West Michigan's Arts & Entertainment Guide
February Microbrews: Grand Rapids Brewing Company
Written by Ben Darcie | Wednesday, 23 January 2013 15:40 |Grand Rapids Brewing Company has finally found a home, back where it started: in downtown Grand Rapids. The original brewery opened in 1893 on the corner of Michigan and Ionia, and found itself defeated by Prohibition in 1920.
January Microbrews: Rockford Brewing Company
Written by Ben Darcie | Thursday, 20 December 2012 13:11 |Three different people wanted the same thing in the same place: their own brewery in Rockford. Rather than standing alone to achieve their visions, they joined forces to open Rockford's first microbrewery on Dec. 20.
November Microbrews: The Mitten Brewing Company
Written by Ben Darcie | Tuesday, 23 October 2012 16:18 |Engine House No. 9 has been a fixture of Leonard Street in Grand Rapids since 1890. It has housed many businesses since being decommissioned as a fire station in 1966. Currently residing within its walls is the newest addition to the West Michigan beer scene.
Friends since kindergarten, co-founders and brewers Chris Andrus and Max Trierweiler went into their separate careers, but wanted to find something they could do together.
Growlers 101: The Old-Fashioned Toting Device Becomes a Trend
Written by Samara Napolitan | Friday, 21 September 2012 11:07 |The growler is having a moment. The 64-ounce vessel reminiscent of a moonshine jug can often be seen lining the shelves of brewpubs, ready to be filled with a beer geek's favorite beer and toted home to enjoy. Though they are undoubtedly trendy, growlers offer far more than artisanal accessorization.
"I think any brewery should offer growlers," says Kris Spaulding, the co-owner and sustainability director of Brewery Vivant. "Not because growlers are unique, but because being very community-focused, a growler makes sense."
As Michigan breweries expand, industry sees opportunity for growth
Written by Nathan Peck | Monday, 01 October 2012 10:52 | What was once a basement hobby for a dedicated few now has many in the state viewing craft brewing as an economic engine for the state.
The growth of the craft beer industry is outpacing that of the rest of beer industry. Craft beer sales grew 13 percent in 2011 compared to an overall 1.9-percent decline within the beer industry as a whole, according to data from the U.S. Brewers Association. Michigan’s craft beer industry generates $133 million in economic activity, and the state ranks fifth in the nation in the number of breweries, according to the Michigan Brewers Guild.
A basic rule of life is that beer is always better when it's served in large quantities. It's even better when it is served in large quantities at inexpensive prices. This sounds like a bit of an anomaly, but two local breweries have you covered on consecutive nights, every single week. Both New Holland Brewing and Brewery Vivant offer stein nights where customers bring their own drinking vessel (as big as they want, but both places have certain restrictions) and the barkeep fills them for a nominal price.
Traverse City is now home to a handful of microbreweries, and the beer scene in our upstate is starting to grow. One of the forerunners of the movement is Right Brain, led by Owner Russell Springsteen.
HopCat is known for many things. It may be the relaxed outdoor patio, expansive bottle list, top-notch beer dinners, the 49 taps or the bar's recognition as the third best beer bar in the world by BeerAdvocate. One aspect that's somewhat overlooked however, is its beers.
September Microbrews: Central City Tap House
Written by Ben Darcie | Thursday, 25 August 2011 12:51 |In a street mall that intersects Michigan Avenue, there are browsing customers and colorful storefronts. Toward the end of the mall lies Central City Tap House with its sun-bathed outdoor patio and split dining room and pub sections inside.
