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Michigan Winter Beer Festival moves to GR

GRDadof3

By GRDadof3
in Grand Rapids Coffee House

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MuskeMI Whistle-Stop

MuskeMI

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Here's the official program: http://www.michiganbrewersguild.org/mbgima...ram2008_FNL.pdf

As to my list of must-trys (my absolute musts in italics):

Black Lotus double brown

IPA and/or stout from the BOB if I can confirm that Nate brewed them (ex-Founders brewer)

Copper Canyon barleywine or Snickerdoodle

Dark Horse Whisky Richard

Dragonmead Ring of Fire (jalapeno beer, just what the Dr ordered for a cold day)

Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire

Kuhnhenn Winter Wonder

Kuhnhenn Fourth Dementia

Kuhnhenn Aldebaran

Livery birthday ale

Mich. Brew Co Bourbon barrel RIS

Mountain Town Station (I've never even heard of these guys)

New Holland Night Tripper

Old Hat eisbock

Rochester mills barleywine

Short's Black cherry porter

Short's Rye Ice

Short's Uber Goober

Short's The Magician

Short's Snow Wheat

Walldorff IPA (brewed by Sam, former brewer from Founders)

Walldorff Imperial Stout

Walldorff Chai spiced wheat

23 choices, only 12 tokens so I obviously won't try them all. If you've never had their beers, I highly recommend spending some time at Kuhnhenn and Short's, 2 breweries that do some really off-the-wall stuff. Bottoms up!

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fotoman311 Burg

fotoman311

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Here's the official program: http://www.michiganbrewersguild.org/mbgima...ram2008_FNL.pdf

23 choices, only 12 tokens so I obviously won't try them all. If you've never had their beers, I highly recommend spending some time at Kuhnhenn and Short's, 2 breweries that do some really off-the-wall stuff. Bottoms up!

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Floyd Z Whistle-Stop

Floyd Z

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Yeah I was talking about Bell's. Thats too bad they won't be there. For you beer lovers who havn't tried Hopslam, I highly recommend it. It's one of the best beers I've ever had, especially fresh out of the tap at the ole Ecentirc Cafe in downtown Kalamazoo.

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MuskeMI Whistle-Stop

MuskeMI

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Bell's left the brewer's guild about 3 years ago. Larry Bell had differences in opinion on what the Guild should be doing so he took his ball and went home. Truth is that Bell's is big enough that they don't really need the Guild anyways. Arcadia left the Guild at the same time in a show of solidarity but re-joined a few months later.

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vandertown Unincorporated Area

vandertown

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Well, I just made it home from the beer fest and all I can say is WHAT A BLAST! I still can't feel my toes, but never-the-less it was a fun event (I had no idea we had so many micro-brewries in MI). New Holland is still my fave, but then again there were some others that were just amazing. Also, while waiting in line for the porto-john I met a great group from Cleveland ( I had no idea this event was so well publicized). Well, that's all the typing I can handle...I think I need a nap!

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NorthEnder Hamlet

NorthEnder

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Also just got back... thought the execution of the event was VERY poor.

They put the brewers throught the concourse, deck, upperdeck, and first base line, and it made it a collosal disaster trying to get into the tent to get beer, and made it tough to move around even from area to area. Also, I only counted 2 port-a-potties, and 3 stalls in the pepsi stadium club.

Brewers were good, they ran out of beer too soon, but I think the crowd was larger than they expected.

Also, 5/3 didn't bother to salt the walks, or shovel them off, so a lot of the area was an icy mess.

A good time, but it could have been done a LOT better.

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fotoman311 Burg

fotoman311

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Also just got back... thought the execution of the event was VERY poor.

They put the brewers throught the concourse, deck, upperdeck, and first base line, and it made it a collosal disaster trying to get into the tent to get beer, and made it tough to move around even from area to area. Also, I only counted 2 port-a-potties, and 3 stalls in the pepsi stadium club.

Brewers were good, they ran out of beer too soon, but I think the crowd was larger than they expected.

Also, 5/3 didn't bother to salt the walks, or shovel them off, so a lot of the area was an icy mess.

A good time, but it could have been done a LOT better.

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fluffy Whistle-Stop

fluffy

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I too, had a great time!

We took the HopCat bus and it was a great idea. A trip back at 2pm or 5pm. We took the 2pm trip back since we had been there since 11am helping HopCat load stuff to the booth. Plus, I couldn't feel my toes and I was hungry - and NOT for a big ol' bloody turkey leg. :sick:

5/3 DEFINITELY could have done a better job of maintenance on the facility. Snowy walkways all around the joint and the HopCat bus stuck on the ice in the lot for 30 min.

Overall, I had a blast and will definitely be back next year.

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GRCityPlanner Unincorporated Area

GRCityPlanner

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At least one of your friends in City Hall made sure the beer was fresh... we're only looking out for your interests, of course. ;) If you'd like to see the event elsewhere next year (ahem - Calder Plaza?) the City would be very interested in helping the MBG make it happen. Please feel free to contact them to let them know that the Winter Beer Festival could be EVEN MORE enjoyable at a downtown location, if you feel so inclined.

I bet we could arrange for a building on the Plaza to be opened as a warming house...

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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At least one of your friends in City Hall made sure the beer was fresh... we're only looking out for your interests, of course. ;) If you'd like to see the event elsewhere next year (ahem - Calder Plaza?) the City would be very interested in helping the MBG make it happen. Please feel free to contact them to let them know that the Winter Beer Festival could be EVEN MORE enjoyable at a downtown location, if you feel so inclined.

I bet we could arrange for a building on the Plaza to be opened as a warming house...

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