I was able to steal some time recently and had the opportunity to visit Paw Paw Brewing Co. The tasting room can be found in what used to be a coffee shop. For as small as the building is, it is amazing that they fit as much inside as they do. Seating is rated at…
It’s great when people enter your life leaving an impact for the better. This week’s featured interviewee is Meghan Lloyd. (hipster moment) You probably haven’t heard of her… I met Meghan in Kalamazoo years ago (before she was cool). She was the bartender at the Epic Bistro in downtown Kalamazoo a few years before it…
As you move through the reading lists of brewing books available (it is pretty big if you haven’t noticed) you will run into a few books that fall into the category of referrence, which can be useful for both homebrewers and pro brewers alike. A Handbook of Basic Brewing Calculations is such a book. The…
Recently Bell’s Brewing Co. has opened up the production facility for guided and self guided tours. I know, I know, I was there for the tour of the new facility when they opened it to the public a few months ago. The difference now is they not only have a guided tour on the weekends…
South West Michigan is proving yet again that there is quite a bit going on. Over the past weekend Arts and Eats led fall travelers on a tour of artists, restaurants, and area farms. As per their website, this was a self guided backroads tour allowing you to not only experience the grand display of…
This is a little known fact to most people but Michigan is a huge movie and television production state. Based on a bit of what has been going on lately, beer film production is growing almost as fast as the Michigan craft beer scene. Kevin Romeo is the owner of Rhino Media Productions and the director…
If you recall, last week I brewed the first of two beers I am working on for Hop Head Farms. The beers are testers for their pellitizing machine. I am looking for variations between two different options of pellets. Each beer uses the exact same malt bill and hop varietal, as well as the same…
Hops, we know them, we love them, but what exactly is it they bring to the party? That is a rhetorical question really, we should all know by now that hops bring the magic of bitterness to what would be a sweet boozy treat. IBUs or International Bitterness Units are the standard that we use…
In part a celebration of Grand Rapids being voted Beer City USA and also to honor the rich brewing history of Grand Rapids Michigan, the Van Andel Museum is running the exhibit “Thank You Beer.” This exhibit is running from October 13th to December 30th. Thanks to the generosity of High Five Co-op Brewery, I…
It seems appropriate that for GABF weekend we have someone from the Brewer’s Association represent. Chris Frey is not only the Committee Chair but also a Board Designate. With Chris we find proof that a love of great beer can lead you to great adventure. I won’t spend too much of your time here flapping…
