Brew News: October

We all know the calendar says fall but Michigan being the fickle-weather state that it is, it’s something like 80 degrees outside with 95% humidity. So that’s fun when you run around a brewery all day (mad love to our brewers and plant guys & gals who bust their asses no matter how hot or cold it is). However, the cool mornings have been excellent for trying out our new fall merch items. So far, we’ve added two new men’s long sleeve shirts, a men’s 3/4-sleeve baseball tee, a hooded long sleeve shirts and some super cool 100% recycled t-shirts from Recover Brands in North Carolina (men’s and women’s). We still have a few more items to add (ahem, Anger hoodie) so be sure to keep Greenbush in mind when you’re doing any shopping for the cooler weather!

Speaking of Greenbush shopping… we’ve been working diligently on a new web store that should be launching in a few weeks. It’ll be super current, easy to use and feature tons and tons of Greenbush merch. And thanks to the fabulous photography skills of Richard Hellyer, we were able to have GB staff members “model” all of our merchandise for the site. Look out for it soon! Now, let’s get to what’s happening this month.

Saturday, October 5: Porter’s Perfect Pint Festival in Porter, IN

Tomorrow’s the day! This baby is happening rain or shine (fingers crossed for shine), so head to Porter, Indiana for the fest, which runs from noon until 5 p.m. CST. We’ll be there pouring Memento Mori, Brother Benjamin, Dunegras and more. Tickets are still available online here.

Saturday, October 5: 4th Annual Vander Fest in Spring Lake, MI

The fourth round of the awesome Vander Fest up at Vander Mill Ciders in Spring Lake, MI will run from 4-10 p.m. on Saturday. We first brewed VanderBush, our American Trippel with 30% apple cider, for this event last year so we’re totally psyched to be up there again. If you’re heading there, look out for some great specialty and seasonal beers at the Greenbush table, plus, you can hang out with Pete and Beach, which is always a treat.

Wednesday, October 9: IPA Fest at Tribe’s Alehouse in Mokena, IL

Next Wednesday, Tribe’s Alehouse in Mokena is putting 40 IPAs on tap from across the country and at least three of them will be Greenbush beers–Anger, Brother Benjamin and Starchicken Shotgun. We’re pretty stoked for that, plus the 37 other IPAs we’ll have to choose from! All beers will be tapped at 2 p.m. CST.

Wednesday, October 9: Tap Takeover at Lockhart’s BBQ in Royal Oak, MI

It’s taken us far too long but we’ll finally be doing an event at Lockhart’s in Royal Oak! Expect to see 6 excellent Greenbush beers on tap for this takeover, including Unicorn Killer, Mr. Hyde and Brother Benjamin. The timing isn’t final yet, but I’m guessing the event will begin at 6 p.m. Hope to see lots of you there!

Saturday, October 12: Top of the Hops Beer Festival in South Bend, IN

Baseball and beer were made for each other (right?), so it’s pretty appropriate that the home of the South Bend Silverhawks, Four Winds Field, is hosting its first ever beer fest on Saturday, October 12. The fest will run from 4-7 p.m. and feature 50+ craft and micro beers from around the region. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online here or by calling the box office at 574-235-9988.

Tuesday, October 15: Meet ‘N Drink at Northdown Cafe & Taproom in Chicago, IL

Chicagoans should head to Northdown Cafe & Taproom on Lincoln Avenue after work on Tuesday, October 15 to enjoy the likes of Greenbush’s Unicorn Killer, Memento Mori and The Birds Sing a Pretty Song. Plus, the first bunch of people there starting at 5 p.m. will leave with a free Greenbush pint glass!

Wednesday, October 16: Local Brewery Night w/Greenbush & Dark Horse at The Buck in St. Joseph, MI

You know you can always find Greenbush beer on tap at The Buck, but this special night will feature 8 of our favorites alongside a ton of beers from Dark Horse (also one of our favorites). That should add up to a pretty great lineup of beers (not to mention the other 60ish that’ll be on!) and lots of fun. Expect to see many a Greenbush employee hanging out at this one.

Saturday, October 19: Pre-Game Beer Brunch at Red Rock in Ypsilanti, MI

One of the many events toward the end of the month that we’re still fleshing out the details on, but know that we’ve been wanting to have a pre-college-football-game beer brunch for over a year now and we’re finally doing it! We’ll give you all the details on timing, cost and what the brunch will entail, but just know that you should plan on being at Red Rock in Ypsilanti before the 3 p.m. Michigan game on the 19th!

Sunday, October 20: Post-Marathon Beer Brunch at One-Eyed Betty’s in Ferndale, MI

We have 10+ staff members and friends signed up to participate in the Detroit Free Press International Half Marathon and there’s no place we’d want to party at after more than One-Eyed Betty’s up in Ferndale. So if you’re running, spectating, or just happen to be in that neck of the woods, be sure to stop by One-Eyed Betty’s to help us cheers to everyone’s accomplishments. Plus, we’re bringing some super specialty beers to get you ready for Detroit Fall Beer Festival the following weekend!

Wednesday, October 23: Michigan Beer Feature at Slows Bar B Q in Detroit, MI

When Slows calls and asks if you want to do an event with them, you say yes. Especially if you’re as fiendish about their grub as we are (not to mention the rest of you who are always, always there–with good reason). So, we’ll be hangin’ around on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 23 enjoying a variety of beers that will include three major specialty beers that you’ll hardly see anywhere else besides the Detroit Fall Beer Festival.

