Showing posts with label Beer Grotto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beer Grotto. Show all posts

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Who Will Win Ann Arbor's American Craft Beer Week Challenge?


Those of us who consume American craft beer on a nigh daily basis could be forgiven for forgetting that this week is American Craft Beer Week, as proclaimed by the Brewers Association. Luckily, Wolverine State Brewing, along with six other Ann Arbor businesses, not only remembered, but decided to host a Craft Brew Challenge Charity Brew-Off in honor of ACBW.

Two-person teams from Ashley's, Beer Grotto, HopCat, Rappourt Brew & Chew, the Session Room, and Zingerman's Roadhouse each collaborated with Wolverine staff to brew a special beer on Wolverine's pilot system. The results will be unveiled at 3 p.m. this Saturday, May 19, at the Wolverine taproom as the teams vie for votes to win the challenge.

What sort of beers did the teams brew? You'll have to show up at Wolverine on Saturday to find out; however, I did tease out details from a couple of people involved.

"We brewed a New England-style IPA with Nelson Sauvin hops and strawberries, named 'Nelson's Berry Bandwagon,' said Kim Anderson, beer buyer for Ashley's. "If it's delicious we hope to be able to brew a full batch with Wolverine and have it available on tap at Ashley's this summer."

Rappourt also brewed a New England-style IPA, according to co-owner Hardik Patel, who noted it's a double dry-hopped beer showcasing Galaxy and Citra hops over a melange of mango puree, wheat malt, and lactose.

The rest of the details: live music, grilled burger and brat specials, the opportunity to purchase a sampler package of all six beers (which you can upgrade to include a special event t-shirt), and a vote on your favorite beers. The top three brews will be announced later in the evening, with the brewers of the No. 1 vote-getter taking home the inaugural WSBC-ACBWC trophy.

Quantities of each beer are limited, but if you really, really love one or more of them, Adventures in Homebrewing is selling recipe kits of each at a 10% discount, should you wish to attempt to re-create any at home.

Most importantly, the proceeds from sales of the sampler packages go to help Trail's Edge Camp, which helps children on ventilators experience the fun of summer camp.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

2018 Ann Arbor Oberon Pub Crawl Is March 26

Mmm, Oberon.
Oberon Day will be here before you know it – Monday, March 26, to be exact – and with it, a beloved Ann Arbor tradition: the Downtown (mostly) Oberon Pub Crawl! Bell's and Rave Associates have released the schedule for this year, and it's a wee bit different from last year, so look close:


Join the merry band of Oberonites as they make their way across Ann Arbor, dressed to the nines and ready to drain a few pints in their quest to welcome the return of spring in Michigan. Hey, it beats working.

Monday, March 6, 2017

Schedule for 2017 Downtown Ann Arbor Oberon Pub Crawl Announced

One of these years I need to take a new picture.

Oberon Day is Monday, March 27, and once again Downtown Ann Arbor will be the biggest scene – outside of the Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo – for celebrating Bell's beloved spring seasonal, Oberon Ale. This should give you ample warning to plan your "sick day" from work so you can join the day-long revelry. Here is the schedule:


You don't have to dress in your finest Bell's or Oberon regalia, but if you do, someone from Bell's might buy you a glass or two. And if you just can't wait that long, there are Sunday midnight Oberon tapping events planned at Ashley's and Sidetrack in Ypsilanti.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Annual Downtown Ann Arbor Oberon Pub Crawl Returns March 21

Obligatory photo from seven years ago or so.

Nothing says spring in Michigan like the release of Oberon Ale, the iconic seasonal wheat beer from Bell's. Its return signals warm days and summer fun just ahead. This year's official release date is Monday, March 21.

In recent years, a new tradition has developed: the Downtown Ann Arbor Oberon Pub crawl. The event has increased in popularity each year and is now, with the possible exception of Kalamazoo, home of Bell's Eccentric Cafe, the largest Oberon release celebration in the state. Certainly, thanks to Ann Arbor's walkability, it's the largest such pub crawl.

