Menu for Sunday's Wolverine Beer Dinner Finalized

Meet Wolverine owners Matt Roy and E.T. Crowe and
brewmaster Oliver Roberts at the April "Beer Bellies" dinner.

Going to Wolverine State Brewing's "Beer Bellies" dinner this Sunday?  You may be interested to know that Marcello Grasso and Emil Boch of From the Hearth Food have finalized the "Southern style" menu for the event, which will be hosted by the Wolverine crew and emceed by Michigan Beer Guide publisher Rex Halfpenny. And just to be more authentically Southern, the pitchers and plates will be passed family-style.  Without further ado:

The Week in Beer: Nobody Puts Baby in a Dark Corner

Arbor Brewing's Matt Greff signs a six-pack of Dark Corner, a collaboration ale
he developed with Aaron Morse (right) of Dark Horse Brewing in Marshall.

 As we enter a new month, we also enter a new season of beer. Dark, heavy brews are gradually replaced with lighter, effervescent kinds of ales and lagers, even as cold, cloudy weather is gradually (too gradually for some) replaced with sun and warmer temps.

But April is a transitional month for both the beer and calendar seasons, so no matter your brew preference — light, dark, or in between — there’s plenty for you to enjoy in your latest Week in Beer.

Limited-Batch New Holland Event Coming to Ashley's

New Holland Brewing takes over Ashley's in Ann Arbor on the evening of April 14, tapping firkins of three high-gravity brews, pouring six other great New Holland beers, and even offering New Holland liquors for those more interested in cocktails like the Michigan Martini or Hoparita. Here are the details:

A Short Pour of Oberon

Oberon pub crawlers at the Arena in downtown Ann Arbor.

 Just a couple more notes on the upcoming Oberon explosion...

• I want my two dollars! In addition to its midnight tapping on Sunday night, Sidetrack in Ypsilanti will be pouring $2 pints of Oberon all day Monday and handing out oodles of Oberon boodle.
• It's good to be king. Stop in to Ashley's (Ann Arbor) any time on Sunday and order a Bell's Winter White. For every pint you drink, you receive an entry into the big drawing to become King (or Queen) Oberon for the year, plus a chance to win other cool Oberon goodies, like hats, shirts, beach towels, and the like. Drawing is at 11:30pm.
• Rumor disconfirmed. Fraser's Pub is not hosting a midnight pouring party, but will have Oberon on tap once it's officially released.

Rex Halfpenny to Host Wolverine "Beer Bellies" Dinner

Michigan Beer Guide publisher Rex Halfpenny hanging
at the Wolverine Tap Room with Your Correspondent.

And the beer and food pairings keep coming! Beer Wench E.T. Crowe of Wolverine State Brewing recently announced a "Beer Bellies" dinner scheduled for April 3 – and Michigan Beer Guide publisher Rex Halfpenny will be serving as host. Rex (Latin for "king") is appropriately named, as he is Michigan craft beer royalty, and his vast beer knowledge and expertise will add a lot to the event, which begins in the tap room at 6pm.

The menu, still being developed by former Eve chef Marcello Grasso and Emil Boch of From the Hearth Food, will include six courses of "Southern style" cuisine (think spicy fried chicken, collard greens, sweet potato pie, blackeyed peas with caramelized onion, etc.) paired with six different Wolverine brews.

Tickets are $30 a head and go on sale this Saturday. Stop by the tap room at 2019 W. Stadium or call 734-277-7226 to reserve your seat.

Recapping the Bell's Beer Dinner at Carson's Bistro

The main event: Roasted Chicken Stuffed with Applewood Smoked Bacon
Third Coast Old Ale

The first beer and food pairing hosted by Carson's American Bistro last night was a grand affair – and a good deal. For around $50 (after factoring in taxes and tip), the roughly 35 people in attendance, including yours truly*, were stuffed with five delicious courses prepared by Executive Chef Beth Crawford and paired with a variety of beers from Bell's Brewery, with refills available for the asking!

Bell's Southeast Michigan beer representative David Munro led the proceedings, providing history, context, and details on the brewery and each beer. So what did we eat and drink? Glad you asked...

Dark Corner Update

Totally not the right Dark Corner and totally not used with permission.

Two releases of the much-anticipated collabo-beer Dark Corner are coming up. The first, at Corner Brewery, is March 29 from 6-8pm and is like a typical Arbor beer release: beer, munchies, the usual gang of drunks, free for Mug Club members and $10 for e'erbody else.

The second release is April 1 at Ashley's, where batches of the 2011 edition of Dark Corner brewed at both Corner and Dark Horse will be on tap, as well as several additional specialty beers from each brewery.

The Short Pour Returns from Exile

Catching up with the local beer scene...

