Falling (Get it?) for Great British-style Beers

Karl Klockars MiBrewTrail

While fall often brings to mind sloshing steins of Oktoberfest beers and spicysweet pumpkin ales aplenty, cooler temperatures make my brain turn immediately to the delicately balanced displays of malt mastery from the UK. An autumn afternoon in the sun sipping a pint of ESB or a dark mild, a snifter of barleywine or even an Irish-style dry stout is a thing of beauty (assuming you still include Ireland as part of the British Isles). I also love that, unlike a Marzen or a pumpkin ale, styles from the UK can carry all the way through winter and even into early spring if you want to bookend your season at St. Paddy’s Day. If you think about it, Michigan has a lot in common with the British Isles. The misty highlands of Scotland can feel a lot like the rocky northern shore of the UP. There’s a Clare County here and a County Clare over there. If you’ve ever toured Mackinac Island you know the story of English soldiers literally invading that spot; let’s assume they brought a beer or three as well. And touristy Cornwall at England’s southwest edge? Well, the beachy towns of South Haven, Saugatuck and Union Harbor might like a word. And of course, the many breweries around the Mitten are happy to provide examples of many of these styles from across the pond. Put on an Elvis Costello or a Blur record and never mind that Guinness chose to open a brewery in Chicago (seriously?) because here’s some of our favorite UK-styled offerings: Workshop Brewing: Ball Peen ESB Despite the wide variety of American styles on draft at Traverse City’s best downtown brewery, it’s the ESB that keeps me coming back. Most breweries rarely even dabble in the style, but Workshop keeps Ball Peen on hand at all times, offering a nice easy-drinking copper-colored beer made with local hops. (This would be a delicious beer to have on cask, though cask beers seem to be about as rare as ESBs in the States.) Mitten Brewing: Triple Crown Brown Dark Mild Ale Michigan is surprisingly rich in brown ale options, and many of them are excellent: See Short’s Bellaire Brown or Bell’s Best Brown, for example. The dark mild style is a bit of a different riff on the brown ale, however, and even though Mitten calls this a “Triple Crown Brown” (the “dark mild” language apparently only exists on its packaging), it’s definitely got a lot in common with the UK’s low-abv sipper. In contrast to the hoppier, roastier American versions this one has a nice earthy smoothness to it. Dragonmead Microbrewery: Inquisition English-Style IPA In a world that’s become dominated by hazy Americanized IPAs, it’s exceptionally hard to find a traditional English style these days … to the point where it’s easy to forget that England originated this style in the first place. It wouldn’t be a list of UK-inspired beers without a trip to Dragonmead, who’s been creating import-styles from England, Scotland, Belgium and beyond for nearly 25 years. This English-style IPA offers a pleasant journey into malty, gently herbal flavors that’s a nice departure from the super-juicy or hyper-bitter.

Rockford Brewing Company: Sheehan’s Irish Stout A good Irish-style stout is a rare thing indeed - why bother trying to make one when Guinness has already perfected it? Rockford Brewing Company not only makes one but has it as a flagship bearing the name of brewmaster Jeff Sheehan. Roasted barley gives this 2017 GABF medal-winner an extra layer of traditional depth compared to the wide variety of super-sweet pastry stouts on the market.

Atwater Brewery: Vanilla Java “English-Style” Porter: Even though everyone knows what an IPA is, the humble porter is England’s true original superstar beer style (IMO). Eclipsed by its bigger brother, the stout beer, porter is the Goldilocks of dark beers - not too strong, not too light, not too sweet and not too roasty. While there are many famous porters in Michigan - Bell’s and Founders first and foremost - very few describe themselves as “English style” which is why we’re giving the nod to Atwater here. Despite jamming coffee and vanilla on top of it, their designation of a true English-style is pretty rare in this longitude.

30 | www.MiBrewTrail.com MI Brew Trail |Fall 2021