Outside the Tap Lines: The Hideout

The following guest post is written by the one, the only, Joe “Carlos” Hinman.

Everyone knows that Michigan is one of the best beer states in the country. It’s a veritable beer Mecca. While there are plenty of must-see breweries spread throughout the state, enough to make for a week long trip, there’s a mostly unspoken way to experience Michigan beer: by sticking to one area and hitting the smaller places, the brewpubs and small production breweries that are popping up on an almost daily basis. Arguably the best place to do this is in Grand Rapids, which is not only home to Founders but also home to six other breweries and, opening soon, Michigan’s first co-op brewery. The one you should hit first (and several time after that) is The Hideout.

The Hideout is aptly named, tucked away in the northeast corner of the city near some apartment buildings and West Michigan’s Fox affiliate. Designed as a pre-prohibition local brewery, the atmosphere is a mix of neighborhood bar and ski lodge. I don’t think the second part is intentional but it’s always the vibe I’ve gotten, and I mean that in a very good way. It’s the type of bar you can go to on a Saturday and not have to shout over the noise all night. You’ll always find a seat and a drink, and maybe everyone will yell “Norm!” when you walk in.

The bar seats a good number of people and there are a handful of high tops on the first floor, all the seats usually occupied by the same people. Upstairs there are darts and shuffleboard, along with a big screen TV that’s usually playing anything but sports. Upstairs is also where they store grain for brewing, which I think is awesome. Out back is a beautiful patio and beer garden, along with a horseshoe pit. Horseshoes and beer is really a great combination, however dangerous it might turn out to be. There’s no kitchen but they do have free popcorn and a handful of snacks, and they also allow outside food. I recommend getting Mr. Pizza; it’s on the way to the brewery. The Hideout nails the neighborhood brewery aesthetic, from the décor to the service and, most importantly, to the beer.

Their setup is much like ours here at Greenbush in that it’s a large, labor-intensive version of a homebrew set-up. The 5-barrel brewing system is a mix of repurposed tanks and old school methods, and the fermentation is done in homemade 55 gallon containers. This, I imagine, is soon to be amped up (or maybe already has been), as a new owner plans to increase production like crazy. But the spirit will still remain and The Hideout will continue to turn out quality hand-crafted brews. Their size allows them to experiment as much as they feel like, so the menu always has something different to offer. My personal favorites, as far as staples go, are the hazelnut stout and the Oktoberfest. They also have a killer imperial stout and a solid black IPA.

The future is bright for The Hideout and maybe soon you won’t have to go all the way to Grand Rapids to experience it, but just because you don’t have to doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. You would be missing out if you only had their beer from a bottle. It’s the kind of place that you make the special trip to, even if you have some in your fridge or even if it’s a little out of the way. Craft beer is a thriving, growing industry. The Hideout is following suit, but it will always have the appeal and heart of your friendly neighborhood brewery.

Behind the Bush: Justin Baney

Justin Baney

Baby Baney

Justin Baney is a man of many talents at Greenbush. When we were making our first foray into bottling Greenbush beers, he was a hand-bottling machine. His son radiates more cuteness wearing a Greenbush onesie than should even be possible. And you may know him as one of our great bartenders, but with more mug-club selling skills than the rest of us have in our pinkies.

What do you do at Greenbush?
Tend bar and work in the shop.

How’d you get involved with the brewery?
I’ve been good friends with Scott for a long time.

What time is happy hour for you?
Depends, I’m not a big happy hour kind of guy.

You’re on a deserted island and can only have one case of mass-produced domestic beer dropped to you—what do you pick?
Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can.

Redeem yourself—what’s your favorite non-Greenbush beverage to drink?
My Grandpa’s Bloody Marys.

What’s been your most memorable experience with Greenbush thus far?
Every day at Greenbush is a memorable experience.

What does your wife think about all this madness?
She’s very supportive!!!

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A millionaire (lawyer).

If you were a Greenbush beer, which would you be and why?
Dunegräs because it seems more outdoorsy.

What’s your favorite food?
Food.

Where do you think you and Greenbush will be in 5 years?
Ready to take over the world.

If you only had one item you could take with you to work at Greenbush, what would it be?
My phone.

What’s the most exotic place you’ve ever visited?
Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Chicago or Michigan sports teams (or Indiana if you’re crazy)?
Chicago.

Did you have a favorite brewery before Greenbush opened? If so, what and why?
Nope.

