Beer in the News

If it's on NPR, then it must be so.
Changing Tastes

I've been seeing other articles like this popping up in the news.  People are catching on!

Kalamazoo Area Breweries

First and foremost: Bell's Brewery!

So it's worth noting that Bell's is no longer a microbrewery and it's no longer brewed in Kalamazoo.  It is actually brewed and bottled in Galesburg (about 15 miles west of Kalamazoo).  However, Bell's Eccentric Cafe is still in Kalamazoo, and is actually expanding.  I heart Bell's (but Jeff sees Bell's as a definite second compared to Founders...more on that later).  I like that it's kinda funky.  The entrance is in back, it's all wooden and old inside, I pretty much never get carded, and you see all types at Bell's.  The ONLY downside in my mind is their CASH only policy (if you forget this policy, they have an ATM conveniently located inside - just be wary of the fees) - oh yeah, and you have to drink out of plastic cups if you go in the beergarten.  Anyways, despite Bell's no longer being a microbrewery, the Eccentric Cafe often features small batches that you can only try at the Cafe.  In fact, the last few times I've been there, their staples like Amber and Two Hearted (IPA) have been conspicuously absent from the menu.  But I kind of like that.  I mean, you can get those on draft at a lot of bars in West Michigan (and beyond for that matter).  I'd rather try something unique.  We went there after K College's graduation on June 12th and I had a special Wheat brew (tasted like a hefeweizen) and Jeff had their Double IPA (I think that's what it was called), which wasn't quite as in your face as their Hopslam (which is their Imperial IPA), but still one heck of a strong, hoppy ale.  Bell's also has food - yummy sandwiches and assorted appetizers.  I'm glad their renovating because it's a popular place and lacking some seating, so be prepared to stand if you go during, say, happy hour time.

Bilbo's Pizza and Brewing:

While Bilbo's is a brewery, and their beer isn't awful, it is a pizza joint.  And their pizza is damn tasty.  I recommend the deep dish (probably because its the only kind I've had).  Anyways, located close to Western, it's a hang out for students as well as local families.  Plenty of tables available, pool tables and video games for entertainment, pizza and beer.  The owners are obvious fans of J.R.R. Tolkien (that suspicion confirmed by our friend Todd, who worked their in high school), which has nothing to do with pizza and beer, but whatever.  Their beer list is ok, but they are always out of like half their beers at a given time, which is a big minus in my book.  And none of the beers that we've tried have been particularly memorable.  But I could go for a big piece of that pizza right now...

Olde Peninsula Brewpub

Jeff actually had the audacity to say to me that he might prefer to go to OP over Bell's.  What?!  No comparison.  BUT - he then said, beer not withstanding, there's seating at OP, they take credit cards, and they have a better menu.  That's because they're a restaurant/brewery.  Very family friendly - lots of food on the menu.  We're not talking gourmet food here, just your basic little bit of everything kind of menu.  Their  beer is fine - their rootbeer is great!  Every once in a while their seasonal beer will be surprisingly tasty (like the chocolate stout last winter).  Parking can a bit of a pain though, since it's on this weird corner right downtown.  And actually, you could go to both Bell's and OP to compare for yourself since they're within walking distance of each other.

Arcadia Brewing Company (Battle Creek)

It's been quite a while since I've actually been to Arcadia.  What I remember of the actual brewpub is that it's in downtown Battle Creek (you know, Kellogg's, Cereal City) which is about 25 miles east of Kalamazoo.  I know they've got a decent bar menu.  And the beers are pretty darn tasty.  Even though we haven't been to Arcadia in some time, we've been drinking Arcadia quite a bit recently.  They have a variety twelve pack that comes with their Pale, IPA and Wheat plus either their anniversary Rye or their double IPA.  They're good strong beers.  The Whitsun is an American wheat - crisp, slightly sweet, a tad citrusy.  The Pale, IPA, and Double IPA all have nice hoppiness.  I really like the Rye.  It's nice and hoppy, but the rye makes it, I don't know how to describe it, a little less floral.  It's not sharper but it's got a bit of a bite.  Anyways, if you live in Michigan, pick yourself up a twelve pack at Meijer - it's quite frequently on price drop.  You won't be disappointed.  And they've just redone all their packaging and I really like their labels.  :)

Brasserie du Montreal

Who knew that Montreal had such great breweries.  And here I thought the French only cared about wine!  Not so for the French Canadians!  It must be the Irish influence (did you know that the Irish are the second largest heritage in Quebec?).

Here are our reviews, in order of preference:

Brasserie Benelux:

It's downtown, but barely.  We passed it on our LONG walk on Monday, and then walked BACK on Monday after a lot more walking.  It's at the base of a highrise apartment complex, and walking inside, it feels very urban/industrial, with grey walls, exposed ducts and metal.  They had about 12 beers on their list of all different types.  Jeff tried the IPA, which was lightly fruity, and hoppy at the back of the tongue.  I had the Weizen, which was light, crisp, slightly banana-y.  We were VERY pleasantly surprised.  Then Jeff tried the Brown - nice and nutty, not TOO malty.  I had their saison blond which was delicious: like a cross between a Weizen and an IPA. 

