Hey all - couple questions about craft breweries in MI. I'm going to start trading with a buddy there, and while I'm from MI & know breweries like Bells, Founders, and Shorts well - I'm a bit out of date on the latest & greatest there. The guy I'll be trading with is a bit of a newbie, so I'm hoping to get some info to feed along to him. -Aside from the those that I listed above, what breweries (and beers) should be on my radar? I'll have him looking out for IPA's, but also interested in stouts, sours, and anything else interesting/unique. -Do the MI breweries distribute in bombers? It's been a while since I've lived there, but don't recall seeing them as much as places like California & Colorado. Thanks!
There are a lot of small breweries that bottle but don't distribute (or barely distribute); Kuhnhenn and Greenbush are two great ones off the top of my head. Depending where he is in Michigan, there might be someplace awesome nearby. Most Michigan breweries don't really do larger bottles. There are of course exceptions (some New Holland stuff, Founders' backstage series, Bell's brewery-only 750s), but most Michigan beer is in 12oz bottles. It's one thing I really like about this state
@Bay01 Adrian in SE Michigan. There's a pretty decent liquor store in town that carries a lot of MI based brews - I think they get limited shipments of stuff like Hopslam & other special/seasonal releases. @abraxel Yeah, I'm cool w/ 12oz bottles as well - just makes it harder to even things out since San Diego is so Bomber-heavy. Thanks for the feedback thus far! Much appreciated.
Check out seekabrew.com for beers that he has access to and you don't. You should definitely have him get you some: -Dark Horse -Brooklyn -Bells -Founders -Great Lakes -Kuhnhenn -New Holland -Arcadia -Smuttynose -Southern Tier It's worth noting that many don't do bombers but you can find some from Brooklyn, New Holland, Smuttynose, and Southern Tier.
I would bribe him to go to the 4Elf party at Dark Horse and the Winter Solstice Party at Kuhnhenn. Also, send him to Jolly Pumpkin on the 22nd for some LaRoja Grand Reserve.
A buddy of mind in Detroit is friends with Eric Kuhnhenn. I've been there a few times, but at the time had no idea how awesome of a brewery it was. Definitely need to check out JP next time I'm home...
Look for anything from KBC, they come in copper color cans, good stuff. Also Brickside Brewery out of Copper Harbor is also distributing bottle/bombers soon and they are making some really good small batch beers in the U.P.
Brewery Vivant distributes their Belgian-inspired beers in 16 oz cans and all of them are very tasty.
Depending on where he lives in MI, quick trips to either OH or IN could yield some additional good brews like FFF, Schlafly, Troegs, BrewKettle and likely others that don't get to MI. I second Greenbush in a serious way. @KZoo: To my point, the Smutty is available in OH too!
Brickside is now sending out bombers of UP IPA, Walters Weissen, Park Bench Porter and the newest is Stone Ship Stout... All are solid. I
