Short's Tap Takeover Coming to Ashley's

Photo by Erik Smith.

Hey, Short's Brewing fans, there's an event coming up April 5 you won't want to miss: a tap takeover at Ashley's in Ann Arbor with 20 draft beers from that brewery up north, including some not seen outside the Short's tap room before.  This event comes on the tail of the finals of Ashley's Invitational Brewery Throwdown in Westland the evening before, in which Short's is a participant. So you can either congratulate or console your Short's brethren — I'm guessing beer will be involved in any case.

For a full breakdown of the lineup, follow the jump.

The Week in Beer: Fools Rush Out - For Great Local Beer Events

Patti Smith displays her luminary of -- what else? -- a beer mug at last year's
Fool Moon street party in downtown Ann Arbor.

It looks as if our preview of summer weather is over, but that’s OK — maybe a freeze or two will help kill off some of the mosquitoes, wasps, and other nasties faked out by Mother Nature into spawning early. In the meantime, there’s no shortage of tasty local beer to keep you warm and in high spirits. (Admittedly, some beer is more local than other beer, but God also made designated drivers for a reason.) Check out your weekly beer planner for the end of March and beginning of April, after the jump.

FoolBrew Witbier Available at Grizzly Peak, Blue Tractor, Jolly Pumpkin

L to R: Blue Tractor, Grizzly Peak, Jolly Pumpkin

Yesterday I had a chance to try all three versions of FoolBrew Spiced Belgian Witbier, created as a collaboration amongst brewers at Grizzly Peak, Blue Tractor, and Jolly Pumpkin. I picked up my commemorative glass at Jolly Pumpkin, but it should be noted for the collector types among us that there are also three different versions of the glass as well, though each brewery will refill any of them for $3.

But you're probably wondering what it tastes like. Read on for some notes from my unsophisticated palate.

Tickets on Sale for Ashley's Cask Ale Festival in Westland

Early bird tickets are now on sale for the Ashley's Michigan Cask Ale Festival, taking place May 12 in Westland. Around two dozen casks of  "real ale" from around the state and beyond will be tapped and served the way God intended: unfiltered out of the vessel they were fermented in.

The gnomes at Ashley's are still putting together the beer lineup, but so far there are commitments from Arcadia, Blue Point, Brewery Vivant, Dark Horse, Epic Brewing, Lagunitas, The Livery, New Holland, and Short's.

Tickets are $20 each until April 2, after which they go up to $30, then $35 at the door, if any are still available. For a little extra, you can reserve a table when you buy a package of four tickets. Each ticket includes 12 sample tokens, and more can be purchased on site.

Buy tickets on the festival's official site and check it, along with the Cask Ale Fest Facebook page, for the latest updates.

Downtown Ann Arbor Oberon Pub Crawl Is Go

A-crawling we will go.

Call in sick or just quit your job and get on the Oberon train Monday afternoon for a pub crawl around downtown Ann Arbor. Join the fine folks from Rave Associates, the local distributor of Oberon and other Bell's beers, and David Munro, brewery representative, who will be passing out shirts, hats, suntan lotion, pins, and other swag like it was candy on Halloween. Also drinking beer and telling lies.

Knight's Steakhouse to Host First-Ever Beer Dinner

As mentioned in the current Week in Beer, the venerable Knight's Steakhouse in Ann Arbor is the latest local restaurant to try out this newfangled "beer dinner" concept this coming Monday, March 26, at 6 p.m. I'm told they're hoping to attract some younger diners to their regular clientele, but I think beer and steak are great at any age!

Tickets are just $25 in advance, or $30 at the door.  Call Knight's at 734-665-8644 for more info or to reserve and see below for the full menu (click image to enlarge).

The Week in Beer: The Return of Oberon

Bell's Oberon waiting in an undisclosed location, ready to be unleashed Monday.

In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
Birds sing hey ding a-ding, a-ding,
Sweet lovers love the spring.

Thus spake the great philosopher Willy Wonka, channeling Shakespeare.  And so it is that here in March we have more than just a pretty ring time; we have an absolutely thriving beer time. Getting out and about in the unseasonably warm weather has never tasted so good. Let's take a look at the many options in your ding-a-ding Week in Beer.

Stalking the Wild Leprechaun: A St. Patrick's Day Liveblog

Another year, another St. Patrick's Day. Well, actually, it's not just another St. Patrick's Day. It's Saturday, for one thing. And on top of that, the weatherman is forecasting more Algorean warmth, with highs once again in the 70s.

