Mi.Craft.Beer.Culture MAGAZINE
Drink local, Eat local, Create local N ove m b e r 2 0 1 4
Sustainability in Brewing
Kris Spaulding of Brewery Vivant writes about Environmental Responsibility
Bitter Old Fecker Rustic Ales Josh Stockton talks
Gold Cash Gold
Yemans St.
Hamtramck's new Table d'h么te Beer on the Run
James Rigato
of The Root and Top Chef Season 12
Contents 5 James Rigato
Mi.Craft.Beer.Culture Issue #3 October 2014
Drink local, Eat local, Create local Our mission is to further the Michigan craft beer industry by fostering connections between brewers and their communities, highlighting the thriving craft beer, agricultural, recreational, art, music and food cultures in Michigan. Cheers!
MiCraftBeerCulture reminds you to drink responsibily. Do not drink and drive and do not promote under age drinking.
James Rigato is putting Michigan’s food scene on the national stage, including Season 12 of Bravo's Top Chef
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Environmental Sustainability in the Brewing Industry
Kris Spaulding of Brewery Vivant talks about brewer responsibility
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West Michigan Brewery's Sustainability Efforts
11 Bitter Old Fecker Rustic Ales Nathan Hukill has brewing in his bones
13 Josh Stockton
Two years since being announced Gold Cash Gold is about to open
15 Beer on the Run Jessi Boehme talks about alcohol intake
during pre-marathon training
17 Yemans Street New table d'hôte opens in Hamtramck 19 Bierkeller Tavern Taylor is home to a new German themed
beer hall
21 Mission: Michigan
Cans, nostalgia and Keweena Brewing
22 The Sky is Falling How to keep chickens in 10 steps or less 25 Cyclo-Mashing
Street art by Fel3000feet
Creating Cycling Culture at Velocity Wheels USA
28 What Beer to pair with Thanksgiving Dinner 29 Diary of a Craft Beer Lover Bill Osburn talks about his love of craft
beer and how that love developed
33 PubGear USA
Jack Greene started a great company you've probably never heard of.
30 Sip and Spin
Mike Ross pairs Beer and Vinyl
Mi.Craft.Beer.Culture MAGAZINE
S TA F F : Jason Osburn - Ringleader Elena Flores - Managing Editor/Writer Patti Smith - Writer Jessica Boehme - Writer Jane Van Hof - Biking Columnist/Writer HopHead Fred - Writer Dennis Thornton - Writer Michael Ross - Writer/Artist Jocelyne Elyse - Writer/Food Columnist Nick Lundberg - Food Columnist Jered Michael - Biking Columnist Jeff Howitt - Event Consultant/Writer Brian Rozman - Photographer Kris Spaulding - Guest writer Contact us at: MiCraftBeerCulture 1752 Elmhurst, Canton, MI 48187 info@MiCraftBeerCulture.com MiCraftBeerCulture.com Copyright 2014-2015 Em&O Media Inc. All Rights Reserved, "MiCraftBeerCulture" and "Drink local, Eat local, Create Local" are registered trademarks.
James Rigato The Root's Top Chef Photo from James's Instagram
By Jason Osburn
James Rigato, Executive Chef of The Root, is putting Michigan’s food scene on the National stage including Season 12 of Bravo's Top Chef
Chef Rigato graduated Schoolcraft College’s Culinary program at age 17. He spent the next 7 years working around metro Detroit in some pretty respectable kitchens including Morel’s, Shiraz, Rugby Grille at The Townsend Hotel and Bacco Ristorante. In 2007, chef Rigato accepted a personal chef position at Royal Oak Recycling. Ed Mamou noticed chef Rigato's passion and enthusiasm and soon the two were discussing plans for a chef-driven restaurant committed to from scratch, seasonal, chefdriven cuisine focuised on the sustainable bounty of Michigan. In 2011, they opened The Root Restaurant & Bar. Everyone said, “From scratch, local, seasonal food, White Lake, it will never work.” In 2012 The Root was named Restaurant of the Year by The Detroit Free Press. In 2014 Hour Detroit named it Best Restaurant for Overall Excellence. A few of his other accolades include: competing in Top Chef Season 12, currently running on Bravo, Food & Wine’s ‘The People’s Best New Chef: Great Lakes’ nominations in 2013 and 2014, and Best Chef by Hour Detroit. Chef James has also been featured on the Cooking Channel’s newest series America’s Best Bites. As Sylvia Rector so fittingly wrote, “the Root could be a template for the ideal modern Michigan restaurant.” Beneath all the awards and media, James is a boy from Howell who has a passion for all things Michigan. Like a true artist, he doesn’t look for the easy way out or the cheap solution. He preaches local and responsible sourcing in the industry and is one of the faces putting
Michigan and Detroit on the International food map. Chef James talks extensively about the problems with the food chain in this country, about how small farmers don’t raise goats or hogs to sell to restaurants because they don’t realize there is a demand for them and because most chefs don’t know what to do with a whole animal if they got one. “95% of the restaurants in Michigan are cookie cutter.” He can’t understand why a restaurant would buy frozen food shipped from across the country or around the globe when the same thing is being or could be grown or raised around the corner. He believes that as chefs and restaurateurs there is a responsibility to change that. The average U.S. family spends nearly half of its food budget at restaurants. They also spend only about half as much on food as the average family in France. This means that the restaurant is the ideal starting point for changing Americans eating habits and educating them on the need for responsible local sourcing. James points out, “It’s the converse of what you see in Europe where most food is local and fresh and they are battling the influx of American fast food restaurants while we are starting to embrace local and you are seeing independent local restaurants opening in previously shuttered Chili’s locations.” For James it is all about understanding Michigan’s bounty. Growing up in Howell he is familiar with Michigan’s agriculture. He would like to see more incentives from small banks and credit unions and easier access Continued on next page
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James Rigato
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to low interest loans for farmers who are struggling and could be “retooling” to supply the local restaurant scene. There are so many farms that are right on the cusp and trying to survive while growing corn and soybeans year after year. These farmers don’t realize that there is a local market for diverse crops and they could be a part of it. Apart from running The Root and being a ‘Top Chef’, putting on cooking demonstrations and participating in local food events, last year James launched the Young Guns Dinner series. Young Guns brings an ever rotating line up of well-known and up and coming chefs from all walks of life. Each one is held at a different location. James sees it as a great way to help promote the Michigan food scene and calls it his, “chance to meet new faces and preach [his] gospel.”
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It gives these chefs a chance to step out of the confines of their menu and try new things. The 5th in the series just happened at Trattoria Stella in Traverse City. Joining Chef James was Garrett Lipar of Torino in Ferndale, Anthony Lombardo of the Hamilton in Washington, D.C., Rebecca LaMalfa of Trenchermen in Chicago, Doug Hewitt of Terry B’s Restaurant and Bar in Dexter, and Ben Robison of Bacco Ristorante in Southfield. James is a supporter of the craft beer industry. He thinks the craft beer industry in Michigan is partly responsible for the burgeoning food scene here. “5 years ago the craft beer industry was doing more for the food scene than the food industry in Michigan. They were really pushing great, from scratch, local food.” His favorite breweries include Leelanau Brewing, he definitely has no shortage of commendation for brewer Ron Jeffries, and Virtue
Cider which he proclaims to be the best cider in the world. No surprises considering the team of Greg Hall and Ryan Burke that are producing it. The Root will be hosting a Virtue Cider dinner on November 13th featuring a course prepared by Ryan Burke himself. That is something you won’t want to miss. Chef James is on Bravo’s Top Chef Season 12, on Wednesdays at 10pm. He also has a couple of pop-ups scheduled in November. He’ll be at (revolver) in Hamtramck on November 7th. For this one he’s concocted a 4 course menu plus amusebouche featuring Offal - those parts of an animal which are used as food, but which are not skeletal muscle. On November 21st you can catch Chef James in Hamtramck again, this time at the newly opened Yeman Street pop-up venue, for a seafood focused menu including mussels, oysters and skatewing!