Planning on joining the Bells team for some, most, or all of the March 21 crawl? Here's the (always somewhat tentative, timewise) schedule:


Friday, May 8, 2015

Celebrating American Craft Beer Week, Ann Arbor Style


Next Monday marks the beginning of American Craft Beer Week (ACBW), and there are various beer-oriented activities going on around town as a result. Here are a few highlights:

  • Wolverine State Brewing, 2019 W. Stadium Blvd., is offering a VIP card beginning Monday, May 11, which entitles the bearer to all sorts of swell discounts and privileges throughout ACBW. These include (but are not limited to) 25 cents for your first beer each day, $2 beer specials the rest of the time, and $5 off the May 14 beer and appetizer pairing in the taproom. VIP cards are $18 or $25 with a special commemorative silipint, which you can use in the taproom all week if you want. See more details on Wolverine's website.
  • Arbor Brewing Brewpub, 114 E. Washington St., has different discounts and specials each day, including a tour of the brewhouse with head brewer Chris Davies on Saturday, May 16, from 12-2 p.m. RSVP to beth@arborbrewing.com. Go here to see all the other ABC happenings.
  • Arbor Brewing Microbrewery, 720 Norris St., Ypsilanti, is gonna party like it's 1995 in honor not only of ACBW but also of the 20th anniversary of Arbor Brewing's founding. Look for daily Facebook contests, '90s throwback pint prices, specialty brews, and some classics from the kitchen. Follow the brewery on Facebook for updates. And don't forget the first Halcyon Sundaze of the season on Sunday, May 17, from 2-9. I'm working on my setlist as I type this!
  • World of Beer, 1300 S. University Ave., is kicking things off Monday with a 6-9 p.m. tap event featuring Coronado Brewing and Latitude 42 Brewing. On tap look for Coronado's Islander IPA, Orange Avenue Wit, and Sock Knocker Imperial IPA; Latitude 42's Lilikoi Wheat Ale and Party at the Moon Tower IPA; and a collaboration brew between the two: 10 Degrees of Separation English Brown Ale. Use hashtag #wobtrip throughout the week for a chance to win an excursion to three American craft breweries, and watch WOB's Facebook page for more.
  • Each day of the week, HopCat Ann Arbor, 311 Maynard St., is featuring a different brewery on tap. Monday is Dogfish Head (Aprihop, Namaste, Black and Blue, and more), Tuesday is Coronado and Latitude 42, Wednesday is Arbor Brewing, and Thursday is Brooklyn Brewery. Keep an eye on Facebook for specific beer information and tapping times.
  • On Thursday, May 14, from 7-9 p.m., the Beer Grotto, 303 S. Ashley St., is hosting "Hoppy History Night," featuring yours truly talking about and signing copies of Ann Arbor Beer along with featured beers from Arbor, including Buzzsaw IPA, Demetrius Sour Ale, Euchre Pilsner, Phat Abbot Tripel, Strawberry Blond Ale, and a special firkin of Ryeclops Rye IPA. Arbor owners Matt and Rene Greff will also be there to give hugs and high fives.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

The Every Two Weeks in Beer: Resolve to Drink Better Beer

Coming really soon: 36 taps at The Beer Grotto's new Ann Arbor location at 303 S. Ashley St.

It’s a new year, and you’ve probably got a whole list of things you’ve resolved to accomplish in 2015. Things like get in shape, get organized, save money, finally clean out that damn garage, and stop judging other people so harshly for their poor grammar. Oops, that last one’s me. May I humbly suggest that you also resolve to drink better beer? It’s easy to do. There’s so much of it all around town that it’s hard to keep up, even if you already feel like you’re doing a pretty good job. Here’s the latest roundup to give you ideas. And you may want to go ahead and renew that gym membership in the meantime. Just in case.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

The Every Two Weeks in Beer: Big Brews to Keep You Warm in December


Now that you’re done stuffing your face with turkey, mashed potatoes, squash soup, corn, cranberries, and all the rest of the Thanksgiving buffet, it’s time to kick it into high gear for the end-of-year holiday freakout. Check the sale papers! Get out your wallet! Rush, rush, rush, but look out you don’t slip on the ice or bump into that old lady carrying twenty packages.

Well, it’s not all crazy and bad. There are also fun and festive events to light up your December, and many of them even feature big, bold beers to keep you warm as you do the ho-ho-holiday shuffle. Shall we?

Thursday, October 30, 2014

The Every Two Weeks in Beer: Halloween, Homebrew, and Belgians

Your next stop: beer.

Submitted for your approval this Halloween weekend and beyond: a smorgasbord of haunted happenings and edifying educational events designed to keep you in fine spirits as autumn proceeds apace. Prepare to enter another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound... but of beer.

Friday, October 31, Halloween

» Beware of things that stalk the night. Unless we’re talking about Night Stalker Pumpkin Cream Stout from Arbor Brewing. A full-bodied dark brew made with lactose and spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove is something you should totally embrace. It’s on tap at the brewpub at 114 E. Washington St. just in time to warm up your Halloween.

