EXTENDED ARTICLE: Oddside Ales

Located in the heart of downtown Grand Haven, Oddside Ales sits comfortably inside the old Story & Clark Piano factory, a large plaza right off Washington Street. The pub just celebrated it’s one year anniversary in March and when you walk inside, you can’t help but feel comfortable. The taproom is very unique and homely feeling, allowing you to sit and enjoy a pint in a very relaxed atmosphere while the sun shines in through both sides of the room. When head brewer and owner Chris Michner was asked why Grand Haven was chosen as the location for his new endeavor, he responded, “It’s the perfect place between Saugatuck and Holland. There’s not much of a beer bar here.”

You can feel the care and time taken to make the taproom their own - the tall round tables have checkerboards laid into them - made out of light and dark malts - and the main bar features an even more stunning inlaid malt design that took over three months to complete. The taproom doubles as an art gallery, featuring local artists work that only makes the room feel that much more comfortable. All the beers and events are listed in chalk, giving the taproom an even more present tangibility. “We want the taproom to feel more like a café than a bar,” Chris says.

Oddside joined forces with Ceramic Café - a local Grand Haven pottery store - to offer their Mug Club members a unique opportunity:  join the club and you get to choose one of four mug designs to take home and decorate yourself. They then get taken back to Ceramic Café, fired, and placed upon the main wall above the bar for all to see.

There are 16 taps waiting for you upon arrival, with a rather wide variety of experimental and standard beers for you to experience by the pint or by the flight. Pints range from 3.75$ for a standard beer and 4-5$ for a premium pint; they also offer growler fills. When asked about what standards Oddside had to offer, Chris expressed that the taps are constantly changing, from a beer catalog over 50 strong. with sixteen taps and a small brew system, there is tons of room for experimentation, and Oddside definitely provides. They have just expanded with the addition of two new larger fermentation tanks, allowing the older, smaller tanks to be dedicated to further exploration.

Their biggest beer is their Jackalope Amber Ale, a clean, drinkable amber with a very nice, balanced malt profile. Other beers on tap at the time of my visit included an excellent Berliner Weisse, a Great American Beer Festival submitted Pucker Up! Sour Flanders Red, and a very nicely balanced and not overpowering Pineapple IPA. Oddside also started distributing kegs in March this year, and the demand has been constant. Keep an eye out for Jackalope in your local pub, as well as their Mint Stout, Citra Pale Ale, and their Peanut Butter Cup Stout.

Next time you’re in Grand Haven, stop by 41 Washington and check out the Odder Side of Michigan Beer.

EXTENDED ARTICLE: Michigan Beer Cellar

Located in the heart of downtown Sparta, Michigan Beer Cellar has been keeping very busy since their grand opening on June 1st of 2010. They are one of the most recent additions to the West Michigan beer scene, making their first Michigan Brewers Guild Beerfest appearance in February 2011.

Dan Humphreys, owner and head brewer, has been home brewing for 13 years. He began guest brewing at many West MI breweries, including Founders Brewing Co., The B.O.B’s brewery, Grand Rapids Brewing Co., and the Hideout. However, there were no fixed brewer positions available in the area, and his eyes eventually turned towards opening his own place, and Sparta was perfect. “We looked around the area, and had to find a  place that would fit,” says Humphrey, “and it all came together here.”

The taproom is very large and open, holding tables and couches for your drinking pleasure in a warm, comfortable atmosphere. They have a small deli for sandwiches and finger foods to cure all of your snacking needs, and large televisions for you to catch the game on. “We like the taproom to feel friendly,“ says Humphrey, “We try to make everyone feel comfortable, as if they’ve been coming here for years.“

MBC maintains 15 taps, including mainstays as well as seasonals and variants. Stop in for a cold Black Magic RyPA, a dark IPA with a soft rye presence; or, for you bigger beer lovers, try the Double Black Magic, the imperial version. They also have a great Porter, and had two variants available upon my visit, a Vanilla Porter and Cellar Joy, a coconut, almond and chocolate porter. They also have a great Blonde, IPA, and Dunkelweizen. Summer Sunshine just went on tap, a Belgian Wit light and complex for the summertime, as did a new beer - a Ginger Peach Cream Ale.