Brewery Vivant has set an example for sustainable businesses. Here Kris Spaulding writes about Environmental Sustainability in the Brewing Industry Craft brewers have a natural tendency towards being sustainably-minded businesses. This may be the result of our role as public gathering places or through having an understanding of the importance of one of the world’s most precious resources, water. Most likely it is both of these things and more. Sustainability will look different in every business, brewery or otherwise. But, there are two things that any business with a focus on sustainability will have. First is an awareness of their environmental footprint & their impact on their community. Second is a culture that supports minimizing their negative impact and maximizing their positive impact. Understanding your environmental footprint implies that you are looking at the ways that you are using resources such as water, electricity, fuel for heating, and raw materials for your beer (and food if you have a pub). You identify if you are using these resources in excess and you develop systems and/or training programs to minimize their use. This is important for your financial sustainability as well since the less you use of these resources, the less it will cost your company. When your culture develops an approach of being mindful of these resources, you will naturally reduce your usage through the actions of your employees. Just as important as your environmental footprint is realizing the role you play in your community. Businesses are only going
to survive if members of their community support them, so it is only right that a business support the community it is in. This support can come in the form of a charitable giving program, volunteering with local organizations, supporting other local businesses through your purchasing power and providing a safe and healthy environment for your employees. At Vivant, we think it is important to set goals around all of these things to give them definition and to give ourselves tangible things to aim for. We have 14 goals that we measure and report on each year. They include the desire to send 0 waste to the landfill, to volunteer 200 hours in the community annually, to share 10% of our profits with both community organizations and our staff, to reduce the amount of fossil fuel derived energy that we use, to have 0 safety incidents, and to Continued on next page
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keep our spending local. Transparency is also important to us for a few of reasons. First, making our goals and results public keeps us more focused on holding ourselves accountable. Second, we hope that by talking about these things, others will challenge us to be better and will shed light on things we don’t know or aren’t doing. And last, we hope that by being open with our program we will encourage others to focus on being sustainability-minded as well, whether that is personally or professionally. With our focus on sustainability comes a desire to prove to ourselves that we are on the right path. We chose to pursue LEED certification for our building and in the spring of 2012 we became the first LEED certified commercial microbrewery anywhere. LEED is a green building standard for new projects or renovations. We also pursued B Corporation certification and achieved it in May of 2014. B Certification assesses many aspects of a business, including corporate governance, employee relations, community commitment and environmental footprint. Certified B Corporations are also legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on people and planet in addition to profit.
Craft Breweries around West Michigan are doing great things in regards to sustainability. Here are just a few highlights: By Kris Spaulding
Reducing your water footprint This is especially important to craft brewer’s since water is 90% of a beer and vital to all of our survival as a business. Most breweries capture and reuse water (and the heat) from heat exchangers into their Hot Liquor Tank, which stores water to make beer and to clean and sanitize equipment. Training brewing staff to be mindful of their water usage can also make a big impact on a brewery’s water footprint. In the pub, waterless urinals, low flow fixtures and no-touch faucets minimize water usage at Vivant as does a 2-stage dishwasher that reuses the second stage water in the first stage of the next cycle. Many pubs, such as Grand Rapids Brewing, will also ask if their customers want water rather than always bringing it – a small step that can save many gallons over the course of a year.
Pub Waste Vivant composts organic waste from the pub and recycles all materials accepted through the city’s recycling program. These two things have resulted in only 13% of their pub waste going to the incinerator. Rockford Brewing doesn’t get curbside Brewing Waste Most brewers send their spent grain to farmers recycling, so they fill their personal vehicles in the area, with Vivant’s going to feed show once or twice a week and drive recyclables to cattle, Harmony’s feeding free range pigs and the recycling center. Rockford’s going to a local dairy farmer. Energy Through the LEED certification process and the Smart Street pilot program at Consumer’s Energy, Vivant has upgraded all lights to high efficiency models throughout the pub, brewery and parking lot. We have installed motion detectors in rooms and closets where lights may be inadvertently left on. We also purchase 100% renewably generated electricity through Consumer’s Energy Green Generation program and are a member of the EPA’s Green Power Partner program. Rockford Brewing has converted all of their lights to higher efficiency LEDs. Continued on next page
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Reusing existing materials The community tables at Vivant are all repurposed wood from an old barn and the benches are repurposed fruit crates from a local food processing plant. The existing windows were kept in the pub and retrofitted to be more energy efficient through the addition of an insulating barrier. We were also able to retrofit the original pendant lights and sconces in the pub. Harmony Brewing was able to use a bunch of salvaged and used materials, equipment, and furniture. The siding on their walls is the woman's gym floor from Western Michigan University. The wood that they used to create the bar and window sills was salvaged, they actually found it on Craigslist. Their brew house is made from recycled dairy tanks and their fermenters are old yogurt tanks. All of their kitchen equipment and furniture was purchased used and the benches are old church pews.
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Supporting the local food system Vivant has a goal to purchase 50% of our food and 25% of our beer inputs from local farmers and producers and growing 10% of our food for the pub in our own garden. We are getting closer to this goal each year through developing long-term relationships with local farmers and producers and using Farmlink, a local food coop connecting food professionals with area farmers and producers. We use local hops and other ingredients in our beer as much as we can. For example, our Belgian dark ale, Undertaker, uses all organically grown, Michigan Cascade hops and our Contemplation Ale is brewed with Michigan honey. Harmony features as much local produce as they can. For example almost all of their pork is from a farm in Falmouth and they use a local baker for their pretzels. They also have a plot in the Eastown Community Garden and a bunch of rooftop plants on their facility. Harmony also tries to purchase local hops and to collaborate with other local businesses for extra ingredients for the beer such as Kava and Rowsters for Coffee and Global Infusion for Chai. Rockford Brewing’s Permaculture Series of beers focuses on fresh West Michigan agricultural ingredients. They use fresh, which means the ingredients do not get processed. They use local, which means shipping energy is reduced and the local economy and relationships are strengthened.
Commitment to our community Since opening, Vivant staff have donated over 400 hours of time to area non-profits on activities such as rehabbing houses through WellHouse and Habitat for Humanity, planting trees with Friends of GR Parks, and doing numerous activities at Congress Elementary School across the street from us. We have also met or exceeded our goal to donate 10% of profits each year to area non-profits. One of the ways we enjoy doing that best is through our Charity Nights every other month where we donate 25% of revenues to a specific charity. Our next charity night is in December when Wealthy Theatre will be the recipient of our sales. The team at Harmony thought up the tree beer campaign over a couple of beers with Steve Faber, the executive director of Friends of GR Parks. This campaign has resulted in the planting of 25 trees this year to add to the 33 planted in 2013 at the Brewer’s Grove in Riverside Park.
Bitter Old Fecker Rustic Ales Handmade, No Shortcuts, No Bullshit
Nathan Hukill comes from an ideal lineage for a brewer. His great grandparents were bootleggers in Detroit who ran a blind pig. His great grandmother brewed beer in the kitchen. His grandfather Cecil, a rail worker and Ford employee, left Detroit in 1972 and moved to Hillsdale and started farming. He began brewing in the early 80’s using ingredients he grew or foraged around the farm. Nathan, brewing a lot at home and interested in getting into the brewing business, started doing packaging for Unity Vibration Kombucha.
Every one of Nathan's batches are indivicually numbered.
