I’ve got two more videos here from the Bonteboktoberfest at Binder Park Zoo.  These come from what turned out to be one of our favorite breweries at this event, Olde Peninsula. We weren’t sure what to expect, but with a name like Stout Chokula, how could we stay away.  I gave that a try, while The Hopster had a sample of their Pumpkin Ale.  Check them out.

Cryptic Review: Olde Peninsula Stout Chocula

The Hopster: Olde Peninsula Pumpkin Ale

So The Hopster and I found a great event at Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek.  Their Bonteboktoberfest celebration is a fun experience that combines a trip to the zoo and drinking lots of great beers.they close down the park at let you roam around while sampling brews from a number of great Michigan breweries.  Here we have the first two videos from this series, the Funky Monky from B. Nektar Meadery (not technically a beer I know) and the Burly from North Peak Brewing Company.  Enjoy.

Funky Monky from B. Nektar

Burly from North Peak

Beer and government, what’s the connection? We’ve all heard the media and lawmakers crying for small business owners to step up and create jobs. To create jobs you must make a product that the consumers want and oh boy do the consumers want craft beer. Craft beer is the fastest growing segment in alcohol sales in the United States and as so the breweries that make the beer are some of the fast growing small businesses.

During the mid-90’s regulations against small breweries were lifted and breweries started popping up throughout Michigan. Now we are entering two decades of brewing in our state and these 80+ small business owners and legislators are working together to further grow this industry. But it’s still young and the laws on the books are somewhat out of date and need tweaking to facilitate a climate that keeps this business steaming forward. We are also running into issues that we didn’t have before because these businesses didn’t exist.

Right now one entity can only own a certain number of breweries. Only have a minimal number of offshoot pubs. The tax bracket for brewpubs (don’t distribute) and microbreweries (do distribute) are different and can those tax amounts change to promote more growth. Also at what point does a microbrewery grow beyond its tax bracket?

Meeting with legislators in Lansing, the brewery owners found themselves being warmly welcomed by both the House of Representatives and Senate. With both honoring the industry by declaring the month of July “Michigan Craft Beer Month” for the fourth year in a row. This symbolizes the attention and admiration that our legislature has for these trailblazers and former home brewers turned dreamers turned businessmen and women.

Most of the breweries in Michigan are expanding in physical size, staffing and reach throughout the rest of the country. Creating more jobs in brewing beer, selling beer and giving the consumer an enjoyable and tasty way of supporting local Michigan made products. More restaurants are seeing the potential of serving Michigan made beer. Even seeing customers asking for Michigan beer. There are a few, and hopefully more on the way, restaurants that offer multiple Michigan beers on tap and/or in the bottle.

1 in 10 Michiganders work in the restaurant industry and this industry supports our tourism industry and a growing part of that tourism industry is… visiting our now over 80 different breweries. See the cycle? There are a rumored 20 more breweries to open in Michigan within the next year. Adding those breweries in might move Michigan from 5th in number of breweries per state to 3rd or 4th. With that growth comes jobs, comes more tourism, comes more tax revenue and a new industry that all Michiganders can stand behind and proud of.

With all of this growth there is still room to grow. In Michigan craft beer sales only make up around 2% of total beer sold, while in Oregon craft beer is at 28% and growing. So help your local and state economy, grab a Michigan brewed beer, visit www.michiganbrewersguild.org to find out where the breweries are and go on a brewery tour, and please every time you’re out having a beer ask “What Michigan beer do you have?”

Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival
Ypsilanti, MI Paul Stewart

Mother Nature was the first one there and the last one to leave. The Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival is a two-day celebration of beer and the love of beer. It was a beautiful weekend in the middle of July in which it rained really hard just before the gates opened on Friday the 22nd. Then cleared up and turned into a great weekend until about 2 minutes before the end on Saturday when the heavens opened again and baptized the event’s good times. And I for one thought it was amazing, every minute of it.
I hung out with the gang from Short’s on Friday and poured beer at one of their (boat) tables. This year the Guild let breweries fan out. The layout took over more of Frog Island Park and breweries were encouraged to bring their own set up or take over multiple tables. All to help festival-goers by alleviating long lines and make it easier to get to the beer(s) you want.

Short’s made two table out of a boat that was cut in half, a third that was made out of old water skis and a fourth hand made shack for merchandise. With signs that read “We Hate Lines”, Dark Horse made a lot of people happy by having 5 different tables in different tents throughout the grounds. One festival attendee showed off her love of craft beer with tattoos, she had many and 3 of them were Dark Horse labels and logo. Arcadia and The Livery claimed the gazebo next to the river, which became one of my go to spots. It seemed like every brewery in the state was there and of course their glorious beer. Looking at the line before the gates opened I wondered if there was enough beer…for both them and me, and every brewery had people filling a cup but the Dark Horse mantra rang true for the event as a whole. With waits shorter then ever, sometimes you’d still have a beer in your cup as you got to the table of the next brewery.

With over 10,000 people between the 2-day fest and a port-a-potty for everyone to take home (lots of water closets) the mood of the event was always positive. Live music from Michigan bands, food from Michigan restaurants and HOOOO chants with smiles from ear to ear the Summer Best Festival is always one of my favorites. Now by the time you’re reading this the UP Fall Beer Festival in Marquette has already happened, but the 3rd Annual Detroit Fall Beer Festival at the Eastern Market in Detroit is still ahead on October 22nd 1pm-6pm. Tickets are $35 in advance or $40 at the gate. You can get your ticket online at www.michiganbrewersguild.org. If you’ve missed the Guild Festivals before tell your boss you quit, your wife you want a divorce and sell the kids, ‘cause it’s worth every minute.

Kris and I got some great video of the event and the interviews of Tim Suprise of Arcadia and Kim Kowalski of Mountain Town Station are already up on the site.

Back again with another interview from the Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beerfest.  Today we share with you our conversation with Kim Kowalski from Mountain Town Station. Check it out.