Weekend/Day Adventures: Hop Cat Hoptoberfest

I had known about this festival for several weeks prior to the event date, but was unsure whether or not New Holland was attending. Late in the week preceding the event, Eamon let me know that we were indeed entered in the fest. Here goes round 4 of festival season:

Friday 9/14/12:

The Scoby/mother

Rewind a bit just to include some cool stuff: I spent part of the day tasting through some barrels in the warehouse to decide what will making it to the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FOBAB). The latter half of the day was spent kegging my first creation at the pub, and New Hollands first ever, Kombucha! After work I hit the roads for an 8 mile warm-up and then the track for 3 x mile, avg 5:03 for all of them. With 13 miles in for the day, I was ready for some beer. 

Deciding which bottle was Charkoota/Dragons Milk

The plan was to meet Eamon at 8th St. for the Short's tap take-over, but with the bar being overly crowded, we ultimately decided to skip that and head immediately to Grand Rapids. There, we and picked up Dave, made a few more stops and then headed to the Hideout for their multi-tap release. The event entailed beers ranging from: Sour-cayenne stouts, to harvest hop and Michigan based Octoberfests. Still, I found myself enjoying their mainstays over all else. Spending several hours there eventually got the best of us and we decided to make our way back. Again, thanks to Teresa for hooking us up!

Saturday 9/15/12:

Where to begin...

Woke up. Ran 5 miles. Fed the miles.

THEN, the drinking begins.

Poet is a Smoked beer???

I had yet to experience the famous Logan's Ally, that I hear so much about. Apparently they cater to a lot of 3rd shift workers, and conveniently make their "Happy Hour" from 7AM-11AM! We took full advantage of this and made a quick pit-stop to peruse the menu. We eventually split (ironically) New Belgiums Hoptoberfest. Delicious.

Our Crew

We made it to the Festival around 11:05 for set-up. Our beer was already fully hooked up and ready to

 pour. The line-up consisted of Hatter, Poet and Ichabod, with a Firkin of Poet under the table. We set up the banner, decorated the table and distributed what swag we had been provided by the events crew. Interestingly, the kegs were not on ice, but were perhaps chilled enough to hold some temperature throughout the day. The tap boxes were coils and stocked with ice, so fortunately that was enough, it seemed, to ensure an adequate serving temperature. I did manage to get one of our kegs into the Founder's ice bins for some extra chill. Thanks guys.

We met our volunteers/pourers, and I walked them through a quick tasting to get acquainted with our beers. 

The festival started at 12.

It seemed that the first two hours consisted of a trickle of people, but gradually picked up after that. By the start, Jack had joined us and we perused the booths discusssing and tasting a wide variety of Michigan breweries (The festival was exclusively Michigan, FYI). I've found that attending these festivals are great opportunities to meet local brewers, sales reps, and brewery owners, as well as a chance to learn a great deal of all facets of the industry. 

Hop Cat Bean Wrap

For the 12 hours we were there, time did in fact go pretty quickly. 

Midday, around 3:30 we decided it was probably best to eat something. Taking a break from our festivities, I got an opportunity to taste some of the food at Hop Cat. I ordered their bean burrito spinach rap. Not bad, and it was also the first time I actually ate fries in as long as I can remember. After lunch, we went right back to it. Much of the rest was pretty consistent with what we normally do at most fests. Meet people, talk beer and New Holland, and have a good time. And, because we've been attending so many festivals lately, we're getting to see some pretty familiar faces. Shout out to Chaz, brewer at Schmohz.  And Zara, whom we met at the Mitten Bar at the Ludington beer fest. Also, thanks Kaitlin for the beer.

The man on stilts

The end of the night resulted in a dropped growler of some high end beer. Nice work, Eamon.

And we finally wound up getting dinner at Brewery Vivant. This was the first time I had a chance to try their food, and it was pretty damn good. I ordered the Vivant Burger, which Jack claims to be the best in Grand Rapids. I know, you're saying - "Tim, YOU ate a burger?" Yeah, I figured if I was going to have one, what better place to do it than somewhere that really puts work into their food. Still, I think prior to that night, I hadn't had a burger since....Junior/Senior year of college? Anyway, it was great. Eamon got the Duck Confeit  Nachos and a beer he probably didn't need. I had limited my drink consumption for a couple hours, so I DD'd it home for the night.. 

What a day.

Sunday 9/16/12:

I had been thinking about jumping in to bandit the Credit Union Bridge run 10 miler this morning, but that wasn't going to happen.