By Jason Osburn
During his time there he admired the way they were working out of such a tiny space and started to envision Bitter Old Fecker. (Fecker is his Mother’s last name.) He then found his way into a position as an assistant brewer at Grizzly Peak. At the time he was also working as a butcher. Nineteen months after starting at Grizzly Peak he left to start Bitter Old Fecker Rustic Ales. Strutter was the first commercially bottled batch. It was only 816 bottles. Hand numbered. One of the things I notice about Nathan is how grounded he is. He has an attitude of, ‘if it needs to be done let’s do it. When I first met him he was in process of wet sanding the leftover carpet glue off of the concrete floor of his space. This was not his first day spent on this tedious and laborious project. He never showed an ounce of concern over having to do such labor. He just knew it was something that needed to be done so he was doing it. His barrels were stacked in the corner for the time being, his brewing equipment, for the most part, consisted of two large stainless pots and a commercial kitchen stove. Hardly a brewing “system” at all. Nathan isn’t a marketer, he doesn’t have a marketing team or agency working for him. His brand identity is just him being himself Continued on next page
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and staying true to what he wants to do. He wanted his labels to remind him of some of his favorite record label artwork, a Hank Williams III album with artwork done by Keith Neltner. So he tracked down Keith, who was working, as always, from his studio, Neltner Small Batch, just down the road from the North Kentucky farm that his family had owned for ages. Neltner has worked with such bands as Cake, Alice in Chains, Shooter Jennings, Hank Williams III and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. He recently finished the ‘Revival’ mural in Cincinatti’s Brewery District in conjunction with the Cincinnati Artworks Program, part of the Brewery District Community Urban Development Corporation’s planned Cincinnati Brewing Heritage Trail. You can see a video about it here: http://www.artcraftcincy.com/ Nathan felt the labor intensive process of Neltner’s hand drawn illustrations really personified his own passions about brewing. As you can see it was the perfect match up and of all the great craft beer I drink the only ‘souvenir’ bottle in my house is a bottle of Bitter Old Fecker ‘Jet’, number 17 of 1132. Nathan’s beers have been very well received and demand is high. They are currently only distributed in southeast Michigan. He is talking about distributing in west Michigan as well. He feels the pressure that comes with being a brewer and people expect a lot from. He knows people will be hyper critical of beer coming from someone his age, he’s in his mid-30’s, who already has a lot of hype behind them. He’s not too concerned. He built his business model to remain small. He appreciates that people have to watch for release dates and lists of where they can find the bottles. He just installed a 10 barrel system but doesn’t think he’ll expand beyond that. He likes that he keeps track of his barrels by writing the name of an old country musician on each: Cash, Haggard, Dolly, instead of using numbers. Nathan has released 4 beers to date: Strutter, an imperial IPA with chamomile, rose petals, juniper, and honey. This is quite delicious and very unique with the rose petals in the mix. •Kaplan, an imperial bronze ale similar to an old ale made with morel mushrooms. This is pretty interesting. Not the first beer I’ve had made with mushrooms but one of the few where the mushroom is actually up front. • Jet, a black ale made with smoked peppercorns and vanilla beans. This beer is intense. Damn 12
Barrels at Old Bitter Fecker are named after classic country music stars like Hank and Conway. good, but intense. You will want a plate of some good aged cheeses and maybe a few chunks of some jerky or salami to go along with this sippin’ beer. It is good but don’t expect to poor a 13 ounce glass and drink it like a New Hearted or All Day IPA. Darlin’, a blonde ale made with lavender and charred lemons. I love this beer and could drink it all the time. The charred lemons are ingenious and I had recently been charring lemons to go into gin and tonics at home. The little bit of heat and char really intensifies the oils and pronounces the pure lemon flavor without any bitterness. I have also had another beer made by Nathan, a wheat IPA with Jasmine and Hibiscus. It was pretty incredible but he doesn’t plan to release it. Instead he uses it as payment when he needs an "extra set of hands" to help him with something around the brewery. He plans to re-release the original 4 in slightly larger numbers now that he has a 10 barrel system in place but don't expect to see Old Bitter Fecker taking over a lot of real estate at your local beer store. Nathan is an example that hard work and a love for your craft can lead to success, without having to change who you are. We wish him future success.
Josh Stockton
Josh Stockton has brought his talents home to Detroit and he's taking the helm at Gold Cash Gold Josh Stockton is the chef/co-owner of the soon to be open Gold Cash Gold in Corktown. He is a native of Warren who took a roundabout way to get to Detroit. He studied art and architecture at Kalamazoo College where he realized the only thing he really enjoyed doing was cooking. His father was a chef at the original Andiamo location at 14 Mile and Van Dyke and his grandparents live in Tennessee where Josh traveled often as a child. He says he was probably about 7 or 8 the first time he helped butcher a whole hog. His father now raises true Berkshires in Tennessee and will be supplying the restaurant with pork, chickens and eggs and helping to deliver Allan Benton’s incomparable bacon and country hams. Josh’s brother, Trevor is the Executive Chef at R.T. Lodge in Marysville Tennessee. From Kalamazoo College he attended Culinary Institute of America. After graduating he worked in New York and Vegas, spending most of his time at The Wynn hotel. He also spent time at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee. He names Rick Mace, currently the Executive Chef at Café Boulud Palm Beach at The Brazilian Court Hotel as his biggest mentor. Chef Josh spent time working under Chef Mace while Mace was the Executive Sous Chef at Daniel Boulud’s Brasserie at The Wynn in
Las Vegas. So how did he find his way back to Detroit? Actually, quite randomly. A friend of his had heard that the Cooley’s were looking for a chef for the Gold Cash Gold project and the ball started rolling. The Cooley’s signed him on early this year and he’s been hard at work designing the kitchen and menu and wowing Detroit with sold out dinners at (revolver), private events, the Dine Drink Detroit Launch party, and staffing Gold Cash Gold with people who are inspired by, “mind-
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Josh Stockton contiued from pg 13 blowing food and unrivaled service…” who want to work for “that Detroit restaurant that isn't okay with being ‘good enough'...” He’s doing an excellent job of just that, recently announcing that Reid Shipman will be coming on board as his Sous Chef. Chef Reid, a Schoolcraft graduate, is currently Sous Chef at Birmingham’s The Stand and holds a resume including Toasted Oak and Forest Grill. Josh plans to set Gold Cash Gold apart with house made charcuterie and extensive use of pickling, preserving and brining. He believes that cooking isn’t just a process of repetition but one of constant learning and experience. He feels the cliché “Farm to Table” is over used and misundertood. “Farm to table isn’t just buying a local farmer’s tomatoes. It’s about developing relationships with those farmers. I tell them give me everything you grow. Whatever you’ve got, we’ll use it.” By fully utilizing the local harvest and building relationships with the farmers, his artist mentality is pushed to create with items he may not otherwise have thought of, the farmers benefit from expanded opportunity, and the menu becomes that much more inspirited.
Making spicy garlic dill pickles Photo source: GoldCashGoldDetroit Instagram
Two years since first being announced, Gold Cash Gold is about to open. Renovations are coming to completion. Licensing is in place. Staff is being hired and trained. I for one welcome Josh back to Detroit and look forward to what he brings to the table and how his iron in the fire is going to help define the Detroit’s culinary scene.
