Tag Archives: Michigan

Beer Birthday: Fred Bueltmann

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new-holland
Today is Fred Bueltmann’s 44th birthday. Fred is a partner in New Holland Brewing, and works their sales and distribution side. He’s also a self-styled Beervangelist and will soon be publishing the “Beervangelist’s Guide to the Galaxy,” which was successfully funded on Kickstarter. I’ve met Fred several times over the years but got to know him a lot better at last year’s GABF, when it seemed like we judged together on every other session, and had a marvelous time in between rounds. Join me in wishing Fred a very happy birthday.

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Fred’s promo shot for his Beervangelist book.

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With Carolyn Smagalski at Wynkoop during GABF last year. (“borrowed” from her Facebook page, thanks Carolyn).

Beer Birthday: Pete Reid

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mod-brew-age
Today is also Pete Reid’s 49th birthday. Pete is the publisher of Modern Brewery Age. I first met Pete a number of years ago at a Craft Brewers Conference but finally got to know him much better during a trip to Bavaria a few years back, where the two of us took a side trip to Salzburg to visit the Austrian Trumer Brauerei. Join me in wishing Pete a very happy birthday.

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At the Zotler Brauerei in Germany.

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At the Bavarian Hop Museum, that’s Pete in the back row in the baseball cap.

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Peter Reid, with Gary Ettelman, of Ettelman & Hochheiser at the NBWA convention in 2008.

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Toasting with Horst Dornbusch at the Bamberg Brewing Museum.

Beer Birthday: John Mallett

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Today is John Mallett’s 48th birthday, John is the production manager at Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a post he’s held since 2001. John has a great sense of humor and I recall a particularly side-splitting kvetching evening-long conversation with him and Fal Allen at CBC in San Diego a number of years ago (not the most recent one). John me in wishing John a very happy birthday.

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Mugging for the camera at GABF in 2007, with Bob Pease, Ray Daniels and Mark Dorber.

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At Bruce Paton’s “Tion” Beer Dinner. That’s John in orange trying to smooch with Peter Bouckaert from New Belgium.

If you’d like to see John wearing lederhosen, click here.

Beer Birthday: Larry Bell

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Today is also the birthday of yet another brewing legend. Larry Bell, the iconoclastic owner of Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan, turns 54 today. Join me in wishing Larry a very happy birthday.

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Larry with Alan Sprints, from Hair of the Dog at the Full Sail Smoker during the Oregon Brewers Festival a few years ago.

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Larry, with Ed and Carol Stoudt, from Stoudt Brewing, and Ken Allen, from Anderson Valley Brewing at the Craft Brewers Conference in Austin, Texas, in 2007.

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Larry accepting the BA Recognition Award at last year’s CBC.

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At OBF in 2008.

Michigan Beer

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Today in 1837, Michigan became the 26th state.

Michigan
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Michigan Breweries

Michigan Brewery Guides

Guild: Michigan Brewers Guild

State Agency: Michigan Liquor Control Commission

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  • Capital: Lansing
  • Largest Cities: Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Flint, Sterling Heights
  • Population: 9,938,444; 8th
  • Area: 96,810 sq.mi., 11th
  • Nickname: Wolverine State / Great Lakes State
  • Statehood: 26th, January 26, 1837

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  • Alcohol Legalized: April 27, 1933
  • Number of Breweries: 96
  • Rank: 6th
  • Beer Production: 6,5774,66
  • Production Rank: 8th
  • Beer Per Capita: 20.4 Gallons

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Package Mix:

  • Bottles: 38.8%
  • Cans: 48.1%
  • Kegs: 12.8%

Beer Taxes:

  • Per Gallon: $0.20
  • Per Case: $0.46
  • Tax Per Barrel (24/12 Case): $6.30
  • Draught Tax Per Barrel (in Kegs): $6.30

Economic Impact (2010):

  • From Brewing: $242,599,259
  • Direct Impact: $2,115,676,429
  • Supplier Impact: $1,547,137,698
  • Induced Economic Impact: $1,268,318,359
  • Total Impact: $4,931,132,486

Legal Restrictions:

  • Control State: No
  • Sale Hours: On Premises: 7 a.m.–2 a.m. (Mon-Sat)
    Noon-2 a.m. (Sunday) *sales may begin at 7 a.m. with special license extension
    Off Premises: 7 a.m.–2 a.m. (Mon-Sat)
    Noon-2 a.m. (Sunday) *sales may begin at 7 a.m. with special license extension
  • Grocery Store Sales: Yes
  • Notes: The Michigan Liquor Control Commission allows the sale of alcoholic beverages until 11:59 p.m. on December 24 and after 12:00 p.m. on December 25. On-premises sales are permitted on January 1 until 4:00 a.m. Local or county ordinance may restrict Sunday or Sunday morning sales.

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Data complied, in part, from the Beer Institute’s Brewer’s Almanac 2010, Beer Serves America, the Brewers Association, Wikipedia and my World Factbook. If you see I’m missing a brewery link, please be so kind as to drop me a note or simply comment on this post. Thanks.

For the remaining states, see Brewing Links: United States.

Brewery Unharmed In Dark Horse Fire

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A fire broke out yesterday at the complex housing Michigan’s Dark Horse Brewing. The brewery and brewpub appear to be unharmed and are open for business. According to the Battle Creek Enquirer, the building that burned “housed a general store that sold Dark Horse merchandise and was rented by Dark Starz Tattoos. A corner of the building was collapsed and the interior was gutted.” On Dark Horse’s website they have the following. “The fire was in our General Store and Skate Shop across the parking lot from the Taproom.”

The Fire Marshall is saying that there are suspicious elements to the fire. “Firefighters recognized abnormal fire behavior as they fought the blaze in the 500 block of South Kalamazoo Avenue, according to Marshall Assistant Fire Chief Bill Hankinson. ‘The way the fire burned’ was what raised suspicions, Hankinson said. ‘It was way too fast, and incorrectly for an accidental fire. But we are not ruling out the possibility that it was accidental.’

WWMT Channel 3 Also has a video report on the fire.

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The scene at Dark Horse after the fire was put out.

Smokin’ Aces Drink Bell’s Oberon

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We were watching Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball last night — quick review: mildly entertaining action adventure with cartoon violence and not much of a plot. Most of the best bits were in the trailer.

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Anyway, a good portion of the film takes place in a bar. One of the beers served is Bell’s Oberon. There’s a prominent tap handle of it on the bar, where one scene takes place. When the frame part of the scene at one point, the Bell’s logo along with the Oberon label can be seen in the foreground on the left-hand side of the frame. And at several more points, either the Bell’s or Oberon graphics can be seen. I don’t know if Larry Bell paid for product placement or if someone who made the film was a big fan. Either way, that was fun to see.

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