barrels that were once used for aging Michigan maple syrup.

For anyone who may be interested, wheat wine is a very rich, full bodied taste. It normally will not have high bitter notes, so do not be feared by IBU's on the higher side. This beer will certainly need to be drunk accordingly, allowing it to warm up a bit will certainly expose many of the flavors a beer like this will posses. So, enjoy!

Upcoming Winter Beer Tastings

There are some great motivations to get out and about in the coming month. On Thursday January 26th, Champanes Wine Cellar, which carries a very nice beer selection ta boot, is having a Michigan beer tasting. Arrive at 6 pm for great selections from Arbor Brewing, Atwater, Keenawaw, New Holland, Dragonmeand, Dark Horse, Kuhnhenn, Founders, and B Nectar. The cost is $20 per person, and proceeds benefit the 1st Battalion 24th Marine Memorial.

Following this event, comes the 3rd Annual Winter Brews Festival, at Loving Touch in Royal Oak. Although the name sounds like a strip club, I am led to believe that the location is actually the new pool hall adjacent to Woodward Avenue Brewery (and the flier has the WAB logo). The night begins at 7 pm and promises rare and unique seasonal beers from near and far, including Dogfish Head, Rogue, Founders, Dark Horse, and more. Cost is $25 in advance and $30 at the door, with part of the proceeds benefiting Ferndale Public Schools. Advance tickets are available by phone (248)-546-3696 or at the WAB or the Loving Touch.

The facebook link to this event can be found here

MBG Winter Beer Festival

It is almost 4 o'clock on the day of this post and I am assuming anyone who is reading this immediately on this hump day is thinking about a handful of things, one of which is sure to be getting that after work beer. So now that I have your attention I would like to point to an event where beer is thought about all day long. The Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival is just shy of a month away. In its fifth year, the festival mirrors the summer one, which one large contract: how damn cold will it be? Well, in the mitten state we all know that the probability of a winter day being warmer than usual can be welcomed. How cold will it be on February 27th? I don't know, and neither should you. The beer will make you warm, and if its not, drink more or head on over to the central bonfire.

The event is $35 in advance, $40 at the door. This fee includes 15 drink tokens. It is held at Fifth Third Park in Grand Rapids from 11-5. After parties are sure to ensue, indoors ta boot.

See you there!

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