Brews news

I've been swamped at work, dealing with appeals, jury trials, and generally seeking justice in a crazy system. So, while some exciting things have been happening in this wonderful beer town called Ann Arbor, I haven't been writing about it.

But today, I can finally catch a little time to mention a few items of interest. First of all, I'm writing this post right at Arbor Brewing, where Old Tjikko spruce beer is on tap today for Arbor Day. $1 of every pint sold gets donated to the Adopt A Park Natural Area Preservation program here in Ann Arbor, which my wife and I have volunteered for and supported for a number of years. It's yet another example of beer people being good people and Arbor's amazing support for community causes. The Arbor Day Old Tjikko is based on a delicious American Pale Ale, full of grapefruity, juicy hops. I can taste the spruce, but it's not too pronounced, making for a balanced beer that'll appeal to any pale ale fan out there.

On May 2, Arbor will have a Summerfest Release Party, where the 2011 Top of the Park schedule will be revealed and a limited edition seasonal beer will be released: Festival Saison. I do love a good saison in the summertime! The party is 5:00-8:00 p.m. in the Tap Room. Festival Saison is brewed with lemon zest, orange peel, and ginger, and will be available at Arbor through the summer, with a portion of sales proceeds going to support Top of the Park. TOP is a local treasure, but it's been struggling each year to make it financially. With the University Musical Society - of which TOP is a part - vulnerable to cuts in government funding for the arts, it's more important than ever to support TOP if it's something that you value in our city.

Over at Wolverine State Brewing Co., May 8 is mug club appreciation day. It's Wolverine's six-month anniversary. Yes, it's Mother's Day, too, so don't forget your mom! Heck, bring her! She can join the mug club, too! If I'm not mistaken, Wolverine will be extending its hours that day. I recall hearing 12:00-8:00, but you might want to check. Mug club members will get half-off on growler fills, $1.50 beers, and a free pizza buffet. Wolverine also has all of its taps full of tasty brews. Anyone, from hop head to malt maven, can find a beer or three to enjoy. I introduced a friend to Wolverine last night, and he looked around, sat back in his chair, sipped his brew, and said that this was the kind of place where he could hang out a lot. He's right: Wolverine is totally that kind of place.

Last but not least - in fact, probably hugest! - Summer Beer Festival tickets go on sale on May 1st. Oh yes, folks, it's getting to be that time of year again, so gear up for two days of brew madness in Ypsilanti! I hope to see you there!

Wolverine State Brewing Co. comes fully into its - and our - own

People driving by 2019 West Stadium on Ann Arbor's west side might not suspect that a whole lot of great beer is being brewed in that former warehouse tucked behind Comerica Bank, Great Lakes Cycling and Fitness, Advantage Sports, and Big Georges. Those people might not know that if they just turn into the driveway and pull to the back, they'll be greeted by a large, inviting tap room decked out in love for our state and its craft beer industry, a tap room where delicious beer is being poured by a friendly, knowledgable staff. People might miss out on the glimpse of a gleaming brewhouse in the back, or on the experience of sitting at the long, hand made bar or at one of the many tables decorated with maps of Michigan or in one of the easy chairs or sofas around a low table. They might not get to play some foosball or darts or just hang out, perhaps using the free wi-fi while sampling some beer and snacks or maybe eating more substantial food that they brought or ordered in. In other words, all of those folks driving by on Stadium will miss out on something wonderful.

Wolverine State Brewing Co. specializes in lager brewing, and lagers take time to produce. Unlike relatively warm-fermenting ales that can be ready to drink rather quickly, lagers are fermented with yeast that like colder temperatures and take their sweet time to ferment the beer. They then go into cold storage for a long maturation. That cold storage is called lagering, and the whole long process yields brews that are crisp and clean and have gorgeous clarity, the qualities for which lagers are known and prized.

One of many gorgeous beers at Wolverine

In contrast to the slow process of lager production, Wolverine has matured as a business at an astonishing rate. Sales have increased 500% since the November, 2010, tap room opening, and the brewery recently added two new ten-barrel fermentation tanks and a conditioning tank. Oh, and how about the new bottling line, which will soon be putting out bottles of Wolverine Premium Lager (starting in June), Wolverine Dark Lager (September), and the seasonal Wolverine Winter Lager (November)? Not only will that mean that more Wolverine beers will be distributed in bottles, but also that bottled Wolverine will no longer be contract-brewed but will be made right here in Ann Arbor, with full production control in the capable hands of brewer Oliver Roberts. The company is a full year ahead of schedule in its business growth, and sales are conservatively projected to be 800 barrels in 2011, up from distribution of 150-200 barrels of the contract brewed Wolverine Premium. If you go out to area restaurants and bars, you may have noticed that Wolverine tap handles are appearing in more and more establishments.

Rex Halfpenny, Matt Roy, and Oliver Roberts address the crowd

Wolverine has also come into its own as a community gathering place, with the taproom becoming what a great pub should be: a friendly place to be, a place that embraces its community and is embraced in turn, a place of camaraderie and good times, big events and small evenings.

I had the pleasure of attending the tap room's first beer dinner on April 3, and I can sum it up by saying: Let it be the first of many! The "Beer Bellies" dinner featured delicious Southern food thoughtfully paired with Wolverine's terrific brews, and it was emceed by Michigan beer guru Rex Halfpenny - the force behind the Michigan Beer Guide - along with Wolverine owners Matt Roy and E.T. Crowe and brewer Oliver Roberts. Happy patrons sat at long tables, connecting with old friends and meeting new ones, and the family-style service was invitingly casual and comfortable. The event epitomized what I love about the beer community and the idea of the "shared table," which I've written about before.