• Spring is sprung, bitches. Oberon Day is March 28. But you already knew that, didn't you?
• Oh, my darling. The famous Clementine Lemon Thyme returns to Liberty Street Brewing; it's a good alternative to the ubiquitous Oberon-with-orange-slice: a wheat ale brewed with clementine and lemon zest and dry "hopped" with thyme. Releases at 7pm for Mug Clubbers and 9pm for the hoi polloi.
• 99 bottles of beer. Both Wolverine State Brewing and Corner Brewery now have new bottling lines. Your intrepid reporter hopes to investigate what this means in the near future.
• Jump to the Shark. The Shark Club in Howell debuts its impressive new 68-tap look Thursday at 7pm. $1 samples of everything they have, and with 68 freaking taps, you know they'll have a whole lot of awesome. 
• Seriously sour. Soon, if it's not out already, Arbor's latest beer in the sour series should be available: Sodibo Barrel Aged Blonde Ale.  Sodibo begins life as Brasserie Blonde, spends six months in an oak cask teeming with gueuze-y kinda micro-critters, conditions two months in the bottle, and then prepares to kick your palate's ass.
• The tractor is blue. Been to Blue Tractor lately? They have several new brews worthy of your attention, including Hopicidal Maniac IPA, Tamaltach's Old Irish Red Ale, and, if you like that bourbon barrel aged thing (and who doesn't?), Bourbon Oak Aged "Hands Off My Goat!" Oatmeal Stout.  
• Mars needs drinkers. The Bière de Mars returns Thursday on draft and in bottles at the Jolly Pumpkin Café in Ann Arbor, and the Holy Grail of Jolly Pumpkin beers, Bière Mars Grand Reserve, should be available in mid-April, most likely in bottles only. Aw hell, I'll let the newly shorn Ron Jeffries explain:

Springtime in Michigan: Oberon Day

March 28 is Oberon Day, when everyone's favorite Michigan-brewed summertime beer returns for the season. OK, it's not everyone's favorite summertime beer, but it's the favorite of enough people that it accounts for half of Bell's Michigan beer sales, so it's kind of a big deal. Even many bars with mostly NASCAR beers on draft often will sport a tap handle featuring the familiar Oberon sun guy.

Although the weather forecast looks fairly crappy for the next week, the calendar does say it's officially spring, and there's reason to celebrate the warmer days soon to come – by drinking some Oberon and scoring some free Bell's swag, of course.

Liveblogging St. Patrick's Day

They don't call it Kentucky Breakfast Stout for nothing. A beer to begin, some cookies
courtesy of Patti Smith, and the World's Stupidest Looking St. Patrick's Day Hat.

Game on. Be sure to follow me on AnnArbor.com as I stumble around downtown Tree Town in pursuit of St. Patrick's Day beer and other awesomeness while you're stuck at work, you poor bastard.*

* If you're not stuck at work and instead are also out and about, give a shout out via the Twitter hashtag #stpata2. Maybe I'll see you at the bar!

The Week in Beer: Everything's Gone Green

Just say no!

Everything's coming up green, whether it's St. Patrick's Day (and certain strains of beer you'll see) or all the grass re-exposed by the merciful melting of snow. Cast off your cabin fever and embrace your Week in Beer, below!

Bell's Beer Dinner at Carson's

The dashing David Munro is your guide to Bell's beer goodness.

Carson's American Bistro, 2000 Commonwealth Blvd., Ann Arbor, has announced its first-ever beer dinner, scheduled for March 23 and featuring brews from Bell's. Brewery representative extraordinaire David Munro will be on hand to guide you through five courses of delicious beer and victuals.

The Week in Beer: A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

As we speed toward the official beginning of spring, the local beer scene continues to heat up as well. To take the most obvious example, everyone’s favorite beer-drinking holiday is right around the corner, and your Week in Beer has some ideas for you to make the most of it – so read on, MacDuff!

The Week in Beer: A New Season of Brews

Erin and Ryan Cottongim hope to open Witch's Hat Brewing
in the South Lyon area later this summer.

Welcome to month three of 2011! It won’t be long now before the glaciers melt and you can feel your toes again. And that’s far from the only thing to look forward to. Also coming this month are two great excuses to drink beer: Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day. Not that any excuse is necessary to enjoy a fresh, flavorful, full-bodied adult beverage created by your own neighbors; the only prerequisites are good taste and common sense. So let’s put both to use in your latest Week in Beer.

Winter Beer Fest De-Briefing

I think the picture above pretty well sums up this past weekend's Winter Beer Festival in Grand Rapids. Snow? Check. Hat, gloves, warm coat? Check. Beverage in hand? Check? Person who is happy as a pig in poop to be standing outside in a parking lot on a Saturday in February in Michigan for hours at a time just to drink beer? Check.

(It's also worth noting this is an attractive young woman. Craft beer: It's not just for pot-bellied, middle-aged dudes with beards anymore!)