So much for those misty, rolling hills of Old Ireland. (Seriously, the weather forecast for Dublin is more Michigan than Michigan's.) Me, I'm forecasting an epic day of Hunter S. Thompsonesque absurdity.

That's right, the fools editors of your favorite newspaper-website thing, AnnArbor.com, have once again commissioned your correspondent to wake up at an ungodly hour and head out into the wilds of Tree Town in an effort to document the sights and sounds of St. Patrick's Day in Ann Arbor. Well, OK, maybe not the sounds. And for a lot of the sights, you'll have to use your imagination. But I do promise to take pictures, so keep a sharp eye on the Twitter box below throughout the day, And if you're out and about, too, feel free to join in the fun with the hashtag I'll be using, #stpata2.

Still wondering where to go and what to do? Consult Sean Patrick Conor Flannery O'Leprechaun's guide. It's chock full of good ideas, sure and begorrah. See you on the streets!

The 2012 Sean Patrick Conor Flannery O'Leprechaun's Four-Leaf Clover Guide to St. Patrick's Day in Auld Anne Arbour & Environs

Who can start their St. Patrick's Day the earliest?

Newcomers to the green, gently rolling hills of County Washtenaw have sometimes been surprised by the enthusiasm with which we celebrate our St. Patrick’s Day 'round these parts. Well, this year with the sacred beer-drinking holiday falling on a Saturday and the weather forecast calling for May, they ain't seen nothing yet.

Following is a list, by no means comprehensive (God help anyone trying to  compile that), of what's up in and around Ann Arbor for St. Patrick's Day that might be interesting to the local craft beer drinker. No warranties, express or implied, are given for this list. Websites and phone numbers are provided for readers to use to make final plans.

If you're too afraid to go out but still have a morbid sense of curiosity, be sure to tune in to AnnArbor.com, who have foolishly graciously agreed to again publish my live-tweeting St. Patrick's Day adventures. Out and about? Join me in the fun with hashtag #stpata2.

The Week in Beer: It Might As Well Be Spring

A sign of spring: Amarillo Shamrock Session Ale returns to the Grizzly Peak nitro tap.

Can you feel it? The air is warming up, birds can be heard chirping, and some suicidal flowers have already begun tentatively poking up out of the dirt. It's not officially spring, but it might as well be. March reflects the flurry of activity associated with the return of life outside, and beer, as usual, is at the heart of many of the goings-on. Prepare yourself for an early spring Week in Beer full of seasonal sensations.

Beer: Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

Wolverine State Brewing's tap room isn't open in the morning, so they can't serve you beer for breakfast. But they can serve beer for dessert, and that's just what they're doing with the upcoming Beer & Dessert Pairing event on March 13, starting at 5 p.m. See the official flyer below for all the details:

Popularity of Belgian Fest Mirrors Overall Growth in Craft Beer Market

Note: A version of this article originally appeared 3/2/12 on MittenBrew.com.

WESTLAND – Somewhat overshadowed by the (justifiable) hype surrounding a certain other recent beer festival in Grand Rapids, Ashley's Belgian Beer Festival ended February 19, and its growth, particularly in a “blue collar” area of Metro Detroit, is yet another strong indicator of increasing interest in the art of good beer, whether locally produced or imported from across the pond.

In just its second year, the festival grew out of a 2010 trip that brothers Roy More and Jeff More, co-owners of Ashley’s, took to Belgium, where they visited a number of the Low Country’s many small and often family-owned breweries. They came away impressed with, in Roy’s words, “the level of game” Belgian brewers bring to their craft, arising from centuries of beer-based traditions and culture.

The Truncated Week in Beer: Still Plenty Left to Drink and Do

Note: This week's column was rushed and consequently a little half-assed for reasons that will be obvious from the first paragraph. There are still plenty of things coming up this week, so I'm posting this here for anyone who missed it on AnnArbor.com.

Dear Loyal Readers, it is with sadness I announce that due to a death in the family, this Week in Beer will contain 75 percent less wit and charm than usual as I try to put it all together in record time before leaving town for the funeral of my Uncle Geno. Accordingly, I got nothing else to say other than that, though you didn't know him, maybe you'll still join me in raising a pint to his dear, departed soul.