When beergeeks think about Michigan beer, they usually can name Bell’s and Founders.  If you know a little more beer history, you may even know about Stroh’s and Goebels.  But Michigan Beer – A Heady History by Patti F. Smith, digs deep into the early years of brewing in Michigan, recounting the efforts of brewers in almost every Michigan town to bring ales and lagers to a thirsty populace.

Smith takes the reader on a historical brewery tour of Michigan, from Detroit to Battle Creek to Grand Rapids to Bay City, and describes in detail the turbulent industry from the mid 1800s to Prohibition.  The influx of German immigration to Michigan during this time made beer a potentially lucrative business in the early days, but between being run out of town by local (and ultimately Federal) “dry” laws, or simply properties burning down, brewing was also a risky business in Michigan. 

Michigan Beer – A Heady History also visits the re-emergence of craft beer in Michigan during the 1980s all the way through to today and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Michigan’s brewing industry.  Michigan Beer – A Heady History, published by American Palate a division of Theb History Press, is a great read for anyone with a connection to Michigan and – of course – beer.  You can purchase it on Amazon in hardback, paperback, and for Kindle.

Cheers!

The Brewholder

Copyright 2022 – all rights reserved

Today we’re competing in the “Top of the Hops” Homebrew Competition at Imprint Brewing Competition.  https://imprintbeer.com/top-of-the-hops.   It’s sponsored by Keystone Homebrew Supply (my supply store of choice) and benefits Knights of Life, a local North Penn charity.

We’ll be serving two versions of one beer today.

First, our “Molly’s Wake”, a 4% ABV classic, easy drinking Irish-style Dry Stout (BJCP 15B) in remembrance of our grumpy cat Molly who lived to the ripe old age of 19.  Good for any occasion – even a cat’s wake!  Sláinte!  

Second, we used some black magic to resurrect Molly for “Molly’s Back!” 4% ABV (BJCP 30B), our classic, easy drinking Irish-style Dry Stout dressed up for Halloween! Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and vanilla beans were enough to bring Molly back for just one more!  Trick or treat!

Hope to see you out here – make sure you stop by and say HI!

update: while we weren’t one of the top 8 finalists, we received a lot of positive feedback (especially for Molly’s Back), got to hang with a lot of great local homebrewers (Tom Ryan Brewing, Sipnotic Brewing, Hop Tank Brews, and Bills Damn Beer to name a few), and had tons of fun supporting Knights for Life!

Cheers!

The Brewholder

Copyright 2022 – all rights reserved