What’s on your nightstand?
A lamp, a book, and a glass of water… oh, ear plugs.

How many beers do you drink in a typical day?
N/A (there is no typical day).

Rhapsody Hero (where you try to pick the WORST song for everyone to enjoy)—what’s your pick?
Peter Gabriel “The Book of Love”

BONUS—personal question: What’s with the headband?
Bahaha, obvious answer… My hair is getting too long and I want to see what happens. Plus, I think it looks good… sometimes.

Brew News: April Edition

Happy Spring, folks! Jen here, writing from the outdoor “staff lounge” on this gorgeous Tuesday. We’ve already kicked off the new month with our mug club Breakfast for Dinner event on April 1. We had an awesome turnout and I hope everyone had a great time. Joel served up a sweet breakfast buffet with peanut butter and banana French toast sandwiches, sausage links and an abundance of fresh fruit. I can tell you from first-hand experience that it was delicious. Check out a few photos from the event below. Many thanks to Chessa Perrone of Night Owl Photography for the beautiful snapshots. You can also see more photos on Night Owl’s Facebook page.

If there are any of you out there who missed the invite (or received it three times), I sincerely apologize–we’re working out the bugs when it comes member e-mails, so be sure to check our Facebook page early and often for the latest and greatest, from events to April Fool’s Day jokes (really guys, a 4% Black IPA called Pouty?).

April is yet another month filled to the brim with events and collaborations. This Thursday, April 5, we’re heading (North) East for a beer dinner at Wrought Iron Grill in Owosso, Michigan. The event starts at 7 p.m. and is currently sold out, but give ‘em a call at 989-472-9025 on Thursday just in case you’re in the area and might be able to snag a few tickets.

Our first collaboration of the month will be on Wednesday, April 11 with the band Half-Pint Jones for their CD release party in May. The colorful five-piece band with a penchant for funk, jazz, and rock with a dash of New Orleans musical flavor will be in for a full day of brewing on the big system and general camaraderie with the crew here.

Later that week, we have a killer day of festivals on April 14, with folks from the brewery showing up armed with beer at both the Blue Chip Brewfest in Michigan City, IN and the completely sold out Baconfest in Chicago. A few tickets are still available for the excellent Blue Chip event (50+ breweries representing!) for $35 per person ($15 for designated drivers)–and it runs from 1-5 p.m. [UPDATE 4/8: technically, the Blue Chip Brewfest is sold out but they will be selling 50 tickets at the door on Saturday.] Baconfest is in its second year and is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: “a full-day celebration of bacon…bacon-inspired activities, bacon foods, and bacon spirits comprising the greatest single culinary and cultural festival ever dedicated to bacon and bacon only.” I don’t want to encourage envy and salivation, but check out the list of dishes that’ll be served at Baconfest here PLUS when you can find them in some of the participating restaurants. We hope everyone is excited about both events and hope to see many of you at each one!

In more fun news, Jill, our dear Ambassador of Everything, was asked to speak at a women in Michigan beer meeting later this month in Grand Rapids at one of our favorite spots, HopCat. The gathering is of Grand Rapids’ PussyCat Beer Guild, a group that encourages women to boldly share their appreciation for good beer, no matter if they’re a brewer, aficionado, or just interested in learning more about beer and brewing. We’re all psyched that Jill was asked to participate in the event.

Next, there’s even more collaboration news beyond the Half-Pint Jones brew day. You may remember hearing about and seeing pictures of Cleetus Friedman’s latest brew day here at Greenbush. On April 20, City Provisions in Chicago will be launching Cleetus’s seriously tasty Belgian Wit called Loud Mouth Soup. Brewed with blood orange juice, fennel pollen, coriander and tellicherry peppercorns, this clean wheat beer turned out to be pretty stellar. We’ll be sure to pass along more details on the event as it draws closer.

Last on our April calendar (for now, though never for long) is a pair of collaborations between Scott of our fair brewery and Pete Crowley of Haymarket Brewery & Pub in Chicago. It’s all in the works, but word is they’ll be combining forces to brew two batches of a collaboration beer, one at Greenbush and the other at Haymarket.

That’s all for now, folks. As always, keep your eyes on our Facebook page for up-to-date happenings and all the news and hilarity that’s fit to post.

