Get Ready for the Summer Beer Drinking Season

A few items to share regarding the upcoming summer beer season.  First, some news from the Ann Arbor Summer Festival and Arbor Brewing:

Join us on Monday, May 2, from 5-8pm as we reveal the 2011 Top of the Park schedule at a special announcement party hosted by our friends at Arbor Brewing Company. Be one of the first to find out which of your favorite bands and movies will be part of this year's amazing lineup.

We're also excited to tell you that this announcement party will serve as the launch event for a special, limited-edition seasonal beer, Festival Saison, developed in partnership between Ann Arbor Summer Festival and Arbor Brewing Company. The new summer ale, a refreshing Belgian-style saison brewed with lemon zest, orange peel and ginger, will be sold exclusively at Arbor Brewing Company throughout the summer months, with a portion of sales proceeds going to support Top of the Park.

Unfortunately, the beer will not actually be available at Top of the Park, owing to sponsorship issues and whatnot, but supporting the festival just by drinking beer (preferably outside) at ABC sounds like a great idea to me. I expect to enjoy many Festival Saisons throughout the summer.

In related drinking-beer-outside-in-the-summer news, DJ Dannyboy and the Corner Brewery's Halcyon Sundaze series are returning for another season of chill DJ sets, cool brews, and warm sunshine. Mark your calendars for a date with the Corner's beer garden on:

• May 22
• June 12
• July 24
• August 28
• September 11

Yours truly hopes to put together some more sets of relaxing retro beer-drinking music as one of the guest tune-slingers, including a tiki-themed surf-o-rama playlist. Be there or be square, Daddy-O.

Finally, the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild in partnership with Arbor Brewing has announced details for the 5th Annual Brews Crews Competition.

Submit your homebrew entries between May 13-18 and mark June 4 on your calendar for the judging and award ceremony at the Corner Brewery. Follow the link above for full details.