The Week in Beer: Welcome to Michigan Craft Beer Month

Courtesy Michigan Brewers Guild.

Hey! Aren't you packing your bags to head out of town for an extra-long weekend, or else frantically prowling the aisles of the local supermarket for deals on things to smoke over your grill? Yeah, that's what I thought. For the six of us who aren't doing either of those things, here's what's going on in the local beer world. Because, you know, that whole Independence Day thing shouldn't overshadow the fact that it's freakin' Michigan Craft Beer Month.

Thursday, July 4

» Bill’s Beer Garden, 218 S. Ashley, is open from 2-9 p.m. for your Independence Day beer garden needs. Wolverine State Brewing, Chelsea Alehouse, and Original Gravity, however, are all closed to celebrate MURKA.

Sunday, July 7

» Experience the Halcyon Sound at another Halcyon Sundaze in the beer garden at Corner Brewery, 720 Norris, Ypsilanti. From 2-9 p.m. rotating Halcyon “sound engineers” will pour forth the tunes, even as the taps pour forth The Distance Spruce IPA, this month’s small-batch Halcyon brew. It’s a 5.6% ABV ale made with English Halycon pale and crystal malts; spruce tips; and Columbus, Chinook, and Sylva hops, then aged on bourbon-soaked oak chips. Cousins Vinyl, will as always, be on hand selling those big round things people used to use to listen to music, and Kayj Michelle will be hosting a group of local artists who will be demonstrating and selling their wares. Get your groove on!

Tuesday, July 9

» Ashley's, 338 S. State, welcomes Magic Hat, pouring seven quirky flavors from Vermont’s most famous brewery beginning at 6 p.m., including some new to Michigan. On tap: Magic Hat #9 Not Quite Pale Ale, Elder Betty Elderberry Weiss Ale, Ale of Enlightenment IPA, Over the Pils and Far Away Imperial Pilsner, Single Chair Golden Ale, Honey Wheat IPA, and HCV, a cucumber-hibiscus brew.

Wednesday, July 10

» Over in Chelsea, the Jet’s Pizza Sportsroom, 506 N. Main, is the place to be for lovers of Arcadia Ales. At 6 p.m., 10 taps will be given over to the following deliciousness: Arcadia IPA, B-Craft Black IPA, Whitsun Wheat Ale, Angler’s Ale, Sky High Rye Ale, Loch Down Scotch Ale, Hopmouth Double IPA, Imperial Stout, Cereal Killer Barleywine, and Rapunzel Pale Wheat Ale.

Thursday, July 11

» It’s tasting time again at Arbor Brewing, 114 E. Washington. This month’s focus is the wonderful world of wheats, wits, and lambics, with more than two dozen brews in those styles pouring from 7-9 p.m. The appetizer buffet will, of course, be open to help you keep your balance, and be sure to stick around for your chance to win some beer-related stuff with which to adorn your home or your body. Tickets are $25 in advance; call 734-213-1393 or buy at the pub.

Notes on the Napkin

• This is just too awesome. The Violin Monster – you know, the monster who is often seen downtown playing the violin – is teaming up with Arbor Brewing to create a special beer to be released – when else? – around Halloween. According to owners (of Arbor, not the Violin Monster) Rene and Matt Greff, the beer is going to be a strong dark wheat ale made with brown sugar and autumnal spices and fermented with hefeweizen yeast. Eclectablog has the details.
• I’m pleased to report that after months of exhausting work (cue the violin, Monster!), the manuscript of Ann Arbor Beer: The Book has been delivered to the publisher. Next up: several weeks of editing back-and-forths then layout, design, printing, and all that other stuff publishers do. Stay tuned for me to begin hawking the hell out of this baby, and in the meantime, you can follow the official Ann Arbor Beer Facebook page for updates and all that good stuff.
• Also, don’t forget about the upcoming downtown Ann Arbor brewpub crawl, run by Motor City Brew Tours and hosted by yours truly. On July 13 we’ll be visiting Grizzly Peak, Blue Tractor, and Arbor Brewing, snacking on some barbecue, and of course touring the brewhouses and sampling the wares. Tickets are $35; for more details and to buy, go here.