The Week in Beer: Toasting the World's Best Beverage

Beer is so versatile you can even bake with it. Pictured: Oats and Blonde Ale bread, made (and paired) with Arbor Brewing's Bollywood Blonde Ale.

At the risk of sounding like a dork, I have to say I continue to be amazed by the versatility of the World's Best Beverage, beer. Just a generation ago in this country, "beer" was a watered-down foamy yellow drink relegated to clubs full of old men, bowling alleys, and frat houses.

Today, more and more people have discovered the amazingly wide range of flavors that real beer can offer. More and more people now know you can pair beer with meals, like wine snobs have been doing with their beverage of choice for decades, and it kicks wine's ass. You can drink it. You can cook with it. And, as I recently discovered, you can even bake with it. I would not be surprised if it is soon discovered that beer can cure cancer. So pledge to raise a glass to beer, and allow me to give you some ideas about where and when to do so in your latest Week in Beer.

The Week in Beer: Whoo! Winter Beer Festival!

Winter Beer Festival? Winter Beer Festival. Winter Beer Festival Winter Beer Festival Winter Beer Festival. Whoo! OK, sorry about that. It's just that there's this little old beer festival going on this weekend. Unfortunately, it's not here; it's in Grand Rapids. But that's all right. Grand Rapids has gotten hip to the whole craft beer thing, and in a pretty big way. However, if you are not one of the lucky few thousand beer lovers who actually managed to get tickets for the sold-out fest, there's still plenty of cool things going on around town these days. Have a look at your latest Week in Beer.

Rat Fest 2012 Showcases Efforts of Amateur Brewers, Professional Drinkers

Note: A version of this story was also published on MittenBrew.com.

More than 400 thirsty souls crowded into the Corner Brewery Saturday for Rat Fest 2012, where they sampled from nearly three dozen beers created by members of six different homebrewing clubs on the brewery’s 10-gallon “Rat Pad” system.

The event, now in its third year, continues to grow, with attendance virtually doubled over 2011 (official ticket sales count: 375) and a beer lineup expanded to 33 brews versus last year’s 23. Participating groups included the Brighton Home Brew Club, Motor City Mashers, Sons of Liberty (Plymouth), the Ugly Mug Cafe & Roastery (Ypsilanti), Muskrat Mashers (Monroe), and the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild (AABG), whose members contributed 12 of the available beers.

Lineup for Saturday's Rat Fest Released

The full beer list for this Saturday's Rat Fest at the Corner Brewery has been released, and as expected there are plenty of interesting sounding brews on the docket. Altogether, there are 33 (not 32) small-batch homebrews from clubs including the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild, Sons of Liberty, and Motor City Mashers. Take a look after the jump.

Tickets Now On Sale for Rat Fest 2012

 

Get your tickets now for January 28's Rat Fest 2012, the third annual mini-beer fest featuring only small-batch beers brewed by local homebrewers and homebrew clubs on the Corner Brewery's 10-gallon "Rat Pad" pilot system. This year's event promises to be bigger and badder than last year's, which was a completely sold-out affair. Tickets (available at both Corner and Arbor Brewing) are a mere $25 in advance for appetizers, commemorative tasting glass, and (if it's like last year) unlimited samples of the 32 beers on offer, which include the wacky likes of Orange Creamsicle Ale, Honey Badger American Pale Ale, Pig Roast Porter, and Loaded Baked Potato Stout.

Rat Fest 2011 a Smashing Success

The final numbers aren't in, but I'd guesstimate somewhere north of 100 beer lovers turned out Saturday for Rat Fest 2011 at Corner Brewery, and I think I can speak for every last one of us when I say it was a great time.