Thursday, October 24:  Beer Tasting at 8 Degrees Plato in Ferndale, MI

How could we hang around Detroit and not visit Tim and Brigid’s incredible beer emporium? We couldn’t. So we’re bringing our wares to their shop for a tasting (time TBD) as yet another pre-Detroit Beer Fest event. Expect us to break out some stuff that isn’t currently distributed in bottles plus possibly a bottle from our cellar… That’s right, you won’t want to miss this.

Friday, October 25-Saturday, October 26: Michigan Brewers Guild Detroit Fall Beer Festival in Detroit, MI

Topping it all off at the end of the month will be the most excellent two-day Detroit Fall Beer Festival, put on by the Michigan Brewers Guild in Detroit’s Eastern Market. Let me just break it down for you nice and easy: we’re bringing a few of our regulars, 10+ specialties, 8 barrel-aged beers (some in their debut) and 11 small-batch beers for a total of 43 different brews. Expect to see a couple cult favorites, plus our first foray into the world of meat beers. Somehow there are still Friday tickets available, so we recommend snatching those up ASAP.

And so, there you have it. October in a kind of large nutshell. As always, we hope to see many of our supporters out at these events and if we have anything else to add to the calendar, we’ll let you know about it on Facebook.

Brew News: AUGUST!

Greetings from Jen’s side of the relocated office desk. Per usual in these posts, I can’t believe another month has passed as quickly as it has. But it’s AUGUST already, for Pete’s sake (hi Pete!). Here’s to this delightful summer weather lasting well into September (I wouldn’t hate it in October, either). Anyway, we just got back from a weekend at Summer Beer Festival in Ypsilanti. Greenbush rolled up to the fest with 14 fine folks on Friday and 13 on Saturday. We brought that sweet, giant booth and rocked the taste buds of thousands–or so that’s what we’ve heard. A humongous thank you to everyone who came out to support and all you awesome folk who took a chance on us for the first time. Don’t forget, we’re distributing all over the state of Michigan now, included the east side–so be on the lookout for Greenbush in your favorite libation station.

Now, on with the show. Here’s what’s happenin’ this month:

Saturday, August 4: Brew Haven 2012 in New Haven, IN

Northeast Indiana’s premiere craft beer festival is back for another year. This Saturday, you can check out beers from more than 30 breweries plus sample beer made by the local homebrew club from 2-6 p.m. in downtown New Haven. A standard ticket ($35 in advance; $45 at the door) includes unlimited samples, a souvenir tasting glass, a meal and water. For more ticket options or to purchase tickets, check out the website.

Wednesday, August 8: Taste of the Nation Chicago

Next week, the hottest chefs, mixologists and sommeliers from Chicago and beyond (yeah, Greenbush!) will join together under one roof, united around the same cause: the fight to end childhood hunger. Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation is the nation’s premier culinary benefit and you can attend by purchasing a ticket to enjoy a great party and support a great cause. Plus, we’ll be there! With beer!

Thursday, August 9: Tap Takeover at Foran’s Grand Trunk Pub in Detroit, MI

Greenbush is taking over Detroit! Well, Foran’s anyway–for starters. Head on over around 4 p.m. or later (after the Tigers/Yankees game comes to a close down the street) to enjoy a plethora of Greenbush beers on tap. Keep an eye on our Facebook page (and theirs) for more details before the event.

Saturday, August 11: Weird Michigan Beer at Shark Club in Howell, MI

The Shark Club in Howell is hosting a Weird Michigan Beer event all day next Saturday celebrating all the outstanding and strange brews that just don’t fit in to conventional styles. We pondered what we could add to the lineup. Then it hit us like a ton of 40’s: PHD, our dear malt liquor. Better go check it out! Look for more details on their Facebook page.

Saturday, August 18: Suds on the Shore in Ludington, MI

Head north for a sweet craft beer and wine festival one the shore of Lake Michigan on the 18th from 1-7 p.m., featuring 20+ breweries. The festival also features a homebrew competition and live music. And, not that you needed another reason to check it out, the annual event is put on to benefit United Way of Mason County.

Monday, August 20: Beer Dinner at Kalamazoo Beer Exchange

We looove beer dinners and are pleased as punch to have two coming up this month. The first is at Kalamazoo Beer Exchange on August 20 starting at 6 p.m. with a pre-gathering including a draft beer and antipasto platter followed by five small plates and give Greenbush beers–all for $35! Don’t miss it. Seriously. Call 269-532-1188 for more information and to make reservations.

Tuesday, August 21: Beer Dinner at One-Eyed Betty’s in Ferndale, MI (Metro Detroit)

From the moment Jill and I first walked into this pretty new Ferndale joint, we knew Greenbush and One-Eyed Betty’s would be a match made in heaven, hence this beer dinner. With items like Flex Your Mussels, Ridiculously Good Grilled Cheese and B-Boy Bouillabaisse on the regular menu, we just knew. The dinner starts at 7 p.m.–more details on the event and tickets will be provided soon on One-Eyed Betty’s Facebook page–be quick, this one will most definitely sell out.

So that’s the word on August. But I can’t let you depart without mentioning a couple big, big events happening in the beginning of September. I want you to be prepared, ya know? First is the Check, Please! Farm to Table event at Round Barn Winery in Baroda, MI on Sunday, September 2. This is basically an unprecedented event right in our back yard–a food festival featuring an all-star lineup of award-winning chefs teaming with the farms they source from. Second is the annual U.P. Fall Beer Fest on Saturday, September 8 in Marquette, MI. This one’s smaller than its Summer and Winter counterparts, but not any less awesome–they expect at least 30 Michigan craft breweries and more than 200 beers. Be there!

As always, keep your eyes on our Facebook page for any additional events and fun things we think you should know about. I’ll see you in the taproom!