Beer on the Run Jessi Boehme is a Registered Dietitian - Here she takes on the debate of whether you need to refrain from alcohol while in training for a race. Here I am, training again for a half marathon. For the third year in a row I’ll be joining a few thousand women in the Gazelle Girl Half Marathon in Grand Rapids, When I'm training for an upcoming race I scale my drinking back but wonder should I be drinking at all? My answer, why not? I will say upfront that while I choose to cut back my beer intake while training or running in general, it isn’t the right choice for everyone. Some may need to cut out alcohol altogether in the training period leading up to a big race. Find what works for you. It all depends on the goals you have set for yourself. As a dietitian, I find it can fit into any weight maintenance eating plan, but the key word is maintenance. Therefore, I’ve compiled fifteen thoughts on drinking and running. Carb loading: You hear about pasta dinners the night before a run. Sometimes they are paired with a beer…or five. People refer to this as, “carb loading.” Sorry to say, but the carbohydrates in beer won’t help your body store extra glucose before a run. Due to the alcohol content you’re not so much carb loading as “fat loading” which can cause indigestion on race day. Not to mention a possible hangover. Ability to heal: Alcohol decreases your body’s ability to heal by limiting the body’s production of natural anti-inflammatories. If you’re injured during training or during a race, it isn’t recommended to drink a beer until the inflammation has been taken care of. Bloating / cramping: Have you heard about runs where you chug a beer, run, chug a beer, run and finish with another beer? Some of us can handle this digestively and some of us can’t. If you’ve never tried it, just Google ‘runners’ runs’. I refer to this as, poopology. Carbonated beverages, like beer,
get digested slowly in the stomach which leads to bloating and cramping and may have you running for the nearest port-a-jon or bush. Long distance: I would never recommend someone drink a beer during a long distance run. Your body needs hydration, electrolytes, and carbohydrates…not a diuretic that. After that run? Be sure to drink at least eight to sixteen ounces of water and a high quality 200-calorie protein/ carbohydrate snack to replenish before cheering your friends and drinking your beer. But it calms the nerves! I’ve heard that some people drink a beer the night before a race to ease their mind. It’s like sleeping the night before your first day of school, you don’t. I’m not opposed; just keep it to a moderate amount. Moderate amounts: As a reminder, a moderate consumption for beer per day is one, 12 oz beer for women and two for men. No, it’s not recommended that you “save up” all your beer during the week to have it all during the weekend. Over looking alcohol content: If you’ve never paid attention to the ABV in your beer, don’t overlook it. Though it’s lower than liquors, some beers have an alcohol content of 10%ABV or more. (For comparison, that Miller Lite you drank in college is 4.7%ABV.) The higher the alcohol, the more dehydrating the beer. If you are going to drink before a run, choose a lower percent alcohol such as a Session Ale. Hangovers: Has this ever worked for you? Does this work for anyone? I doubt it, so know your limits and don’t over do it to the point where you’re running on a pounding headache. Vomiting: On the note of hangovers, some people drink to the unfortunate point of throwing
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their contents back up. It’s not a pretty subject, but vomiting dehydrates the body of even more of its needs and can really harm you if it occurs during a run. What about those flavonoids? Flavonoids found in malt and hops are the same heart-healthy compounds in vegetables and red wine that can counter cell damage and reduce your risk of heart disease. Just remember you need to get these through a balanced diet. Drinking beer alone will not fighting heart disease. You need to maintain physical activity and a healthy weight. Beer’s mostly water… It can help rehydrate but shouldn’t be the sole re-hydrator you use. Beer is typically ~90% water with a small amount of protein, and a third of the calories from carbohydrates. Drink water before, during, and after enjoying your beverage to help your body actually rehydrate. It’s not a meal replacement. Need I say more? Weight gain: Alcohol is typically referred to as “empty calories.” Too much alcohol in anybody’s diet will most likely result in weight gain and it won’t be muscle. In order not to put on more body fat, continue strength training and eating a healthy, balanced diet so that you’re gaining muscle instead. Know your body: The same advice won’t work for
everyone so the most important thing is to know what works for YOU and stick with it. Use common sense. Have I made beer and running sound inviting at all? It’s all about knowing your goals and doing what’s best for you. Personally, I drink beer just about every weekend. It doesn’t impede my ability to get up in the morning and workout or run, but I recognize my muscles may thank me more if I dropped it to a more moderate amount. Stick to your goals, use common sense, and drink wisely. Happy running, cheers! The Gazelle Girl Half Marathon & 5k Takes place Sunday, April 19, 2015 Downtown Grand Rapids 100% of proceeds go to charity! More info here: http://gazellegirlhalfmarathon.com/
Yemans Street Matt and Corrie Tinker open a new table d' hôte venue in Hamtramck
Yemans Street is the new table d'hôte, ‘host-table’, restaurant and art space to open in Detroit, expanding Hamtramck’s culinary scene. Differing from a “pop-up” which generally happen in unique locations, can sometimes be chaotic and most often, not in a furnished dining room, a host table is a brick and mortar venue that hosts different chefs who bring ingredient and staff and essentially make the venue their own for the night. One of the distinctive components of hosttable venues and pop-ups alike is communal dining. Sitting at long tables with a group of strangers is one of the aspects which make these venues so intriguing. It turns dining into a social activity. By the end of the meal you will no longer be strangers. You have shared a personal experience that cannot be recreated. Host-table restaurants and pop-ups are feeding patron’s desire for a different and memorable experience and increasing our culinary options in Detroit. Matt and Corrie Tinker have always wanted to have a restaurant. Matt works in a collision shop and Corrie is a former waitress and bartender. Opening Yemans St. rather than a full-fledged restaurant was a way for them to jump in without the expenses, licensing and headaches associated with opening a restaurant but that isn’t to say they haven’t put the hard work and due diligence into the venture. They spent 5 months and a large 5 figure chunk of change to get the space ready. They are proving that there is more than one way to operate a restaurant and in a city like Detroit you need to take a step back and figure out what will work, not just follow traditional business models. It’s working and chefs are knocking on the door for a chance to work there. The first dinner, with Jay Gundy of Cork Wine Pub, was a huge success as has every one since. Most recently (at time of publication) Reid Shipman of The Stand (and formerly Toasted Oak and Forest Grill) delighted diners with his masterful creations. Chef Reid is about to make his mark as the sous chef at the soon to be opened Gold Cash Gold. November 2nd was the first art show at Yemans St., featuring Dirty Jason Myers and
By Jason Osburn
Fel3000ft will be featured in the Yeman Street Art Show Nov. 2nd-5th Chase Fel3000ft. Jason Myers primarily works in metal sculpture and Chase Fel3000ft is renowned for his street art and fine art alike. I for one am very impressed when I see a space get utilized across disciplines and this is an excellent starting point for Yeman St. Matt and Corrie have developed a relationship with McClary’s Bros. Drinking Vinegars. They feature all of McClary’s Continued on next page
Photos from Redi Shipman's recent dinner at Yeman Street
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flavors at Yemans St. and are the exclusive carrier of the new Detroit Thai Basil. Young chefs and seasoned pros alike see host-table restaurants and pop-ups as an opportunity to move out of the confines of their restaurants and experiment, explore, educate, and have some fun. Young chefs see it as an opportunity to promote their talents without the constraint and expense of opening a brick and mortar venue or as a progression to help find investors or build excitement for
Brendon Edwards November 14th a& 15th
their upcoming pursuits. The Detroit food scene has embraced pop-ups and now, with Yemans Street and (revolver), host-table restaurants are taking that idea to a new level. Komodo Kitchen, Kung Food, Detroit Gypsy Kitchen, Beautiful Soup, Tashmoo Biergarten, Chartreuse, Clandesdine, if you follow food in Detroit you likely recognize some of these names. Some have come and gone. Some have moved Reid Shipman into brick and mortar venues. There is little doubt that Craig Lieckfelt's pop-up, Guns + Butter, appearing on Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Parts Unknown’ in June of 2013 drew some much deserved attention to Detroit’s budding restaurant scene. The individuals, the chefs, the entrepreneurs, the Matt and Corrie Tinkers driving these ventures are deserving of our praise. They are the ones working to see Detroit succeed. Host-table restaurants and pop-ups are feeding patron’s desire for a different and memorable experience and increasing our culinary landscape in Detroit. Upcoming events at Yemans Street: November 2-5; Art Show, with Jason Myers aka Dirty and Chase aka Fel3000ft Nov. 7 Pop-up w/ Chef Jeff Rose ; CAYA 6p Nov. 8 Pop-up w/ DIBS, Nov. 13 Pop-up w/ Chef Chris Johnson; The Meeting House Live performance byDan Tillery and Craft cocktails by Will Lee 6 and 9p Nov. 14-15 Pop-up w/ Chef Brendon Edwards; 7p, 6 and 9p Nov. 20 Pop-up w/ Chef Ricky McCormick; Café Muse Nov. 21 Pop-up w/
Jason "Dirty" Meyers will be featured in the Yeman Street Art Show Nov. 2nd-5th
Chef James Rigato of The Root Restaurant & Bar 7p
Photo source Bierkeller Facebook page
By Jason Osburn
New German-themed Beer Hall in Taylor is a Breath of Fresh Air of Michigan brews. I stopped in on the Bierkeller is a breath of fresh air in a Monday before their opening and had a great patch of metro Detroit that has been pretty time meeting the owners, tasting the food, limited on dining options for quite some and generally being impressed to see this type time, particularly if you were hoping to get of place open in the area. a Michigan beer with your meal. Located in Taylor, roughly half way between Detroit and Ann With the opening of the MBTB Tasting Room in Arbor, Bierkeller is a German Shelby Township last December, Michigan By The Bottle beer hall themed restaurant became the first in the state to open a tasting room and multi tap serving modern under this collaborative concept takes of German cuisine and featuring 30 beers on tap and more in bottles. This quaint venue was actualized by engaged couple Rina Belanger and Mark They have a wide and well curated selection Guzzardo. Mark used to work for West Side Beer which explains the well currated beer menu at Bierkeller. Rina also owns a fabulous, (yes I said fabulous) vintage furniture restoration business called Reimagined Restorations. This could help explain the meticulous attention to detail they've paid to the look and feel of the venue. Check out some of her great work at http:// reimaginedrestorations.com/ The interior is very well designed and tastefully done with unique features such as an all penny bar top and a large scale vintage map of Germania occupying one section of wall. The picnic table seating area is very ‘beer hall’ style and promotes conversation and a feeling of community. They’ve really developed a space with some character and it’s immediately felt upon walking in. Most Saurkraut Balls, house made whole grain venues need some time to develop but even mustard, and a Scotty Karate. Good times during the soft opening the feeling in the at Bierkeller Continued on page 20
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Bierkeller cont. from pg 19 room was relaxed and comfortable. One thing I really noticed was the music playing. Yes, it was a jukebox however they’ve taken the time to curate out the crap. In the time I was there I heard a span of tunes from Queens of the Stone Age to Eric Clapton to The Lumineers. The volume was acceptable so the music could be heard but not so loud you couldn’t talk to the person across the table or the waitress. The specialty cocktails on the menu are creative and delicious. I enjoyed a Dirty Betrunkin Martini made with Kettle One, olive juice, and a couple of bleu cheese stuffed olives. It was well made, served in a rock glass per my request, (I just can’t do the Martini glass thing) and of course it doesn’t hurt that I am a sucker for bleu cheese and and for olives. My wife had their German Chocolate Martini made with Ciroc coconut vodka, Baileys and white Crème de Cacao. She loved it. Having already had a significant dinner but wanting to try a sampling from the menu we ordered a couple of Vorspeisen. (That’s German for appetizer. I know, I Googled it.) The sauerkraut balls were delectable. A savory mixture of pork sausage, pungent kraut, sweet onion and cream cheese, then breaded and deep fried. What really hit home for me was the house made whole grain mustard. It was perfect; tangy, flavorful, great texture, and I greedily spooned excessive amounts of it on the sauerkraut balls and soft pretzels. This was all pairing very well with the Dark Horse Scotty Karate Scotch Ale I had ordered post Martini. Bierkeller was a pleasure and we quite enjoyed ourselves. Were it only closer I could easily see myself making it a regular weekend destination. It’s location is only a couple of miles south of I-94 on Pelham Road so a stop in for a quick bite when traveling that way is definitely in store for me in the future. If you have the chance, stop in. They are great people trying to bring a much needed improvement to the scene in that area.
