OT: Michigan Beer
Since, it's the bye week I felt that this thread is okay. If not, delete.
But next week, for the Maryland game, I will be making my first trip to Ann Arbor. Lately, when I travel to a new area or state, I have been trying to grab a six (or 4)-pack of the best beer from the area and bring it back home with me.
With the large amounts of drinking threads that flood this website weekly, I know that you all know your beer. So I've come here to make it easier on myself and ask for some of your help.
If I could grab one six (or 4)-pack to bring back home with me to MD, what should I get?
I don't have any preferences, anything is fine with me.
November 15th, 2014 at 9:17 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 9:20 AM ^
You can end the thread now.
November 15th, 2014 at 9:25 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 10:10 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 10:57 AM ^
So many great beers and ales, so many great breweries and brewpubs in Michigan, it really comes down to looking for your favorite style and buying a few sixes from various brewing companies.
Greenbush, Oddside, New Holland, Saugatuck breweries are all very good to great along the west coast of Michigan. Founders, Dark Horse, Arcadia, and Bells are all damn good in western and southern Michigan. Shorts is probably the best (and best-known) in northern Michigan. None of this, though, means to ignore any of the others in this state.
November 15th, 2014 at 11:41 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 12:24 PM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 1:18 PM ^
are you in Ann Arbor? They have it still at Whole Foods on Washtenaw. I just saw it this morning
November 17th, 2014 at 4:50 PM ^
at The Liquor Cabinet in St. Joe yesterday, and they still had at least a couple more 4-packs there (posting this in case anyone else in the area is searching for some Backwoods Bastard).
They also told me they'd have some Hopslam in January.
Later on yesterday evening I popped into a local Hardings for a few groceries and lucked into a deal on some Bell's Venus Planetary Series brew. It was marked $9.99 for a six but was supposed to be going for $13.99, according to the cashier. So I saved a bit on something I didn't expect to even see there, got it chilling and will pop one open later this evening. Has anyone else had any "Venus" or gotten any of the other Bells Planetary Series special edition ales?
November 15th, 2014 at 5:10 PM ^
double posted like a boss
November 15th, 2014 at 1:13 PM ^
Plum Market in Ann Arbor got several cases of Backwoods Bastard Tuesday (not sure about Friday) so they are the most likely in the Ann Arbor area to have them.
I echo Backwoods Bastard and Two Hearted. Other good Ann Arbor beer in a 6-pack would be Gulo Gulo by Wolverine State Brewing.
November 15th, 2014 at 6:14 PM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 12:55 PM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 11:09 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 12:31 PM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 11:42 AM ^
Also, when looking for the Huma, check the date around the neck of the bottle. The fresher the better! It can sit in some stores for awhile.
November 15th, 2014 at 7:12 PM ^
tasty, easy to drink, a surprising finish. What's not to like?
November 15th, 2014 at 3:22 PM ^
To be honest, I don't really love Two Hearted. I'm a huge Bells fan (and general small brewery / craft beer fan), but I don't think Two Hearted really differentiates itself significantly from many other pale ales out there. Don't get me wrong, it's great, but not something I'd go out of my way for. The Michigan ties and the good times I had while drinking it obviously make a difference, but it's not enough to make it outstanding.
Now Bell's Hopslam is a ridiculously distinctive and noteworthy beer that is much harder to find outside of Michigan (I live in NYC and have seen a few times, but nowhere near how much Two Hearted is distributed). The stories I could tell about getting hammered on the deliciously enjoyable beer...
November 15th, 2014 at 6:12 PM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 6:54 PM ^
http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/bells-two-hearted-ale-is-contrarian-pr…
So I wanted to call Bell's Two-Hearted IPA overrated. The headline would have been so much fun to write! And I could have told all sorts of irrelevant jokes about how Detroit's a hellhole and Michigan football sucks and tried to pass them off as having anything at all to do with a beer from Kalamazoo. But alas, the Bell'sholes are right about this one. Two-Hearted is fucking spectacular.
November 15th, 2014 at 9:32 AM ^
Pretty sure that it is available nationwide. See it everywhere in Atlanta.
I would go for Oddside , Shorts, or Right Brain I had never seen any of them in the Atlanta area. I wish I had brought home more of the Oddside Beanflicker Blonde, a blonde ale made with coffee. Took home a variety pack of Shorts and thought it was pretty good too.
November 15th, 2014 at 9:20 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 10:54 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 3:00 PM ^
I knew that looked wrong after I typed it
November 15th, 2014 at 9:20 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 9:22 AM ^
It as absolutely the best alcoholic beverage that I've ever tasted. So fucking good.
November 15th, 2014 at 9:54 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 11:19 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 11:13 AM ^
I actually had the opportunity recent to try their Purple Gane Pilsner - that was pretty good, I thought. The Dirty Blonde is decent enough too, although my wife - being a brunette - looks disapprovingly at "Dirty Blonde" bottles sitting around the house sometimes.
November 15th, 2014 at 11:34 AM ^
VJP for the win. THis stuff is ALWAYS in my fridge... but usually not for long.
November 15th, 2014 at 12:04 PM ^
had a bad batch? I was not impressed with the finish. I have tasted many beers that have a coffee component but this was by far the worst coffee taste for me!
Either way be hoppy hoppy hoppy
Go Blue!
November 15th, 2014 at 1:00 PM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 9:26 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 9:31 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 9:45 AM ^
Kinda nice having Bell's beer garden about 6 minutes away.
November 15th, 2014 at 11:13 AM ^
Bell's Hopslam will blow your socks off. If you can find it.
November 15th, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^
If you find it now, it will be very old, because its only brewed in February or March.
November 17th, 2014 at 8:56 PM ^
while in my successful search for some Backwoods Bastard. The Liquor Cabinet in St. Joe told me to expect some in January---maybe either they or you are just slightly off on the timing. I'll research this at Bell's website and check back in...
November 17th, 2014 at 9:07 PM ^
In 2014, Hopslam was released on Jan. 3rd; shipping in Michigan began on Jan 6th; shipping to midwestern states (including Minnesota) began Jan 13th; shipping to other states within Bell's distribution chain began Jan. 20th.
November 15th, 2014 at 9:31 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^
the Mosaic is? Also I appreciate the ADIPA as a kind of a light beer of IPAs.
Be Hoppy Hoppy Hoppy
Go Blue!
November 15th, 2014 at 9:35 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 12:20 PM ^
this is one of my favorite aspects of craft beering. I get a lot of info from beeradvocate.com and the app Untapped.
Be Hoppy Hoppy Hoppy
Go Blue!
November 15th, 2014 at 9:37 AM ^
November 15th, 2014 at 12:23 PM ^
However, I hear that those that have really like the taste.
Be Hoppy Hoppy Hoppy
Go Blue!
November 15th, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^
The dragonmead brews are actually beers and not meads. I believe the Final Absolution is a Belgian Trippel, around 8-9% ABV.
November 15th, 2014 at 9:38 AM ^
For you youngsters back in the day you could take the Strohs beer tour and as long as you were of age (or had a reasonable fake ID) you could drink as much as you wanted during the visit. Good times.
Sadly it didnt last.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryadolan/2014/07/08/how-the-stroh-family…
November 15th, 2014 at 9:53 AM ^
...after the brewery on gratiot is gone...
November 15th, 2014 at 10:21 AM ^