Getting ready to fill our "Beer Bellies"

I've also been at Wolverine on quiet afternoons, drinking some beer and chatting with folks or just working on my computer, and watching as representatives of groups or clubs stopped by to check out the tap room as a possible meeting place. I've seen Oliver talking about the beers - education helps bring people into the craft beer fold - taking the time to explain what they are all about. I've seen Pilar's Tamales set up and trivia night getting under way. I've seen people come in solo and in couples and groups, standing room only crowds and calmer times. I've seen a lot of happy folks drinking beer and hanging out, totally comfortable to just be there. In other words, I've seen Wolverine be a place that has thrown itself open to the community, an example of what the best pubs offer, and the community has adopted the place as its own.

I'm thrilled about Wolverine's business success, and I congratulate the entire Wolverine team for it. Perhaps I'm most thrilled about Wolverine's success because it flows directly from its coming into its own as a community place - our place - and that's priceless.

Wolverine State Brewing Co. opens in Ann Arbor

Courtesy of Wolverine State Brewing Co.

As I wrote in my Examiner.com column, Wolverine State Brewing Co. is now open right on Ann Arbor's west side.  Folks, this is a nice walk or a quick bike ride from my house, and I gotta admit, I'm excited.

But I'm not just excited about the proximity of this spacious and inviting taproom and brewery.  I'm excited about the people, the community, and the beer.  Ann Arbor has serious craft beer riches, but there's room for more, and Wolverine brings a specialty in lager beer, dedication to the community and craft beer scene, adventurousness, and fresh energy and enthusiasm.

Gulo gulo itself, looking thirsty.
Courtesy of WSBCo.

The beers are gorgeous to look at and to drink.  From the expected straw-golden yellow of Wolverine Premium Lager, an American lager, to the deep red-amber-copper of The Pride of Biscuitville and the comforting, mellow brown of the sessionable and oh-so-tasty Big House Brown lager, these beers have an eye-pleasing clarity from the lagering process.

Brewer Oliver Roberts is embracing his opportunity to stretch out and be creative, whether it's on his fresh, citrusy, piney, floral IPA - one of two ales currently on the tap list - or his toasty Pride of Biscuitville biscuit malt showcase.  Want a hoppy lager for a change of pace?  The Gulo Gulo Northwest Lager is billed as an IPL and features the clean, crisp qualities of a lager married to a Centennial and Cascade hop extravaganza.  It's flat out delicious.  The Wench's Westside Wheat, which is the other ale on tap and comes in at 3.8% abv, has a nice wheaty bite and a pleasantly hoppy finish as an American wheat should.  With its orange-amber color, it's a sunny pour.  Or have an emOATable Lager, a creamy, roasty-toasty dark lager with chocolaty characteristics.

Three of the brews are invitingly sessionable.  Also inviting is the fact that there's no per-ounce premium on the price for a small (12 oz) or medium (15 oz), so patrons shouldn't feel pressed to buy larger beers based on the pricing.  22 oz pours are available as well, as are flights of 7 oz pours.

Snacks are available in-house, or feel free to order from local restaurants.  Their menus are in binders right in the taproom, and they'll deliver to your table or barstool.  Add the in-house wi-fi, and you can hang out for quite some time.  Pull up a barstool, grab a chair at one of the several tables, or have seat on a sofa or easy chair.  Want to play?  Foosball and darts are available as well.

Oliver himself may be staffing the bar, and he's happy to educate you about the beer and help you choose one to fit your palate.  Or maybe Ann Arbor's own Beer Wench, brewery co-owner and director of sales and marketing E.T. Crowe, will be in the house.  My experience thus far is that staff and patrons alike are enthusiastic and friendly, and it's clear that Wolverine is a truly inviting place.

Wolverine is located at 2019 W. Stadium, behind Great Likes Cycling and Fitness and next to Big George's.  Hours are M-Th, 3:00-11:00; F/Sat noon-midnight; and Sun noon-5:00.  One exception is tomorrow, Saturday 11/13, when the taproom won't open until 7:00 p.m., which is when the grand opening celebration starts.

Wolverine Brewing Co. opening a brewery right in Ann Arbor

Thank you to my friend and fellow craft beer lover Shannan for sending me this link from Ann Arbor.com.  Wolverine Brewing Co., a microbrewer of lager beer that until now contracted out its brewing to Michigan Brewing Co. in Webberville, is opening up its own brewery on West Stadium Blvd., right in Ann Arbor.  They'll have a taproom but no restaurant, and they will encourage folks to bring in their own food or have it delivered.  For more details, see the Ann Arbor.com story.

Wolverine's flagship beer is an American pale lager (American Standard) - which is the primary style that the macros brew - that happens to be produced by a micro, and they aren't shy about it in the statements they made to Ann Arbor.com.  They'll now have a brewmaster on-site, Oliver Roberts, whose present gig is assistant brewer at Grizzly Peak in downtown Ann Arbor, which may mean that they'll be branching out into other brews.

They do promise new product lines, and they're sticking to lagers.  A good lager brewery in town could make things very interesting.  Micros generally focus on lagers, so if Wolverine can fill a lager niche with tasty offerings, more power to them as a nice addition to the Ann Arbor beer scene.