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Bierkeller's well done interior (above) How about some Schnitzel and Waffles? (below)
Dennis gets nostalgic about canned beer and talks up some of his recent finds When I was a kid, in the early seventies, beer came in a can. I knew bottles existed but nobody's dad that I knew drank them. My first beer was almost certainly a can of Budweiser, that was my Pop's brand and he used to let me have one once in a while after I had mowed the lawn when I was probably eleven or twelve (better call CPS). I can still remember cracking open the can and how the ice cold, effervescent, dry throat soothing elixir brought instant refreshment. Older teens I knew would often have lengthy discussions regarding which brand was superior. I'm not sure now if these preferences were based on something traceable like alcohol content or on the more tenuous criteria that teens often use to rank things like which cool athlete or rock star endorses it. Either way it was these same older teens that I first heard venerating bottled beer over canned citing
primarily a metallic taste. Can't say that I ever particularly noticed this taste but the idea of it certainly sounded unpleasant and I absolutely remember accepting the superiority of bottles even before I began to turn to imports. Before long I found myself drinking import/craft solely and began to view beer in cans as symbolic of the inferiority of mass market domestic beers. Two decades later however as craft beer's market has moved from the fringe to something more resembling a mass, craft brewers are examining packaging options and rediscovering some of the advantages of the aluminum can. Cheap, light weight, 100% light proof and air tight, shatterproof, quick chilling, infinitely stackable, what's not to love? I'm not sure of the national picture though I had noticed Oskar Blues cans around for some time, but Michigan brewers are certainly testing the market, and many of the best value options of my first months of research have Craft brewers are examining packaging options and rediscovering been can beer. In the some of the advantages of the aluminum can. Cheap, light weight, past I've done write ups 100% light proof and air tight, shatterproof, quick chilling, on Griffins Claw, and infinitely stackable, what's not to love? Rochester Mills, both of whom offer a variety of 16 oz. cans in 4-packs that hover around ten bucks. This summer I started seeing Rochester Mill's Lazy Daze in 6-pack tallboy cans for $10.99 which is a screamin' deal on a tasty, mild summer beer. Kalamazoo's Bell's has put 4-pack tallboys of some of their varieties side by side with the bottled version and these give us a clue to what the cost difference must be on their end. 6-pack bottles Best Brown Ale costs $10.99, 4-pack tallboys, which as I've mentioned in the past is only 8oz. less than Continued on page 25 21
And here I go, about to write an entire piece on how to keep chickens. - To those who might be following me, I know. Keeping them away from the coyotes is first on the list! Free Range (at your own risk!) I think free-range eggs are the only eggs to eat. I also think the free-range life is the best life for a chicken. This, from the lady who lost nearly her entire flock to a roving pack of coyotes! I’d do it again. The joy of small scale / old style farming is that we get to address these problems as necessary risks. I could keep my flock in their coop and run 24/7, even supplement with greens, bugs, and dust baths, but their life would Elena Flores writes about raising be only moderately better that their factory chickens and her son on a small raised hen sisters. Free ranging a flock has its farm in Ann Arbor. risks (believe me, I know.) but the hens live a Chickens were one of the first domesticated good life, sunbathing and scratching up bugs, animals. Their evolution over the last several and their eggs, with their deep orange yolks, are thousand years has been solely to live with infinitely more nutritious than a standard egg. us. Keeping them is absurdly easy. I have a neighbor that picks up the remaining chicks at the feed store (too old to call “day old”) and sets them loose in his barn – and he has chickens! Granted, there are endless resources devoted to how-to keep chickens, but you’ll see, almost as soon as you get them, that it is all (for the most part) needless blather. They essentially keep themselves. Indiana (dog) protects Peggy (chicken)
Secure the Coop! A coop is just a simple shed with a few windows for light and ventilation. It can be fancy but it needn’t be. I like an attached run so that I don’t have to wake up and let the little buggers out first thing each morning. Mine is 14x6 chain link. Take care around the perimeters for those that would dig their way in. This is where chicken keeping is the ultimate pastime for those who love to tinker. (I am one such person.) I have woven heavy gauge wire into any gaps in my fencing. I also have buried fencing or heavy 22
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pavers along stretches of fence where I had the wherewithal to do so. If mink or other vermin discover the coop, my lazy butt will have to close the hen’s door at night. Water & Feed Everything on earth needs fresh water to thrive, chickens included. I take out a gallon jug every other day or so, fill the dog’s bowl and then the chickens’. Done and done. If you free-range, feed is an afterthought. The rule in my house is that people eat first, the dog gets the meat scraps and the chickens get everything else (the farmers say that meat makes them mean, idk.) I feed them pellets as they are less wasteful than crumbles and I free feed. Most of the time, they prefer free-range / kitchen scrap fare to anything formulated specifically for them. Some farmers in my neighborhood do not supplement with feed at all. I like to because, well, it makes me feel involved in the process and helps them lay more reliably.
keep their coops. I had to look it up to learn the “Deep Litter” terminology and found science to back it up. By maintaining 6-10 inches of deep litter in a well-ventilated coop, you create an atmosphere where the litter begins to compost itself, helpful bacteria increases, breaking down the feces and ammonia, and the litter remains dry and relatively odorless. This method also Litter Some will say you must use sand. Some prefer creates an inhospitable home for flies and straw or pine bedding. Some will say you must poultry lice. maintain a rigid cleaning schedule to ward off pests and disease. All of this is misguided. If All you need to do is turn it with a hoe or you maintain a well-ventilated coop with ample rake a couple of times a week and top it off space for each bird, you will not need to do with fresh litter every so often to maintain the much at all – and it’s best if you don’t. This is depth. Some overhaul the coop in the spring with incoming new chicks. I choose to do so what I do: in the fall and spread the litter out over the garden plot so that it can over-winter and be turned into the ground in the spring. Deep Litter Method Maintain 6-10 inches And that’s it. of litter, turn weekly, and completely I couldn’t even come up with 10 rules. overhaul once a year. Biggest thing, check your local ordinances. I recently changed Chicken keeping is incredibly easy but, make no out the litter in my doubt about it, the authorities will come down 4x6 ft. coop. It took on you in a hurry if you are not within the law. me all of 15 minutes. (Most of that time As you get to know your chickens, you will realize was spent hauling the what horrors modern farming methods present. litter ¼ mile down These are wonderfully social, curious creatures the lane to the garden each of whom have unique personalities and are plot.) I only do this entitled to a good life. I didn’t start out this once a year. This is game as an activist but there’s no going back how the farmers in for me. See for yourself! my neighborhood xoxo e
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Mission: Michigan cont. from pg. 21
6x12, costs only $7.99. Like Bell's, Atwater also chooses to offer 12-pack cans of a few of their many varieties alongside the 6-pack bottles. I regret to say that I haven't had opportunity to research their offerings personally and cannot speak to the product or price point. That is not the case with Keweenaw Brewing Company's five commonly available varieties all of which earn a "mission accomplished" from Mission: Michigan for great taste at an affordable price. Lift Bridge Brown, Red Jacket Amber, Old Ore Dock Scotch, Pickaxe Blonde and my personal favorite Widowmaker Black (the website lists a Pale that I have not seen) all come in 6-pack 12 oz. cans which commonly retail for $9.99. These five are all fairly true to style and imminently drinkable. The brown and the black have entered my weekly purchases and if KBC could see their way to 12-packs priced around $16 I'd be hooked for good. The fact is when you drink beer in the quantities that I like to, dimes per oz. makes a big difference in the bottom line. If brewers can reduce shipping costs and the like by moving to can and pass the savings on to me I'm for it. As someone who can taste a bitter aftertaste in
Racing For Beer Has Never Been More Fun !