Over the night I realized I hadn't had much water, so I ended up consuming several pints of water. Woke up feeling pretty good, except for the normal creakiness that comes from running so much. Anyway, the Hop Cat was hosting a brunch for the attendees of the festival, which guaranteed breakfast and coffee/OJ with the presentation of your ticket or badge. We decided to get our running in and ran to the event. With 5 miles under the belt, I was pretty hungry when I arrived. To be honest, though, the food was to be expected when you're catering for 2,000 some people, and not very conducive to someone who, up until Saturday night is rather health conscious and vegetarian. but props to them for going the extra mile!

The plan with brunch was they were to open at 10 and start pouring the left over beer at 12. We were too early to wait around so...hit the roads for more miles and more beer. The next destination was Logan's Ally again. We ordered the Short's Stout and Finch's Threadless IPA.

Logan's Ally

The final stop on our brewery/bar run led us to Harmony Brewery, and a worth while stop indeed. They had just opened their doors and were in the process of doing a photo shoot for the November Grand Rapids Magazine issue. We sat at the end of the bar and ordered some beer as the Adam (the photographer) did shots of Heather (the bartender) pouring pints/samplers and mix drinks. To our luck, the drinks headed our way! I have very little experience drinking mixed drinks, in fact my first one was only a couple weeks ago at the pub. Man, they tasted good! If I knew the names of them I'd tell you, but I'm at a loss. One was chocolate and patron infused and coagulated a bit if it went untouched for several minutes. Another was, from what I can best describe, a Grapefruit Mojito? and a few others.

And, better yet, we got some good photos too, with the chance of being in that issue too!

We also had the chance to talk beer and barrels with Heather (co-owner) and perhaps the chance of getting Harmony a New Holland barrel for some collaboration?

After that, and with 12 miles under my belt, we headed back to Eamon's house, and I got a ride back to Holland.

What a weekend. Until next time,

Cheers!

Weekend/day Beer Adventures: Grand Rapids, MI

The Mural outside Pyramid Scheme

This past weekend, as some may know, I biked to Grand Rapids. Since moving to Holland, I have already made the trips to Grand Haven (22) Saugatuck (17) and Hudsonville (14) but had yet to really experience the night life in GR. Jen and I had made a quick trip out there to check out some of the brewing scene, but I wanted something more thorough. Eamon had offered to show me around and provide some housing during the trip, which would work out perfectly. So, following work on Friday (6/22/12), I dropped my pay case of at home and rounded up some stuff (i.e. running shoes, shirt, wallet, camera and hammock - just incase) and headed out. It was pretty hot out and I didn't bring any water. Therefore, I hit up the halfway mark at White Flame in Hudsonville for a quick pint. I had heard they had recently tapped a new hopped wheat, and for every pint a dollar went to breast cancer research fund. It was worth it. Drinking for a good cause, what's better? While there, several publicans heard I was making the trip and they started telling me of all these different routes I could take - only to confuse me more. I will one day, but the objective here was at least to GET to Grand Rapids. I settled up and hit the road.

Friday (6/22/12):
Grandville was a bit dodgy, but to my surprise, after speeding down a hill on Grandville Ave, I found myself in front of Founder's Brewing Co! I gave Eamon a call and we figured we could meet at Harmony Brewing Company as I had been there before and I relatively knew the general direction from where I was. I arrived an ordered a pint of the Cranberry Wheat (See the rest of my visit at Harmony).

