Oktoberfest Dinner & Brew Cruise on MI Princess

On May 9 and 10, Bell’s Brewery, Inc. will be one of 76 small and independent craft breweries represented at SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience. Presented by the Brewers Association and in its seventh year, SAVOR is the premier beer and food pairing event in the U.S.

I made the rounds in Muskegon again this year checking out Oberon wherever to be found as fresh as can be for the week following this year’s release. Buffalo Wild Wings once again tapped Oberon at midnight laying claim as one if not the first in town for those willing to stay up late on the Sunday preceding the wide release. Handsome Henry’s was close on their heels for a tapping early the next day.

Kalamazoo gave Grand Rapids a run for the money for this year’s highly contested title of Beer City USA, and now Bell’s, Michigan’s #1 largest brewery has an official presence in the Beer City itself.

Reno's East will be holding a Tap Takeover featuring the delicious beers of Bell's Brewery this Saturday at 6:00 PM. Included will be a few of their mainstays, their full lineup of winter beers, and a few very special, limited release beers which will be tapped at specific times throughout the night. Here is the full list of what will available and when:

The fourth annual Detroit Beer Week is currently underway. This event is aimed at celebrating the great city of Detroit in a positive way by bringing people together through beer and good food. It's also a great chance for people to experience some of the unique bars and restaurants throughout the city and to grow awareness & appreciation for these local businesses. This year will be similar to the rest in that it will be chock full of fun events, and the World Series coming to The D is certainly an added bonus!

Bell's new 200-barrel brewhouse will officially open to the public this weekend. Free, guided tours will be offered on Saturdays at 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Self guided tours will also be offered beginning October 9. Everyone is welcome to visit the brewing gallery from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. Tour Coordinator, Clay Karz will be available to answer questions.

Before I changed careers and became a teacher…before I moved to a college town…before I started following my religion again…September has always felt like the “new year” to me. The weather changes (sometimes drastically), people start buying new school clothes and there’s just a general feeling of settling into a new routine. Something else wonderful happens every fall: Oktoberfest beers start appearing at our favorite pubs!

Of course, everyone knows that Michigan Craft Beer is booming. However, Craft beer still has a long way to go to catch up to the “big guys.” Local independent booksellers are also struggling to keep up with the big guys, and perhaps this is why for the last couple of years or so, one such bookseller has made the move to latch on to the State’s growing beer and wine industry by offering alcoholic beverages for sale in their downtown Grand Rapids bookstore.

Bell’s Pale Ale is getting a facelift.While the label and the name are changing, the recipe will remain basically the same except for one small, yet very significant change.Midwestern Pale Ale will now be brewed with a small portion of barley from the Bell’s Farm in Shepherd, Michigan and will begin shipping in mid-October.“This is a relatively minor change to the recipe and people won’t notice anything different, however its part of a much larger picture,” said Laura Bell, Marketing Director for Bell’s Brewery, Inc.It’s a deeper connection to the land, to Michigan and its agricultural heritage and to the Midwest, Bell said.Barley from the Bell’s Farm is also used to brew two other beers – Christmas Ale and Harvest Ale (also made with Michigan grown hops).The new label features an original painting of the Bell’s Farm by Kalamazoo artist Conrad Kaufman.

Whiskey and Eggs sounds good ? The Rehab Brunch at Stella’s Lounge might just be your thing. Add in Tequila Sunrise Eggs and a Bloody Mary bar from noon until 1am every Sunday if you haven’t made up your mind yet. Chill out on some of Stella’s vintage arcade games and pinball machines (and throw some tunes on the jukebox) while you decide....