Kisscross Cyclocross - 2014 Race Season Schedule: Sunday, October 5th, Kisscross #3 Manhattan Park Sunday, October 19th, Kisscross #4 Lakeside Park, Caledonia Sunday, November 2nd, Kisscross #5 Cascade Park Sunday,November 16th, Kisscross #6 Markin Glen Kalamazoo Sunday, November 30th, Kisscross #7 Window on the Waterfront, A, B and C races are $25 day of event. Tandems are $30. A second race is $10 additional. One lap kids race is $5 but a full length B or C race for kids 14 and under is $10. No licenses required. Start times/ categories: C race- Kids one lap, Juniors, Men, Women and Masters (40+)- 11:00am B race- Men, Women, Masters, Tandem, Fat bike and Singlespeed- 12:00pm A race- Men and Masters (40+)- 1pm
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baked goods made with aluminum baking powder, I'm sympathetic to folks who feel they can taste the can, though I cannot. Since the inner aluminum is coated, like a keg any taste probably comes from the tongues contact with the outside of the can. Simply decanting canned beer into a glass vessel should eliminate this problem. I generally decant even bottled beer before drinking. I actually found some strange catharsis and nostalgia while drinking a can of Keweenaw at a cookout this summer, the feel of the cold twelve ouncer in my hand, cracking the pull tab, and raising the straight from the cooler can of beer to my lips in the hot sun, instant refreshment.
* Celebrating the Art of Bikes and Beer *
Cyclo-Mashing Bob (Dark Horse Raspberry), Jeff (Founders Pale Ale), Keean (New Holland Dragon’s Milk), Matt (Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA)
Creating Cycling Culture at Velocity Wheels, USA What keeps the cycling spirit rolling in Michigan? Wheels! The best hand-built, high-quality wheels, rims and hubs are designed and made in Grand Rapids, MI at Velocity Wheels, USA. Velocity employees celebrate and create the culture of cycling through their craft of handbuilt wheel sets. The customizable wheels come with varying rim drillings, sizes, colors and components that serve a large demographic of bicycle enthusiasts. I stopped in to chat with some of the Velocity guys to find out why their commitment to the craft of cycling fuels not only their work but also their free time. Matt Ruiter is fondly characterized by his co-worker Jeff Jacobi as “the bearing in the hub who makes sure everything spins smoothly.” Matt believes the Velocity name stands out in the outdoor bicycling industry because they take risks on unique and unconventional designs, made possible by small company size. The creative license Velocity inspires gives employees a nimble and reflexive work environment that makes room for play and fun (such as the indoor BMX ramp) while maintaining production of durable, performance-oriented equipment hand-crafted in America. Ryan Olthouse, in charge of The Wheel Department operations, agrees. He marveled how the guys who hand-build Velocity wheels personally sign-off on their product, showing a level of craft and commitment that no robot can equal. After bringing me up to speed on wheel production, we got to talking about how the bicycling and craft beer
Jane Van Hof, author, dirty but happy after a 2nd place finish in her age group at Ore-to-Shore Bicycle racing operative, craft-beer intelligence agent, urban education rabble-rouser and partisanly punkish classical musician, Jane enjoys living a full and vibrant life. She received her Master’s degree in Socio-Cultural Foundations of Educational Thought from Western Michigan University, teaches writing in an urban middle school, professionally performs Baroque music, races bicycles with the Founders Racing team, romps through the Michigan outdoors, and loves micro brewed beer. Her joy in life stems from her three robust and witty sons who challenge her to remain tenaciously steady in all things. Jane resides in East Grand Rapids, Michigan.
cultures became symbiotic. What similarities in spirit inspire a love of cycling and an appreciation for craft beer? Jeff mused, “The bike world was big with mass-market products made in China. But then folks started to get into customizing bikes and people wanted unique, different designs.” Cyclists inquire about and compare which gear ratios, wheel size, performance tires and frame geometry give the best ride. Likewise, craft beer enthusiasts
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Cyclo-Mashing continued from page 25
ask about what ratio of malt, hops, yeast and water, aging barrels, and mashing process create the best color and taste and how to perfect mouthfeel. Both cyclists and craft beer aficionados are connoisseurs of detail, nuance, feel and flow. Tapping into the sensibility that unites bike and beer culture, Bob Zeilstra commented, “People are as discerning with their bike parts as they are with their beer selection.” Enjoying a perfectly customized bike build is akin to partaking of a perfectly crafted micro-brew. The strongest factor, however, marrying the cycling and craft brew cultures is the social camaraderie found in both pastimes. As Ryan remarked, “Bikes and beer are both relaxing, fun, make you feel good and offer social enjoyment.” So much so that, when paired, bikes and beer make a perfect couple. The Velocity guys shared with me their favorite Michigan micro-breweries, craft beer, and places to ride in the state: Ryan Olthouse loves Blackrocks Brewery up in Marquette “simply because their beer is good and the trails are right out the door.” The unpretentious vibe and their support of cycling culture, live music, live music and craft beer makes Blackrocks the perfect place to experience the craft beer culture in Michigan! With a penchant for the Upper Peninsula, Ryan’s favorite place to ride in the state is mountain biking the Copper Harbor trail system. But, if he could go anywhere to experience great biking and tasty beer, Ryan would have his favorite Michigan craft beer,
Bob Zeilstra keeping the warehouse and shipping side of the operation running smoothly.
Jeff Jacobi building wheels at the Velocity U.S. Headquarters in Grand Rapids.
Founders’ Breakfast Stout, shipped to France where he’d ride the Alpe d’Huez as the pro cyclists do in Le Tour de France. Matt Ruiter couldn’t pick just one brewery as his favorite. While Founders offers consistently good and tasty beer, when taking atmosphere into consideration, Harmony Brewing Company “feels friendly and homey and inviting. The staff is still personable, not just putting beer in front of you.” Matt’s favorite brew comes from Marshall, Michigan’s Dark Horse Brewery - the Crooked Tree IPA. The Leelanau Peninsula is Matt’s favorite place to road ride because of the rolling and big hills and the fact that it’s a drivable distance from anywhere in the state. His perfect cycling and beer drinking adventure would take him to Europe where he’d tour old, historical breweries via bicycle and compare the old style brewing to our Michigan craft brewing. Matt has cosmopolitan cycling and beer interests! Jeff Jacobi holds Founders first and foremost as his best Michigan brewery. He frequented Founders back when they just started out in the old Brassworks building in Grand Rapids. “We could bring our bikes right in. I consider myself one of the earliest members of the Founders club,” Jeff says. Naturally, Jeff’s favorite
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brew is from Founders - the Pale Ale. In Michigan, Jeff would head to the U.P and mountain bike the Copper Harbor trails. But if given free reign, Jeff would head out for Crested Butte, CO. to trail ride some of the sweetest single track in America, and visit the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. Keean Mansour favors North Peak Brewing up in Traverse City for their Diabolical Ale. Though, he claims New Holland’s Dragon’s Milk as his favorite beer. In Michigan, Keean finds the greatest thrill in urban racing the Alley Cat in Detroit - a city with a thriving bicycling culture. For global adventures in bikes and beer, Keean would start out in Denver, CO and end up across the globe a hemisphere away in New Zealand for more wicked single track riding. Bob Zeilstra calls Dark Horse Brewery the best in Michigan, particularly because the vibe of the building feels authentic - from the bric-abrac on the walls to the hand-thrown mugs on the ceiling. Not surprisingly, Bob’s favorite beer, the Raspberry Ale, hails from Dark Horse as well. As one who takes many cycling tours, Bob loves the “Tunnel of Trees” in Northern Michigan for an in-
Matt Ruiter kickin’ back with a Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA ready at hand.
state cycling adventure. Though, with freedom to pedal anywhere, Bob would head to Copenhagen because of the city’s strong cycling infrastructure. So what is it that unites the bicycling and craft brew cultures in Michigan? As both the company and the employees at Velocity Wheels USA demonstrate, an adventurous spirit, open mind, willingness to take some risks and enjoy the journey, the freedom and the tasty, sweet reward.