BOB Spotting

Following Harmony, the decision was made to check out the Pyramid Scheme, of which was one of Eamons favorite wattering holes in the GR area. He had told me that they had a special connection with Short's Brewing Company and therefore was fruitful with their taps. Traveling by bike, we hit the down hill and made it there in a matter of minutes. The atmosphere of PS reminded me a bit like Three Floyds, but with a theme of Dynosaurs and Pyramids. Very colorful, but dimly lit. They had an arcade room and an open front that reminded me a lot of bars in Australia. We sat at a high table and ordered some beer. The taps certainly were over run with Short's. We split a pint of the Mustard Seed Pilsner - which carried the must common to the ground seed, but with a pleasant sweetness and the common bite in the finish from noble hops. And a basic session ale (the drink of the night predominantly revolved around session ales, as we were hitting quite a few bars). We had been in contact with Jack (the newest member at New Holland before me), so he arrived and we drank one more while contemplating our next stop. Decision landed on the B.O.B. as long as they didn't have cover, which they did. We finally decided on checking out Brewery Vivant, where we would meet up with Jack's Wife. With crumby bikes, we staggered back up the hill towards Eastown. Arriving we found a table right on the patio and ordered drinks. I got the Hefe, and I'm unsure what everyone else got, by then I was beginning to feel the taxation of the biking and beer. We stayed at Vivant for quite some time. When we were nearly finished with our drinks we were welcomed to get a brief tour of the facility. It was pretty cool, especially with the familiar C.A.S.K canning system. (Brewery Review coming soon). We settled up (Thanks Vivant for the discount!). By now, I was pretty buzzed and exhausted, but Eamon demanded we go to the Green Well, across the street. We ordered a sampler (which I don't remember of what) and closed the place out, By then it was around 12:00pm and we biked back to his house.
Saturday (6/23/12):
Today was Founder's fest. We figured most beer lovers would be there and the other local breweries would be empty. Right we were. I woke up around 7:30 and downed some tea. Since I brought my running shoes, I wanted to hit some roads for a quick run. We mapped out a 5 mile loop. Eamon runs a lot (70+ mpw), and he's in good shape, except he runs at 8-9 min/mile. Even for not running in a while (foot injury) I don't think I could do that. So we planned on clicking off some 7's, which, while still taxing, were manageable. Did that 5 in 34 minutes, nothing special, but Eamon said that was a pr. Haha. Following the run we ate some beans and headed out to check out Schmohz (See the rest of my visit to Schmohz).
We left and stopped to recover a bit at Eamons house. The next stop was the Hideout Brewery, which we planned on biking to because it was a bit more bike friendly to get there than Schmohz. Nevertheless to my surprise, the hills were a bitch! but the reward was worth it. (see the rest of my visit to the Hideout)
After leaving the Hideout, we headed a different route back, intended to be along the river. Prior to that however, we stopped at a small grocery store that boasted a very large beer selection. I found a bottle of Bear Republic's (my favorite brewery) 27th Anniversary Ale. I also bought some organic spinach and basil seeds and a bag of local tortilla chips to curb the plummeting blood sugar hunger from all the beer.
We headed a bit further down the road and stopped at Graden's Crossing, another beer bar that has an enormous selection (including Hatter on Cask) and locally sourced food. We split a 12 Oz tall can of Resin by Blue Point Brewing Company in New York.
Following that stop we biked all the way back to the B.O.B and Pyramid Scheme to check for Eamon's keys (he had lost them the night before, only to realize they were gone this morning), so back tracking commenced. No luck there. We then made a quick stop at Meanwhile, where Eamon said a couple friends were them. I wanted to check out the Eastown street fest so we split ways an I headed back to Harmony. To my dismay, the street fest was over, but it gave me an opportunity to try Harmony's pizza, which looked exquisite. Minutes later Eamon, Matt and Dave arrived and we sat at a booth for some pints. Eamon's dad arrived and told us to head down to a sports bar down the street where all the older folk were drinking. We did, and stayed there for a couple hours. I thought it was in my best interest to drink water after the long day, and it definitely payed off in the morning. After that, we headed back to Eamon's house and I was passed out by 10pm.
The next morning was chill. Woke up. Downed some tea. watched Dogs 101 and was on the road by 11:45.
The ride home was arduous and long, but I made it back an hour and 45 minutes later (took me 80 minutes to get to GR from Holland).
Well, that was my weekend in Grand Rapids. Thanks to Eamon and his parents for housing me and to all the breweries that made the experience worth our while. Stay tuned for next weekend.
Cheers!

Brewery Review: Harmony Brewing Company - Grand Rapids, MI

This was the first brewery stop I made as I got into Grand Rapids Friday evening. I called Eamon and we arranged to meet here to mark the start of the weekends brewery festivities. I had been here once before with Jen during her visit a couple weekends ago, but didn't have the chance to get a thorough experience. To start off, this is one of my favorite breweries I've been to this far since moving to Michigan over two months ago. But, lets examine the beers first:



Cranberry Wheat: Holding true to its expected color with a bright tinge of pink/red. Little head but still holding a ring around the glass. Carbonation remains to a minimum, similar with clarity. Fruity, tangy, crisp and tart. Everything I could ask for after a 27 mile bike ride. Biting carbonation.
Ale-Ian abduction: Black and extremely opaque. A brown ring caresses the glass. Rich roast and chocolate in the aroma. Seriously! The flavor has more of an astringent acidity, but gives you both of the elements of hops and roast you would expect, just to the extreme. Smells like a stout but bites like a bitter IPA. Interesting.
Black Squirrel: Dark with a brown milky hue around the edges. High turgidity. Strong roast at the front and finishes earthy, smoked and dry. Neutral bitterness, but quite strong. I dig the cloudiness it maintains, even as a dark beer.  Funny this is 4.4 alcohol, one would expect more.