In the Plant: A Day on the Brew Cycle

Hello, friends–Jen here. This past Wednesday, I had the awesome opportunity to brew on the big system with Joe (a.k.a. Carlos). And, I’ll quietly admit, this was my first time ever brewing beer. Lucky for me, Joe was scheduled to brew Dunegräs (our India Pale Ale) that day–a favorite of mine and so many others. So today, I’m going to take you through the brewing process here at Greenbush, just as I experienced it.

For starters, Joe and I pulled down lots and lots of heavy malted barley grain bags. Never one to show weakness, I schlepped those 50-pound bags from one spot to another (I’m always game for a little non-traditional weight training). We had a combination of base grains and specialties for this brew.

Loading the grains into the hopper of the grain mill proved to be challenging for my vertically and muscularly challenged self. We layered the grains beginning with a bag of the dominant grain, then a layer with all of the carefully measured quantities of specialty grains.

With hundreds of pounds of grain to grind, this takes a while. Lucky for me (and waaaay more Joe and Joe), a mere few days prior, Scott assembled a flex-auger system that sends the grain straight into the mash tun. That meant no hauling grain up stairs, yay!

While the big, fancy grain mill ground the grains to the appropriate size and consistency (cracked, but not pulverized into powder), our water heater also delivered hot water  into the mash tun, making what we all refer to as “beer oatmeal.”

This mixture of hot water and cracked grains got to hang out in the mash tun for an hour, getting swirled around by a big agitator, extracting fermentable sugar from the grain. In the mean time, we took a short break to enjoy the insanely awesome weather for a few minutes, then, on to the hops! As with the grain, we measured out specific weights of each hop for the recipe, then arranged them according to when we’d add them to the boil (this comes later, obviously).

When it was time to move the mash from the mash tun to the lauter bed, I climbed back up the ladder with the hose to encourage the mash to get a move on. Once it all flowed into the lauter bed, Joe got the hot liquor tank running for sparging, which keeps low-pressure hot water covering and pressing down on the grain. And we’re so much closer to making it all beer!

We hooked up all sorts of hoses and things (very technical, you know) to allow the slow-flowing hot water from sparging to coax the sugary water away from the grain husks and into the kettle. We slowly brought the kettle to temperature as the wort filled it up. Once it was full, we kicked it into high gear to bring everything to a boil. In the mean time…

…all that grain has to go somewhere. And someone has to shovel it. Decked out in Jill’s Wellies, I shoveled most of the spent grain into barrels that would later be picked up for use at a local farm. I’ll be honest, I called on Joe to take over a couple times. Plus, he doesn’t make as big of a mess shoveling as I do (see above).

After enough time passed, we added the first batch of hops to the boil. I learned very quickly just how slowly you need to add hops to the boil, lest Dunegräs or whatever you’re brewing gets angry and decides boil over. We didn’t reach that point. Whew.

I found that while there is a reasonable amount of time between each step of the brewing process, there is always something to do. Like clean up. There’s a lot of that happening. So, in between hop additions we got to cleaning the floor and I was lucky enough to get my first crack at cleaning a fermenter. Let me tell you, it is sooo much fun. I now know why everyone loves it so much. Did I mention yet that it was 85 degrees out during my brew day? That makes hanging out, spraying hot water into a fermenter and sticking your face into the resulting steam even better. Fear not, we always complete this imperative step with gusto.

Once we made all the hop additions, it was whirlpool time. This fun little vortex separated any solids in the wort and brought them to the top of the boil so they didn’t end up in the fermenter. After the whirlpool, we sent the still-hot wort through a plate chiller (which runs cold water through a series of pipes), cooling down the liquid to a tepid 66-ish degrees, perfect for its introduction to the fermenter. We filled that baby up, continued to clean everything in sight–the lauter bed, the kettle, the hoses, the floor–and then came the final step: pitching yeast (adding it to the fermenter contents).

This is where the magic happens. Adding yeast to the wort starts up the fermentation process, turning the sugar into alcohol, carbon dioxide, and, a couple weeks later, pure happiness.

Thus ends the tale of my first time brewing. Thanks to Scott for making it happen and to Joe for guiding me and teaching me how to brew this awesome stuff we call beer.

St. Patrick’s Day Recipes from Pat Mullins

Perhaps you’ve seen the alluring “BACON” sign on Red Arrow Hwy in New Buffalo. But have you experienced the wonder of LOCAL? Today’s blog post comes courtesy of Pat and Ellie Mullins, our dear friends from the best sustainable food and meat shop in Southwest Michigan (maybe on the planet), LOCAL in New Buffalo. In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day–which happens to be Local’s one year anniversary–here are three of the Pat and Ellie’s favorite Irish recipes.