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What Beer to pair with Thanksgiving Dinner The ONLY Michigan Beer and Thanksgiving Dinner Pairing Suggestions You Need! Thanksgiving dinner is a difficult meal for the craft beer aficionado. The table is spread with a plethora of flavors from crisp, salty turkey skin to sage laden stuffing, to mashed potatoes and heavy, rich gravy (hopefully not from a jar). And don't forget the outrageously sweet, tart, mucilaginous concoction your mom will cajole out of a tin can and refer to as cranberries. (Sorry, not trying to talk bad about your Momma.) That doesn’t even include the pre-dinner grazing that always seems to take place at our gatherings nor the multitude of pies and desserts spread out post-meal when most of us have already had to loosen our belt a notch or two. Then, to add to this already daunting task of pairing a beer to this profusion of flavors, your Uncle Howard only drinks big-brand-beer-flavored-water and your cousin Julia, who you haven’t seen in 9 years, just got engaged to a hipster “Mixologist” from Portland. So, how do you approach this debacle? You don’t.
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Uncle Howard can bring his own insipid swill; more of the good stuff for you. If you follow some basic pairing rules and bring a couple your favorites, your
evening will turn out sumptuous, your guests will leave gratified, and your cousin’s fiancé will be duly impressed. With that in mind let’s focus on the actual pairings. Several styles will fit your entire meal from start to finish.
Strong ales: styles include Bière de Garde, farmhouse ales and Scotch ales.. They have enough alcohol to stand up to the richness of your gravy and aren’t so assertive that you won’t taste the intricacies of Aunt Mary’s peas and carrots, made from frozen peas and carrots. In fact, they are a pretty good complement to the dessert course as well. A couple I would recommend are Brewery Vivant’s North French Style Ale and Jolly Pumpkin’s Bière de Mars. Problem is that both of these beers are released in late spring so you may not be able to find them. Which leads
us to Scotch ales. Scotch ales are certainly bolder and maltier, but they should still pair enticingly. My two recommendations, Dark Horse Scotty Karate and Founders Dirty Bastard. Dirty Bastard has a smokey, malty, scotch aroma and a hint of dark fruits. Scotty Karate has that dark fruitiness but smells of warm toffee and brown sugar. I love this beer and it's not just cause I happen to be friends with Scotty. JOLLY-PUMPKIN-biere-demars-webIf you don’t want the high alcohol of strong ale, another style, porter, pairs well with the entire meal. Porters can handle the umami flavors and the sweet treats alike. My recommendation is Founder’s Porter. It is simply one of the best Continued on page 32 porters in the world. A beer that is a bit less "extreme"
Diary of a Craft Beer Lover Bill Osburn talks about his love of craft beer and how that love developed I never set out to be a beer lover and certainly not a beer snob but age and experience shape us as much (probably more) as our intentions. I used to drink "regular beer" with a preference for what we used to call premium beers. Michelob, Strohs Signature, and other grocery store brands popular in the 70s were my choice when I had a little extra money, but usually it was Miller, or Carling, or whatever was not too expensive. When we started making annual trips to camp at Rondeau Park in Ontario, I began exploring some of the great Canadian brews and developed a particular fondness for cream ales. In 1986 I made my first trip to the U.K. and discovered the full bodied English ales and became especially partial to Theakston’s Best Bitter and other similar Yorkshire style ales and bitters. In 1990 I became a consultant to Coors Ceramics and spent a
great deal of time over the next decade in Golden Colorado where, in 1993, Charlie & Janine Sturdavant founded Golden City Brewery. They started brewing using dairy tanks in the old machine shop and on the back lawn of their historic home. They began serving from their sunroom and later, from the carriage house, where they still serve today. I had been to other microbreweries but it was at Golden City that I first began to appreciate the craft and the various styles of beverage that could be made from barley and hops. I discovered Maibock and it was there that I discovered his Centurion Barleywine which remains my favorite North American beer. I always thought beer had to be fresh which is why Coors made a big deal of their date stamps and refrigerated box cars. I was amazed when Charlie told me his barleywine could age for up to 18 years. I don’t know if it was legal but we shipped twelve bottles to my home in Michigan where I tried my best to only open one bottle each New Year. I don’t remember how many years that plan lasted but I know it wasn’t twelve; it got better and more complex every year. In 1994 my wife and I took her
parents to the Netherlands and Germany. We visited three of the great beer halls in Munich: Hofbräuhaus, Der Ratskellers, and Hackerhaus. I tried as many beers as I possibly could, again exploring styles. By now I was able to better distinguish more than just the effects of the malts. I was able to discern the influence of different hops, malts and yeasts. In 1996 I made my first trek to Belgium. Belgium is truly the place to learn about beer. At the end of 2011 there were around 1150 original Belgium beers brewed by 146 breweries and 44 beer companies. Most beers are bought or served in bottles, rather than cans, and almost every style of beer has its own particular, uniquely shaped glass or other drinking-vessel. The immense variety, from white beers to strong, malty Trapist ales, is incredible. The strong beers like Duvell and the Farm House Saisons are incredible. No beer lover’s education is complete without a taste of Geuze or a visit to one of the great Lambic breweries. Then my brother-in-law got a Mr. Beer kit. He offered me a
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Diary of a a Craft Beer Lover cont.
beer and I reluctantly accepted trying not to display my low expectations. It was actually good! I’m sure you real home brewers aren’t impressed but it was actually a good way to get started and learn about the process. I experimented further with home brewing but didn’t have the same passion for brewing as I do for drinking so my brewing skills haven’t advanced much, but I am a life-long learner when it comes to tasting. My next tasting adventure was a move to Idaho for a couple of years where I befriended a colleague with an outstanding restaurant. His two sons are Sommeliers and the restaurant was written up in Food and Wine Magazine for their wine selection. Time spent imbibing around such knowledgeable individuals sharpened and educated my palate considerably. It was in Idaho Falls that I met Leon “Wolf” Wolfrom, owner, builder, and brewmaster at Idaho Brewing Company. Not only were his beers great, but he had created a small-village family feel to his tasting room, much like an English Pub. This expanded my love of craft beer as I had now also become a craft brewery lover. I am back in Michigan living in Canton with an apartment in Mason where I work. I am fortunate to be in a small town with a great food friendly craft brewery, Bad Brewing Company. Brian Rasdale and Derek Bercaw makes some great beers, always experimenting with different hops. Fortunately they also makes some less hopped styles and cask aged brews which are more to my taste. I can’t drink beer like I used to and often prefer a glass of Carmenere but a good brewery isn’t just about the beer. It’s like Cheers to the regulars and friendly to the other patrons. Good beer, good people, good conversation. That’s what I really like about craft beers!
Enjoying a flight at Bad Brewing in Mason
The Hungry Dudes The Hungry Dudes are a Detroit based food photography, social media marketing, blogging and consulting outfit. They are premiere advocates of the Michigan food scene and can be found at events ranging from Pigstock TC and beer dinners at Michigan’s top craft breweries to dinner series like Young Guns, local farmer’s markets, cider mills, and even chef’s homes. If you are at all interested in the Michigan food landscape you need to be following them on social media. MiCraftBeerCulture would like to express our gratitude to The Hungry Dudes for the use of their photo for this month’s cover. The photo of Jame’s Rigato was taken at the Young Guns V dinner at Trattoria Stella in Traverse City. More photos of the event can be seen on their website and Flickr:
http://thehungrydudes.com/eventyoung-guns-5-at-trattoria-stel la-intraverse-city/
MiCraftBeerCulture
Who we are and Why we're here. (AKA a letter from the editor)
Welcome to MiCraftBeerCulture magazine! Celebrating Michigan's bountiful harvest, magnificent culinary scene and great craft beer! With holiday gatherings quickly approaching we all have family and friends and food and drink on our minds. We hope you consider your local businesses first when shopping for your events and gifts. Drink Local, Eat Local, Create Local Special thanks to Kris Spaulding and Brewery Vivant for their contribution to this months issue and their example of sustainable business practices. Your love of craft beer and love for Michigan are inspirational. Cheers!
