The Week in Beer: Beers and the Michiganders Who Love Them

This Week in Beer is light on the happenings, but that doesn’t mean there’s a shortage of good brew on tap out there for you to try while you gear up for what is sure to be a busy fall. Peruse your options for keeping your taste buds in good drinking shape during the temporary lull, and always remember that true "beer people" support their local breweries!

Thursday, October 13

» The original Oktoberfest that takes place every year in Munich may be over, but there’s still plenty of Märzen style beer still out there waiting to be tried. Arbor Brewing, 114 E. Washington, has collected a number of them, along with other autumnal brews including pumpkin beers, and put them all together for the Oktoberfest and Fall Favorites Tasting. Sample the season from 7-9 p.m., enjoy an appetizer buffet, and listen for your chance to win glassware, apparel, or other fine beer-related prizes. Tickets are $30; call 734-213-1393 or buy at the door, if available.

Sunday, October 16

» Free beer! No, not "tomorrow," like all those joke signs say, but today, at the Corner Brewery, 720 Norris, Ypsilanti, beginning at 1 p.m. The catch? Well, you have to help count out drink tokens for the upcoming Michigan Brewers Guild Detroit Fall Beer Festival. As your reward, the Guild will pick up your bar tab. Simple, isn't it?

Notes on the Napkin

• On tap now at Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery, 207 E. Washington, is Hunter’s Moon, a roasted pale ale fermented with Belgian yeast for that little extra je ne sais quoi, or, in English, “beats the heck outta me.” Also on is Sweetwaters Java Stout, an oatmeal stout brewed with coffee from local java joint Sweetwaters. And coming soon is Stormin’ Norman Schwarzbier, a traditional German style beer (with an obviously American style name) brewed with pilsner, Munich, and roasted malts.
  
  
• Liberty Street Brewing, 149 W. Liberty, Plymouth, recently received government permission to make wine, so for those who love the grape, look for batches of Liberty vino to come soon and, a little later, Liberty mead. For the time being, Liberty is serving apple and cherry ciders on tap. Also now on tap: the World Expo of Beer award-winning Liberty One Porter. Mmm, mmm, good.
  
  
• At Grizzly Peak, 120 W. Washington, the Hellion Double IPA is coming back soon to rock your socks off with its 9.99% ABV and a devilish bitterness courtesy of Simcoe, Fuggle, and Chinook hops. Look for it on tap in the next week or so.
  
  
• University of Michigan film student Alan Torres (see above) has until Tuesday, October 18, to raise the $750 he needs to complete his documentary about Michigan craft brewing entitled, appropriately enough, "Beer People." He "aims to discover what makes Michigan a unique environment that allows craft beer and the culture surrounding it to flourish." You can help him out for less than the cost of a night at the pub by clicking here. A teaser of what he's already filmed is here.
  
  
• And finally, a reminder to pick up your tickets soon for the aforementioned Detroit Fall Beer Festival, taking place at Eastern Market October 22. He who hesitates is lost, or at least left wondering why he didn’t get tickets to the sold-out beer festival when he had the chance. They’re $35 apiece in advance and available at your favorite local brewery, or online here. Keep an eye on mbgmash.org for a list of beers at the fest, which should be posted soon.