» Pop in to Witch’s Hat Brewing, 22235 Pontiac Trail, South Lyon, wearing your Halloween costume and enjoy happy hour prices all day. Bring the kiddies with you (before 9 p.m.), and if they’re in costume, too, they’ll get a free root beer and popcorn – and maybe even a small goodie bag. Then go back to the taproom November 1 in costume and enter the costume contest for a chance to win a lifetime Mug Club membership. The taproom opens at noon both days.

» At the Chelsea Alehouse, 420 N. Main St., Chelsea, the Halloween party begins at 7 p.m. and goes to midnight. Music, a costume contest, and the release of a pumpkin ale are all on tap. No cover.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

The Every Two Weeks in Beer: Chase Away the Fright with a Bewitching Brew


Calling all spooks, spectres, and spirits! Now is your time, as the sun sinks ever earlier and autumn’s chill winds whip the enflamed leaves into a frenzied danse macabre. This is the time when every attic, basement, or other dark, lonely space inspires a heightened nervousness. For we the living, the best we can do to stay fortified against the unknown forces of the night is to drink some good, seasonally appropriate beer. Here are the whens and the wheres as we head toward Halloween.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

The Every Two Weeks in Beer: Summer’s Almost Gone

Epic competition returns to Ann Arbor this fall. Not Michigan football --
I mean Vinology's Beer vs. Wine Dinner! But yeah, Michigan football, too.

As the summer wanes, the unmistakable signs of the coming fall appear around town. The return of the students, the beginning of another football season, and the reappearance of autumnal ales are harbingers of the cooler days and nights ahead. It’s all part of the natural cycle, so why not go out and enjoy it? Here are a few suggestions on where and how.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Dexter's Beer Grotto First of Many Envisioned in Michigan


Note: A version of this article originally appeared on Imabeerhound.com.

The Beer Grotto, a new-concept beer and wine bar and retail shop, opened July 2 to a full house packed into 8059 Main St. in Dexter. The 3,000 sq. ft. space, formerly occupied by the Dexter Pharmacy, encompasses a merchandise area featuring wine and beer bottles, apparel, glassware, books, and more as well as a lounge space with a multitap bar, light snacks, and seating for a few dozen customers.

The first of several other planned locations around Michigan, The Beer Grotto was the brainchild of partners Troy Ontko and Brandon Ansel, who got the idea from a similar concept store down in Georgia. They then brought on as president bar and retail specialist Sam Short, formerly of BarFly Ventures, the parent company of the HopCat bar and brewpub chain. Lisa Manno, director of marketing and sales, rounds out the ownership and management team.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

The Every Two Weeks in Beer: July Is Michigan Craft Beer Month

Beer Grotto president Sam Short celebrates the grand opening of the first of several planned stores July 2 in Dexter.

It’s been five years this month since I started writing about the local beer scene. To some people, I must sound like a Johnny One-Note. To others, I’m providing an important public service. To myself, I sometimes feel like a broken record.

But beer in the Ann Arbor area just keeps getting better and more plentiful all the time and during this Michigan Craft Beer Month (a designation initiated, I believe, by Ann Arbor’s then-Rep. Rebekah Warren), it’s only right to highlight some of the great things to do and drink leading up to the Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival July 25-26.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

The Every Two Weeks in Beer: Independence Day Calls for Independent Beers

Murka.

That uniquely American holiday known as Independence Day is coming up, and what could be more American than grilled food, fireworks, and, of course, beer — especially beer from independent breweries (see what I did there)? You’re on your own for the grilling and fireworks, but I can help you find where the good beer is leading up to your 4th of July vacation and beyond.

Thursday, June 26

» Get thee to Witch’s Hat, 22235 Pontiac Trail, South Lyon, by 2 p.m. for the release (bottle and draft) of Well Water, which is Holy Confusion Barleywine aged (and dry-hopped) in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels. However, if you’re not a Mug Club member, you’ll have to wait until Friday to get your bottles (you can get draft), if any’s left. If not, ask about the spiffy new $5 Well Water tulip glasses. You can buy one to remind of what might have been, unless you have a generous Mug Club friend willing to split his or her bottle with you. Read more about it here.

» World of Beer, 1300 South University Ave., is hosting a Lagunitas tap takeover to benefit Gilda's Club of Metro Detroit, which provides support for people stricken with cancer. Event begins at 7 p.m.