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but will still pair nicely is a solid brown ale. Brown ales pack a nutty, toasty flavor that balances great with the sage in the stuffing and won't argue cloyingly with the marshmallow blanketed sweet potatoes. There are so many great Michigan brown ales to choose from. A couple of my favorites include Saugatuck's Bonfire Brown and Dark Horse Boffo Brown. Both are full bodied browns and will pair marvelously. (p.s. They also go well while sipping bourbon later in the evening.) Pumpkin and pecan pie are what we usually see on our dessert spread after the TurkeyDay feast. Both are rich and potentially very sweet. As I mentioned, strong ale or porter will carry nicely over to dessert but why? Don’t drink the same thing all night. It’s a holiday! Celebrate! Splurge! Pick up more than one style. For dessert I suggest a milk stout such as Saugatuck’s Neapolitan Milk Stout. The sweetness and combination of flavors should pair nicely with the nutmeg and mace in the pumpkin pie and complement the rich nuttiness and caramel of the pecans. Want to try a different direction? Pair Arcadia Cereal Killer Barleywine with your desert. I promise the caramel and molasses complexity will improve Aunt Mary's dry pie crust. So, what to buy for company whose tastes you don’t know yet? Two beers that should be highly drinkable to the non-craft beer guest would be New Holland’s The Carhartt Woodsman and Bell’s Christmas Ale, (which should hit shelves quite soon). Both are complicated enough to be enjoyable to your astute craft beer taste while not being so over the top they offend craft beer newcomers. Both will pair well with the entire meal. One more I need to mention here, not a beer but a cider, is the recently released Blake's Hard Cider Wayward Winter. Apple, Elderberry and Coriander, need I say more? This is a winter favorite of mine. Just imagine those flavors along side that juicy dark turkey leg. Perfection. Need a quick tip on a wine for the meal? Read a wine magazine. Just kidding. Any of the following suggestions will fit the smorgasborg so choose a couple styles you enjoy. 32
Personal favorite for the meal: Boskydel's Soleil Blanc, dry, white with a hint of oak and apricot. Reislings: these range from dry to dessert, it's totally up to your preference and there are a lot of great ones coming out of Michigan. For dry try Blustone Vineyards Late Harvest Riesling. For medium try Bowers Harbor Vineyards Riesling, Medium Sweet. For dessert try Fenn Valley's "42" Ice Wine. Cabernet: Think rich undertones of blackberry and anise. Sound like something you'd like with your turkey? Try 2 Lad's Cabernet Franc. Pinot Noir: Michigan winemakers are starting to put out some Pinots with great depth. A pinot will help to make your Thanksgiving feel opulent. My suggestion, Brys Estate's Pinot Noir. Want something with bubbles? L.Mawby's Consort is delicious with fruit and toast flavors. Can't go wrong. I hope that helps and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Don’t forget to use the right glassware and don’t hesitate to put some good Saison, such as New Holland's Monkey King, in that turkey brine. You are brining the turkey right? Trust me on this one. Cheers!
PubGearUSA.com A new way to promote local Craft Brewers PubGearUSA.com is an ecommerce business that promotes local craft breweries and distilleries by exposing their brands and marketing their merchandise to craft beer enthusiasts via the PubGearUSA.com website. The site features a wide selection of branded merchandise from brewers and distillers across North America with new brands coming on board monthly. The idea for PubGearUSA started over 10 years ago by its owner/founder, Jack Greene, who, while traveling throughout the country on business would often find himself dinning at local brew pubs. Being an active supporter of local businesses, he would insist on sampling the local favorite brew. Often times he noticed that these brew pubs would offer branded T-shirts or glassware for sale for their visitors. That’s when the idea struck him. “Is there an online store offering a variety of branded items from local breweries or brewpubs?” After conducting research he learned the major beer brands such as Budweiser and Miller where offered through a number of channels, but there really wasn’t anyone promoting craft breweries’ branded merchandise. Last summer, Jack saw the opportunity to use his entrepreneurial spirit and turn his idea into a reality. Funding the project himself, he launched www.PubGearUSA.com in February 2014 with a small handful of brewers who agreed to work with him. Because the idea was unique to the craft beer industry it took a little patience and perseverance to get brewers to warm up to the concept. Those working with him have been extremely appreciative
that this service exists, freeing them from stopping production and day to day brewery duties to package and ship a T-shirt or Pint Glass. The business is definitely starting to catch on. The site currently carries approximately 30 breweries gear and will reach 50 by year's end. Additionally, he has recently expanded his service to beer event producers such as Boston beer event company;
Screen shot fromAssociation PubGear USA Photos © Brewers
info@pubgearusa.com
PubGear USA offers flight boards made of reclaimed lumber from the Boston Harbor
“Drink Craft Beer” which recently won Boston Magazine’s Best of Boston® 2014 – Best Booze Fest. This new channel opens PubGearUSA to tens of thousands of their followers and is certain to make a huge impact on the business. Jack is also adding some custom craft beer apparel designer’s products and some unique products that he made himself. An avid woodworker, he recently secured a limited supply of re-claimed wood from the Boston Harbor and fashioned them into one-of-a-kind beer flights. There will only be a limited number available due to the scarcity of the wood so he expects to sell out, well before the holiday season. The company’s moto: “Celebrating What Brings Us Together” is really the spirit behind the business. Ultimately, it’s about making new friends and sharing experiences with the people we care about while enjoying a great glass of craft beer! PubGearUSA is always looking to add new brewers who seek a cost effective way to increase their brand awareness. If you would like to learn more about PubGearUSA, drop Jack a note .Whether you’re a brewer, distiller, venue owner or a craft enthusiast he’ll be delighted to hear from you. 33
Sip and Spin A monthly pairing of our favorite records with our favorite Michigan Craft Brews. by Mike Ross
Sip & Spin #4 By Mike Ross Must Musings, s/t, 2010 Abundance Records paired with Sacred Cow IPA by Arbor Brewing Company, Ypsilanti The best music, much like the finer beverages, offer not so much a sensory experience as a transportational one. To combine the two? Outtasite. Must Musings is a mysterious record. Sure, some of the names on the credit sheet may be familiar to anyone following the
that truly sets the mind to wandering. Arbor Brewing Company’s Sacred Cow IPA, too, leads the psyche through a multitude of sensations. Sour, bitter, mellow … all are to be found along the journey. Be sure to
Psychedelic guitar. Whimsically (heavy?) poetry. Mansongirls-esque backing vocals, “bomp bomp bomp, ba-babomp…” Heaviness wading through the leaves of Autumn, lightness as you kick up a feather.
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Detroit (Redford? Livonia?) music scene, but nevertheless this is a record in which the whole equals greater the sum of the parts. Instruments both exotic (sitar, tabla, harp) and those by now considered traditional (guitar, drums, bass) intertwine to weave a psychedelic carpet which may, at turns, whisk the listener off to 1566, 1968, 2030 or 2010. It’s the female voice here though
breathe deep through the nostrils while you let the ale cross your lips and flow over your tongue on its way to the back of your mouth. Maybe from here we can let the Must Musings liner notes take over: “Being once set a-rolling I continued rolling as I
felt an inward push and pleasure…” It applies, really, to both the music and the Sacred Cow. An inward push and pleasure. Psychedelic guitar. Whimsically (heavy?) poetry. Manson-girlsesque backing vocals, “bomp bomp bomp, baba-bomp…” Heaviness wading through the leaves of Autumn, lightness as you kick up a feather. Bitter in the front, mellow in the back. Better by the end, even; be sure to decant it. And if you can get your hands on this record, by all means put in on. As you’re pouring the second.
Theatre Bizzare Preview Gala 2014 Photo by: Brian Rozman