Brasserie Dieu du Ciel:

Located on a neighborhood corner in Plateau Mont Royal, it's very unassuming from the outside.  Inside, it was warm and inviting, like a coffee shop.  They had an extensive list (16 house brews, plus a few others on tap), with several standards and a few that were a little unique.  Jeff tried the American IPA - it was amber in color, with a strong, bitter hop flavor.  I tried their Coffee Stout - it was dark and creamy, with a very strong, but not overly bitter, coffee flavor.  We would have tried more, but both of us were in desperate need of a nap - see how tired I look?

Reservoir Brasserie artisonal e Bistro:

Just a short jaunt from Schwartz's, a delicious Hebrew deli featuring traditional Quebecois smoked meat sandwiches, was Reservoir.  It had a small, funky interior, like a coffee shop.  We sat at the bar and got a view of the kitchen, which was cooking up some yummy looking food.  Too bad we were so full of smoked meat!  They had 6 beers available - Jeff had the IPA and I had the Weizen (shocking, I know, but it's our opinion that you have to try the same kind of beer each place for an even comparison.  Once you've compared, then you can sample others!).  The IPA was both bitter and sweet.  The Weizen was very crisp and clean - looked filtered.  Nice mellow flavor.

Brutopia:
This was the first place we visited in Montreal.  It's on the east side of Crescent Street, which has TONS of bars and restaurants and is a bit of a scene.  Well, Brutopia was the opposite of a scene, which is why it was so appealing.  VERY laid back - small, dark interior, several decks.  We drank and ate on a small deck out back.  Their menu features slightly gourmet bar food - Jeff had quesadillas, I had a chevre and pesto sandwich.  Jeff tried a Brown and and IPA, while I had their Honey Brown - a cross between the Brown and the Honey - followed by the Stout.  The Brown, IPA and Honey were kind of sweet - which you would expect from the Honey, but not the plain Brown, or really even the IPA.  The stout was tasty - dark, malty, slightly bitter.  By far the best that we tried at Brutopia, but not the best we've ever tried.

Les 3 Brasseurs:
A chain brewery, with several locations around Montreal.  It was ok.  Only a few beer options - the one Jeff wanted was out.  We had an Amber and a Blonde.  The Blonde was better than expected.  The Amber was about as expected - mild, light.  The menu looked like something you'd see at any chain restaurant in America.   

Yes - we did other things besides drink beer on our trip.  Went to the Musee du Beaux-Arts and the Biodome.  Saw Old Montreal and a LOT of downtown.  Ate at some good restaurants.  Did a LITTLE shopping (though not much, since much of our money went towards BEER).  Generally had a great time celebrating 5 years of a very happy marriage!

Trip to Montreal Day 1

Today, Jeff and I set out for Montreal.  Well, today we headed to Buffalo via Niagara Falls, Ontario.  Naturally, we stopped at 2 breweries along the way. 

Pepperwood Bistro, Burlington, Ontario.
We each had one beer.  They had a pretty decent beer list - a variety of Canadian brews that weren't Molson or Labatt.  We had to try the home brew.  I had a Pale Ale (since my first choice, their monthly special, Maple Porter, was all out).  It was fine.  Not great.  A little hoppy.  Not overly so.  A little too sweet.  Jeff had the brown ale.  Again, a little too sweet.  Have you ever noticed that some breweries' beers have a similar flavor, even though they shouldn't?  I have a feeling that this was the case for Pepperwood Bistro.  I bet the food was pretty good, and it seemed they had a decent wine list as well.  And it was over-priced (even for Canada) as it was downtown, across from Lake Ontario. 

Buffalo Brewpub, Williamsville, NY
It dawned on us this afternoon that we could eat Buffalo wings in Buffalo, NY (well, next to Buffalo, NY).  So that's what we did.  We had already scoped out Buffalo Brewpub, and when we saw wings as a menu highlight, that sealed the deal.  The place was just what we expected - low key, home town, casual, and tasty (but nothing even remotely healthy on the menu).  The kind of place where you seat yourself and can grab popcorn and peanuts yourself.  They had just a few home brews, but all in all, there were about 20 beers (mostly from NY and surrounding area) on tap.  I had the Weisse.  It was good!  Not the BEST I've had, but very tasty.  Amber in color, some hints of banana and lemon.  Tasty!  Jeff had the Amber, which was good - pretty mild, lightly malty.  Then he had the Saranac Imperial IPA from Utica, NY and Southern Tier IPA from Lakewood, NY.  Oh yeah, and we had WINGS!!!!  They were big, meaty wings, with lots of butter and sauce.  They could have been hotter - they medium was NOT spicy.  But they were tasty.  And oh so filling. 

We're looking forward to what tomorrow brings as we make our way to Montreal!

How do you say "beer" in French?

Jeff and I are headed to Montreal next week for our five year anniversary.  We wanted to take a roadtrip.  Not too far, but kind of far.  Some place neither of us have been.  Voila - Montreal!!  Plus, Jeff has a strange obsession with Canada.  Not necessarily French Canada, but that's where we're headed all the same.  We will of course be visiting a brewery or two while we're there.  Apparently we're just under a kilometer from the "best" one.  (side note: kilometers!  yikes!  Need to think about my metric conversions).  Along the way we'll be stopping in Niagara Falls and Buffalo, NY (and of course grabbing a beer).  We'll be bringing our computer and perhaps even posting from the road!

Any other suggestions of things to do?  I've been researching museums, and Jeff's been looking into restaurants.