The Week in Beer: Summer Beer Season Is Heating Up

Cooling off with a refreshing growler of Lazy Peach Hefeweizen
from Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery.

The summer beer season continues with beer tastings, bus tours, and celebrations of women as well as such far-flung places as Belgium, Germany, and Polynesia and the islands of the Caribbean. What in the heck am I talking about? Read on through the latest Week in Beer and don’t miss a single second of the action — or drop of the beer!

Thursday, June 9
» Remember the big fruit beer and cider tasting tonight 7-9 p.m. at Arbor Brewing, 114 E. Washington. Two dozen fine beverages, from blueberry stouts to cherry alts and from sweet to sour, will be on offer, along with a tasty appetizer buffet and a chance to win cool beer gear. Tickets are $30; call 734-213-1393 to order.

Friday, June 10
» Never made it up north to Bellaire to try out the acclaimed beers of Short’s Brewing? Short’s will come down to you, at least for a special tasting at Whole Foods Cranbrook, 990 W. Eisenhower, from 5-7 p.m. at the Wine and Beer Bar. Enjoy $3 drafts, $1 sample pours, and varying prices on bottles, served with a smile by Whole Foods beer guru Jimmy and team.

Saturday, June 11
» Wondering what to do for Dear Old Dad for Father’s Day? How about going on a local brewery tour with the old man? Sign up for the June 11 Motor City Brew Tours package for $100 and get two bus tickets to visit three breweries — Liberty Street Brewing, 149 W. Liberty, Plymouth; Wolverine State Brewing, 2019 W. Stadium, Ann Arbor; and Corner Brewery, 720 Norris, Ypsilanti — as well as a t-shirt, pint glass, and keychain. Tickets include lunch, a brewer-led tour and beer samples at each stop, and snacks and water on the bus. Tour starts at Liberty at 11 a.m. Single tickets are available for $50; visit www.motorcitybrewtours.com or call 248-850-2563 to order.

Sunday, June 12
» Ladies and gentlemen, grab your Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts or your grass skirt and coconut bra and get over to the Corner Brewery for Halcyon Islandaze, a special edition of Halcyon Sundaze, from 2 to 10 p.m. out in the beer garden. Enjoy the relaxing sounds of the islands from regular and rotating DJs, including yours truly, who is planning a tiki lounge serenade designed to put the mai in your tai. And speaking of beverages, imagine the gentle lapping of the ocean on a tropical shore as you sip this month’s special beer, the Imperial Island Red Ale, dry “hopped” with toasted coconut. As always, Cousins Vinyl will be on hand offering a wide range of records priced at a buck apiece, and four local artists will be exhibiting and selling their works as well as performing live art. Aloha!

» Calling all beer-loving women, ladies, chicks, girls, dames, babes, and broads! Wolverine’s Real Women Drink Beer event is designed especially for you! For a mere $35, you get to enjoy an evening of beer appreciation as well as other cool stuff like music, massages, manicures and pedicures, chick flicks, and catered snacks from From the Hearth Food. Plus if you order now, you also get a free Mug Club membership with your ticket — you can’t beat that with a stick! A portion of the proceeds will go to the Mid-Michigan chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Stop by the Tap Room at 2019 W. Stadium or call 734-369-2990 to order.

Tuesday, June 14
» Like Belgian style ales? There’s a new Grand Rapids brewery specializing in them, Brewery Vivant, and Ashley’s wants to introduce you to them with an event featuring several of their beers on tap beginning at 6 p.m. Beers are TBD, but among Vivant’s delicious offerings are Farm Hand Farmhouse Ale, Triomphe Belgian IPA, Solitude Belgian Amber Ale, and Zaison Super Saison. Your correspondent recently had the opportunity to visit Vivant and can vouch for the yumminess of their beverages, which will soon be available in cans on area store shelves. Check out www.breweryvivant.com for more information.

Notes on the Napkin

• Congratulations go to Bob and Kim Barrett of the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild for taking Best of Show at the ABC Brews Crews Homebrew Competition last Saturday for their Citramarillo Pale Ale brewed with, yes, Citra and Amarillo hops. Daniel Fick won Best of Show for meads with his Strawberry Rain Melomel (i.e., mead made with fruit). All told there were 307 entries, 86 entrants, and 23 prize categories. The full list of winners will be posted soon at brewscrews.aabg.org.
  
• A couple upcoming dates to save on your calendar: June 18 is the third anniversary party at Original Gravity, 440 County, Milan, featuring multiple small-batch releases, BBQ food, and live music; stay tuned for more details or check out www.ogbrewing.com. June 25 is the first German Park Picnic of the summer: Grab the kids, blankets, deck of cards or Yahtzee game, Frisbee, and lederhosen and enjoy the barrel of fun (and buckets of beer) that is the German Park experience. See www.germanpark.com for more information.