What Michigan Beers Should I get?

I will shamelessly promote Short's and state that-

Freedom of '78, Superfluid, Hopstache, Publican Porter, Goodnight Bodacious, and Empress Catherine may all still be available, if searched for.

Kunhenn, Odd Side, and Vivant are also some of my local favorites.

 

You should have! I had it last week & it was phenomenal

 

Seriously whatever Short's beers he can grab will make you happy

 

It pretty much comes down to what styles that you like. Of the twenty or so Michigan breweries that bottle or can their beers the ones that have the best overall appreciation and are available in most beer stores are Arcadia, Bell's, Brewery Vivant (Belgian-inspired beers but too Belgiany and very good), Dark Horse, Dragonmead, Founders, Greenbush, Jolly Pumpkin (mostly wilds/funky beers), New Holland, Odd Side, Rochester Mills, Saugatuck, and Short's. If you like a variety of IPAs then Shorts stuff is where you need to look because that brewery has been knocking out one after another delicious beers in this style.

Since you have asked your friend to get some KBS and Black Note, all I'll say to that is 'good luck.' Black Note is sold out at the brewery (and generally not distributed in bottles), and KBS will be very limited on April 1st when it is released.

 

Coming to Grand Rapids tomorrow. Where is this BBQ? Do I really have no shot at all of finding a single bottle of BN or KBS all weekend? What about on draft? No worries if I can't as I will be on holiday anyway.

 

All still available in the GR area if you look hard enough.

 

I was at a local GR beer store this evening and the owner asked me if I was interested in black note cuz he had some behind the counter. I of course said YES! Major unexpected score!

 

Kuhnhenn is over there? I highly doubt you find anything...but who knows

 

Kuhnhenn practices a very odd but very Kuhnhenning distribution practice over here. Grand Rapids will see some bottles, but nowhere else really. From what I have been told by a few of the stores is that they never know what they might get or when it may come. To be honest, the bottles you may find probably are not going to be too exciting, 4D is probably the best you can hope for if you are lucky. I personally just hope to see the occasional keg at a local bar.

 

the current vivant brewers reserve beers: undertaker (dark sour), coq d'or (brett beer), la fume... (lightly smoked belgian something or another) are all f'n great. regret not keeping the full 4 packs to myself.

 

This has been my experience as well. In fact, the only place I've seen Kuhnhenn bottles in Grand Rapids was at International.

 

hope they have cans when I roll through on my way to Short's party next month.

 

I'm not sure about good bbq in Grand Rapids. Sandmann's use to be my bbq joint there but they closed up a year or two ago. The bbq joint I was referring to is called Meat and it is located in Lansing, MI. Unfortunately, good bbq is still difficult to find in Michigan. I know Arcadia Ales and Bell's serve some bbq at their brewpubs but I have never had them. I was just at Bell's on Wednesday and had their jambalaya. It was excellent and a good size portion for $9.

Just my humble opinion, there is next to zero chance to find any KBS around the GR area any more. It was distributed earlier this week and most places only sold one or two bottles at a time - and most of it was already reserved for patrons before it reached the stores. You would be very lucky to find it but it doesn't hurt to ask. You may have better luck with Black Note. It doesn't have a fraction of the buzz that KBS has and it was just distributed in the last few days in the area.

If you want to make sure you get some barrel aged, go to Perrin's and get the Malted Milk Ball Imperial Porter. You won't regret it.

 

Oddside and Shorts. Two of my favorite Michigan only beers.