Cranberry Wheat

Fiddlesticks IPA: Light golden in color. Cloudy. A long drawn bitterness throughout. Sweet honey and pine bitterness. Grapefruit kick and a pineapple spritz to it. End is run by tropical fruit complexities and a dry bitterness.
Heather beast: Deep cloudy opacity. Interesting spicy flavor of earth and floral undertones. No head. Nice caramel biscuit malt base. Some vegetal flavor with a peppery twist. Dry finish.

Black Squirrel

Grapefruit moon shandy: The Fiddlesticks IPA mixed with grapefruit juice. Citrusy, tangy, light and very refreshing.

Favorites:
1) FiddleSticks IPA - rich foresweetness and balanced with a grapefruit pine based bitterness
2) Ale-ian Abduction - brewed as a stout, hopped like an IPA. You get all the girth in the body and flavor from chocolate to roast, but with a rather strong bite of bitterness
3) Cranberry Wheat - Holding its color. Saving me from thirst deprivation.


The Brewery experience:
Harmony Brewing Company is the newest addition to the Grand Rapids brewing community. They are located on Lake Drive in Eastown, just across the street from Gojo's Ethiopian. My first experience with this place was just after Jen and I had eaten at the nearby Pita House, only to drive a few blocks down to find Harmony, not only serving good beer, but also concocting Wood Fire Pizza! That first visit was fortunately not as crowded as the following, so we were briefly able to check out their (5 barrel?) brew house and fermentation room.
Back to the present...
I arrived thirsty and dehydrated and was able to taste several beers prior to deciding on my first pint. The Cranberry wheat suited my overly parched palate the best. Eamon got there and ordered the Ale-ian abduction black IPA and I got one last pint of their Black Squirrel as we contemplated our next destination.
The Brewery:
The brewery itself has a simplistic front with aluminum and wood plating and an outside deck that has yet to be decided on its purpose. Upon entry, you are greeted with a small cedar looking bar with enough seating for maybe (just maybe) eight people. The bar has a single tap tower with oddly shaped bulbous wooden handles. The back bar holds a large mirror with what looks to be a wooden door behind it. The place also has a mediocre assortment of liquor for mix drinks and other alcoholic beverages (just their own beer though). There are three large six person booth's that line the front wall as well as several high top tables throughout the front room. I never did get a chance to experience the back room, but at a distance it seemed more dimly lit and quiet. The menu consists of a large chalk board that is visible to all in the room, as the same is written on one for the back room too. Beer-gharitas and beer based mix drinks take a side bar on the chalkboard, as well as a few wines. Below, a collection of posters/labels accumulate representing past beers that have been specially tapped at the brewery. I though that the overall theme with all of them came off looking very similar to garage band posters. The beer selection covers all the bases for the most part, as seen above, but they also incorporate several experimentals. The first time I was there they had a green tea beer on tap, while this time they had made an ancient interpretation of a Heather Ale. Pricing is typical with all pints standing at $4 and pitchers at $12. Sundays are brewery specials with pints only $3! The staff was very attentive and knowledgeable on the beer. There wasn't a moment where I suffered from a near empty glass without being asked if I wanted another one. Our final visit followed a long bike ride from the Hideout on the Northeast side of Grand Rapids. I arrived alone while Eamon was visiting a friend at another local pub. I ordered a Fiddlesticks IPA and a pizza (the good earth) with caramelized onions, mushrooms, spinach, balsamic and a variety of cheese (perhaps the folks at Harmony can help me out with this?). It was devoured in 5 minutes. I know, I eat fast, but every moment was savored (with speed). After that, Eamon, and his friends Dave and Matt arrived. We briefly sat at the booth and contemplated our next stop.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge that Harmony represents the pinnacle of the perfect micro/nano brewery. They appeal to the local community as a great watering hole as well as a supply of grub paralleled by few. This trip made me feel like East town would be my ideal living location if it wasn't for the distance to work.
I would like to also note that I have had my fair share of pizza. The best being from Australia. Closing in on a close second comes from Three Floyd's and matching them in a tie, Harmony Brewing Company. Keep up the good work guys, you'll go far!
Check them out:
Harmony Brewing Co.