Be sure to stop by the shop in New Buffalo tomorrow between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to help them celebrate their anniversary!

 

 

Shepherd’s Pie

2 tablespoons butter
¾ cup chopped onion
¼ cup flour
1½ cups stock and/or gravy
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
1 lb. cooked ground lamb (ground lamb available at LOCAL)
1 lb. mashed potatoes
Dollop o’ garlic butter

In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the onions and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook until it begins to color. Gradually add stock/gravy, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil and skim the foam of the top. Add ketchup, parsley, thyme, salt & pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the cooked lamb to the sauce and bring to a boil for a few minutes. Transfer to a pie or casserole dish and cover with an even layer of mash potatoes. Score the potatoes with a fork and reheat in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Garnish with garlic butter & enjoy!

 

Traditional Irish Bacon w/ Cabbage
(Makes 10-12 servings)
5 lbs thick cut Irish bacon, aka Rashers (available at LOCAL, made by yours truly–Pat Mullins)
1 head Savoy cabbage
4 tablespoons butter
Pepper to taste

Cover the bacon in cold water in a large pot and slowly bring to a boil. Cover and simmer the bacon for about 20 minutes for every 1lb.

Meanwhile, trim the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut the head into quarters, removing the core. Discard the outer leaves and the core. Slice the cabbage across the grain in thin shreds. When the bacon has about 20 minutes left to cook, add the shredded cabbage to the pot with the bacon. Stir and continue to boil gently.

Take the bacon out and strain the cabbage. (Save the broth for soup if you’d like). Add a lump of butter to the cabbage, season both with black pepper and serve with potatoes.

 

Ham & Hay
This recipe is also for a large group (16-20) and calls for a HUGE saucepan. If you can find one, it’s worth it. OR, you could cut the recipe and make a smaller portion in your largest saucepan…

Sweet-smelling organic hay
2 sprigs of thyme
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon juniper berries
2 bay leaves
1 raw ham (unsmoked) about 10lbs
1 LARGE, deep saucepan with lid

Make a bed of hay in the base of a deep saucepan. Sprinkle with herbs and spices. Lay the ham on top. Tuck more hay around the sides and cover the top of the ham. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover tightly and let simmer for 3 ½ – 4 hours. (When it’s cooked, a skewer should slide easily through the meat and the rind should life easily from the fat).

Remove the covering of hay. Transfer the ham onto a covering dish. Serve in slices with cabbage.

 

Outside the Tap Lines: David’s Delicatessen

Just south of Greenbush in Sawyer, the town of New Buffalo is home to many of our favorite small businesses. One such place is David’s Delicatessen, located right smack in the middle of it all on Whittaker Street. Open for seven-plus years and owned by Joe Lindsay and Emma Brewster for nearly two years (anniversary in April!), David’s is the perfect place to pop in for stellar deli sandwiches, coffee, breakfast and plenty more.

For purposes of blogging accuracy, of course, I stopped by David’s today to pick up a couple sandwiches and an iced coffee (thank you, 60+ degree weather in March!). At Joe’s direction, I went for the traditional David’s Reuben with corned beef, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing, and then he quizzed me to conjure up the best combo for my second sandwich–the result was an off-the-menu BLT with a fried egg and harissa mayonnaise. Hello, delicious!! Both were superb, and it’s way cool to hear that Joe and Emma are going to be changing up the menu a bit with creative sandwiches like the aforementioned super-BLT. I also got a preview of an ingredient that you’ll someday see in a vegan sandwich at David’s… bacon pickles. Be still my heart, these smoky pickle slices were damn tasty.

A couple weeks ago, Joe and Emma came into the brewery to help brew a special beer specifically for St. Patrick’s Day–an earthy rye stout we like to call Penitence. They’ll be serving it at their second annual Corned Beef Off and Give Back on March 17 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (or until food runs out) at the shop in New Buffalo. What, exactly, does this Corned Beef Off entail, you ask? Emma filled me in when I stopped by today–for $10 you can come in to sample as many corned beef sandwiches as your heart desires. Yep, you heard right. Eat up corned beef sandwiches galore, with hundreds of pounds of brisket coming from Chicago, Detroit, New York City, New Buffalo (shout out to Local!) and more, then vote for your favorite–and get a chance to win a free sandwich.