Not only does MBC boast an impressive taplist of brews, their talents do not end there. They also craft fine wines, including their recent Michigan Apple Delight wine, which they keep available in the taproom; they also make mead in house, using local Rockford honey.

MBC is also the first distillery in Kent County. They specialize in neutral grain vodka which they infuse with various flavors, allowing them a totally unique mode of creating mixed drinks. They keep around 30 different infusions on hand at the bar, and make unique, different drink specials weekly that range from 2.50-3.50$ (including pints) .  “People go to places, and some people just don’t like beer.” said Humphrey, “we want to cater to whatever you could want.”

MBC started distributing kegs within the last six months, so keep an eye out at your local taphouse. They are also planning on starting bottling in the fall; you will be able to stop into the pub and take bottles home with you. They are also going to start offering their wine to-go as well. They also host an open mic night on Tuesday nights, and has live music on Friday and Saturday nights all through the summer. There are also plans laid for taproom renovation, as well as the creation of a beer garden and patio in the back for the summertime.

“It’s just a short little drive up to Sparta,“ Humphrey says, “Come on up and enjoy what we have to offer.“ Next time you’re considering a brew, head up to Sparta and spend some time at Michigan Beer Cellar and kick back on the new patio, have a pint (or three) and enjoy our wonderful Michigan summer with the only thing that could make it better: A Michigan pint.

Founders Brewing Co. 10th Annual Black Party - 4/16/2011

What a day for Founders!

I was informed that there was a line for a majority of the day, the brewery hitting capacity and maintaining it into the night. At points, the line was wrapping around the building, down the side of the newly-constructed expansion. The night was riddled with fantastic music and plenty of beer - some of which hasn't seen the taproom in quite some time, as well as some first runs!

The music was split by Founders-based band Oracle (including headbrewer Jeremy Kosmicki and Brewer D.W. Deschaine) performing the entirety of The Black Crowe's "Southern Harmony and Musical Companion", and West MI Funk-blues-jam trio Four Finger Five, a WYCE Jammie winner, who rocked the taproom all the way to the end of the night.

I didn't get to the black party until a little after midnight, but I was quickly filled in on the events of the day. Any special event at Founders is riddled by little beery surprises, most of which happen during the day (unfortunately for me). Usually firkins make their way to the taproom, boasting cellar-temp aged goodness - a 2009 and 2010 KBS - while the 2011 remained on tap. Also, the celebrated Breakfast Stout made its way back into the taproom for a short time, as well as it's delicious Maple Barrel Aged variant, Canadian Breakfast Stout.

This year's black party also brought back a rarity on the Founders taplist - the Black IPA. Not only did this seldom-seen brew return, but also three variants as well - Diablo Del Noche, Syrup Del Noche, and Bourbon Del Noche. Diablo was aged on top of fresh chile peppers, the Syrup was aged in maple syrup barrels, while the bourbon spent some time in Kentucky bourbon barrels. The syrup was my favorite! Perfectly complemented their Black IPA, brought out the sweet notes right in the middle. All variants were first run beers.

Founders Rye Stout found its way back on tap, having been off for a few weeks. Made it's debut about two months ago and was received very well. Another first run beer presented was Dirty Darkness, a variant on the classic Dirty Bastard, a Founders mainstay. This variant tilted the bastard more towards the dark end of things, supporting that malt sweetness with more pronounced roast, chocolate and coffee notes. (I may have had a few of this one..)

Other beers that were on tap for the day: Porter, Frangelic Stout, Oatmeal Stout, and Imperial Stout.


It was a wonderful night full of surprises! Even though I got there late, I could tell everyone had enjoyed a truly fantastic day. Everyone I caught up with had been there a majority of the day, cheeks warm and smiling big. Everyone had nothing but good things to say about the day, and my night was absolutely wonderful!

Thanks to Founders for hosting this wonderful annual event, it was a day to be remembered!

Cheers All!
The dude Imbibes.
-Ben Darcie

___________
Founders Brewing Company
235 Grandville Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-4037
616.776.1195