Oktoberfest Dinner & Brew Cruise on MI Princess

For the second year in a row, over twenty Grand Rapids area breweries are teaming up with Friends of Grand Rapids Parks to raise money for their Urban Forest Project, an initiative to maximize the tree canopy in all parts of the city.

While previous Beer City collaborations have found me travelling to a dozen or more breweries in one week, this current challenge brought multiple breweries to single convenient locations over several weeks. This time the theme was bourbon barrel-aged beers, with numerous breweries offering up their best barrel-aged releases for the challenge. Harmony Brewing Company hosted the first week, with Hopcat, and the B.O.B.’s Brewery hosting subsequent weeks.

Motor City Brew Tours is gaining quite the following in the Detroit Area. Now that they have the Detroit market locked down, they have decided to start branching out to other areas of the state. A couple weeks ago Motor City Brew Tours or Michigan Brew Tours (as they call themselves when they operate tours outside of the Greater Detroit Area) hosted a bus tour in Grand Rapids. On this tour we visited The Hideout, Perrin Brewing Co., and Rockford Brewing. Paul and I were excited about this tour because we haven't done one of Motor City's tours in a while, and we had never visited Perrin Brewing before.

When it comes to Beer Class season, people often ask me how it got started, and who is putting it on.

We're in the last two days of voting for Beer City this year, and there's no better time to cast your vote! Now is the time! Remember, you can vote once a day on each web-capable device you own.

There is no question 2012 was great year for Grand Rapids and beer. A record number of brewery openings included Eastown’s Harmony, Mitten Brewing, and Grand Rapids Brewing Company as well as both Pike 51 and White Flame in Hudsonville, Perrin in Comstock Park and Rockford Brewing Company. Additionally Grand Rapid’s most successful brewery Founders celebrated their 15-year anniversary in style which included the release of their 15% Bolt Cutter Barleywine. But perhaps the defining moment in 2012 was the nomination and securing of the title Beer City USA in a tied vote along with previous year victors Asheville, North Carolina.

When the Grand Rapids Society of Beers announced their latest collaborative beer among local breweries would be a series of Imperial-strength brews to debut during Grand Rapids Beer Week, I knew I was due for another brewery tour. Dubbed the Beer City Grand Series, this collaboration was similar to last Grand Pumpkin release last fall, with each participating brewery offering up their own recipe with a common theme, and this time the theme was to brew some of the biggest and strongest beers the breweries have to offer.

On October 13th, the Grand Rapids Public Museum officially opened a fabulous and unique exhibit called “Thank You, BEER”. Mostly focusing on Michigan brewing, especially the Grand Rapids area, “Thank You, BEER” is collection of items and stories that show just how much beer has done for the West Michigan area. Even to those already knowing a lot of the history of beer in this area will be pleasantly surprised as to what this exhibit has to offer.

Hideout Brewing Company was my first stop on my list to try the new Beer City Pale ale, as their brewmaster Wob is a ringleader of sorts for this new Grand Rapids collaborative brew. The hoppy new beer was an immediate hit among my friends and I, and the focus of many conversations overheard throughout the well attended brewhouse - the Michigan hops being a key factor for many, like myself, who prefer to keep things fresh and local.

Grand Rapids has yet another reason to toast the town. Ten area breweries have teamed to create Beer City Pale Ale, a new craft beer produced in celebration of both the city's newest title and Craft Beer Month beginning July 1.