In today’s beer lingo, the words big and flavorful have taken a back seat to terms like intense, extreme, and the often used “imperial”. For over 250 years, one style, Russian Imperial Stout, has been living up to and often exceeding those descriptors. This big and dark beer started life in English breweries and evolved into a style that would allow it to survive the trip to Russia and the Baltic States. Early attempts to ship beer from England resulted in the receipt of spoiled beer by the Imperial Court of Russia. To deliver a drinkable product, brewers increased the amount of both alcohol and hops in the brew, both ingredients acted as preservatives. The recipients of this big rich brew were delighted to say the least. The isolationist tariffs that the Russian Government imposed in the 1820s applied to all imports, except stout. Now that is a testament to the love for this intense brew.

Craft beer enthusiasts are passionate about Michigan brews…and February is the perfect time to fall in love with rich, chocolately and fruity beers. As you head out with your sweetheart this year for Valentine’s Day, consider ordering up a pint of one of these deliciously romantic Michigan made libations. 

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I will share some insight into the history of the holiday, the history of chocolate and discuss some of Michigan’s of chocolate brews.

The once almost extinct style of Porter is alive and well in the State of Michigan. For the unfamiliar, Porter is a rich, malty, dark, and often roasted brew. This style evolved in England and became a favorite of the street and river porters of the city. Although the origin is somewhat cloudy and open to debate, it appears that porter evolved from the Brown Ales common in that day. Porter ushered in the industrial revolution and was the first beer to be made on a mass production basis. Porter gave birth to stout porter which eventually became known as stout and shortly after, porter fell out of favor. The style was later revived by American and English Micro-brewers and is quite common today.