While it’s certainly true that Emma and especially Joe love celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, the event is a fundraiser for the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago. Half of the proceeds from the door, as well as a silent auction, will benefit the group in honor of Joe’s aunt Kathy, who underwent a life-saving lung transplant after being diagnosed with COPD in August 2009. We hope everyone makes it down to New Buffalo to support this cause and delicious event. Be sure to wash down all those sandwich samples with a pint or two of Penitence or a complimentary glass of Green River soda.

If you can’t make it to the St. Patrick’s Day event, fear not! David’s is open every day of the week, serving up excellent food and drinks–check out their Facebook page for more details on hours of operation and the like.

Behind the Bush: Joe “Carlos” Hinman

It’s funny how many of us are from the area. Why, Joe Hinman (Carlos as he’s known affectionately to so many around the Bush) is a Harbor Country native, born and raised in Three Oaks. Little did he know, playing kickball in Rich Sullivan’s high school gym class, that he’d be one of the first original members of the Greenbush staff. Curious to know more? Check out this installment of Behind the Bush.

What do you do at Greenbush?
I’m a brewer, I clean things, I keg beer. Mostly I do a lot of schlepping.

How’d you get involved with the brewery?
I’ve been friends with Jill for awhile and she brought me along. I met Scott at one of the Extreme Beer Fests she used to do in Three Oaks, without realizing his dad was my high school gym teacher. It’s still weird calling him Rich instead of Mr. Sullivan.

What time is happy hour for you?
What time is it right now?

You’re on a deserted island and can only have one case of mass-produced domestic beer dropped to you—what do you pick?
Just one case? That’s harsh. Old Style, no question. It would be the only deserted island that’s authentically krausened.

Redeem yourself—what’s your favorite non-Greenbush beverage to drink?
Scotty Karate, Dark Horse’s scotch ale, can’t be topped. Non-beer: bourbon or rye.

What’s been your most memorable experience with Greenbush thus far?
They’ve all kind of melded into one crazy ride. All of the different festivals we’ve done, the chef collaborations, the Morso dinner, Kalamazoo Beer Week, it’s all been great. I really enjoy after hours on Fridays, hanging out in back (or this past week, up on the new shelving we built) reflecting on the past months of chaos.

What do your friends and family think about all this madness?
They’re all very supportive and proud. My dad and brothers dig the good beer hookup, though I think sometimes my folks wonder when I’ll move out.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Oh man, lots of impractical things. I remember having those coloring books for little kid water colors when I was young and thinking I could make a go at this artist thing. I didn’t understand that smearing paint over a picture of Scrooge McDuck doesn’t pass as art.

If you were a Greenbush beer, which would you be and why?
Terminator X. I’m always on the edge of panic.

What’s your favorite food?
Tie between cheese and pulled pork. Does that mean it’s really cheesy pulled pork?

Where do you think you and Greenbush will be in 5 years?
I’d like to see Greenbush all kinds of crazy places. As for me, I will still be schlepping, making sure it gets there.

If you only had one item you could take with you to work at Greenbush, what would it be?
Steel-toe boots are a brewer’s best friend. At least at Greenbush. Does this question mean I can take only one thing to work and nothing else? If so, I take back what I just said. [Editor's note: no, it doesn't.]

What’s the most exotic place you’ve ever visited?
Muncie, IN. No wait, my answer is the same as Justin’s on this one because we went on the same school trip to Mexico, just many years apart. Though he didn’t mention going to Isla Mujeres, an island off the coast that is what that Jimmy Buffet song “Cheeseburger in Paradise” is named after. The more you know.

Chicago or Michigan sports teams (or Indiana if you’re crazy)?
The Cubs.

Did you have a favorite brewery before Greenbush opened? If so, what and why?
I did and still do: Dark Horse, because they’re awesome. Plain and simple.

What’s on your nightstand?
If by nightstand you mean trash can with a book on top of it, then that has my laptop and The Wastelands by Stephen King (part of the Dark Tower series which you should all read right now) on it.

How many beers do you drink in a typical day?
I’m not sure what a typical day is anymore. Let’s say 1-5.

Rhapsody Hero (where you try to pick the WORST song for everyone to enjoy)—what’s your pick?
That’s tough. I would say Careless Whisper, but it does have that sexy sax, so I’ll go with When a Man Loves a Woman.

BONUS question. What’s your favorite hop variety?
Brambling Cross. It’s nice and earthy, kind of toasty and spicy but not astringent. Classic British hop.