The landmark Beer Depot sign, trashed by a 2011 windstorm, will return to downtown Ann Arbor soon, following a costly restoration effort. Photo credit: Flickr user Ross Orr. |
September is a pivotal month for beer in so many ways. You have the Labor Day weekend, which typically involves coolers full of brew transported to points north for that last fling of summer. You have the noticeable cooling off as our spot on this rotating ball of space rock begins to turn away from the sun, sending a cue to brewers to start making heavier, maltier, and often more complex beers. You have Oktoberfest celebrations, with all the beer-and-sausage Bavarian caricatures that entails, ramping up. You have the start of college football season — kind of a big deal around these parts — resulting in, one assumes, an uptick in weekend beer consumption for many. And you have the harvest season, which in Michigan includes an ever-growing variety of hops. So while this next week is a little light on specific events, just consider it prep time as you get ready for all the other great beer releases and parties that will come fast and furious later in the month.