Phoenix breaks the top 10 for Beer City USA!

OK, I've said it many times before, the beer scene here in Arizona is growing. We are still a young community (relatively), but like any youngster, we are growing, and growing rapidly.  When I first moved to the valley of the sun some 20 years ago, our choice in local beer was, well, limited, almost none existent. Now, just withing a dozen miles of my house, there are half a dozen brew pubs (one more opening very soon!), and dozens more options of Arizona beer at our local bottle shops.



While I still don't think we are "the best" beer city (yet), we are taking the proper steps! We may have a bit of growing to do before we can compete with say San Diego, or Portland OR, but we are a whole hell of a lot closer now then we were even just 5 years ago.

The taps at Hop Cat, Grand Rapids, MI

Proof? It may not be rock solid prof, but there is some proof none the less. Every year, The Examiner does a poll for the title of "Beer City USA" (most recently dominated by Grand Rapids MI, and Ashville NC). And the Phoenix Metro area came in 9th this year! (we actually beat Denver, quite possibly the "original" Beer City USA).

Check out the complete list here.....

OK, I know these polls don't "prove" what beer cities are good, better or best. Trust me, I've been to Grand Rapids, and I've been to San Diego, I would put SD as a much better beer city then Grand Rapids as a whole any day. What this does prove is this, that pride in our beer community is growing. Years ago, it was not uncommon to hear local beer folks bemoaning the (lack of) merits of our local beer, and longing for the "quality" beers from San Diego, or the NW, or Michigan. Now, the good news, there is a growing number of folks standing on their soap boxes, and preaching and praising the merits and quality of our local beer scene, and it seems to be working!

While you will still find those more excited about a Stone IPA then a San Tan Hop Shock, the number of us choosing local beers is growing. As with every young movement, it takes time, and patience, and there will be frustrations  and feelings hurt, but that is all part of growing. I for one, and happy to play my part (whatever part I can)  in spreading the good word and encourage everyone to take pride in our local beer, embrace it, share it, and be proud of it (I recently sent a 6 pack of Mr Pineapple to a friend in Vermont! Probably not a lot of Mr Pineapple at Vermont beaches (come to think of it, not a lot of Vermont beaches for that matter)). No, its not bad to enjoy a beer from out of state, or country. I still do, and will continue to, and I love it, and not feel guilty about it. I just think I need to spend less time tracking down the crazy hop bombs, or rare gems we all crave and drool over, and more time enjoying the great beers that are brewed just miles from my home, by people that live in my neighborhood. This is what we should be looking for.



Recently, the Arizona Beer Sommelier wrote a piece related to the voting of this very poll, talking about local pride in our beer, and beer community, and I couldn't agree with him more. These polls are not scientific, or do they have any real baring on the actual beer community aside from bragging rights, but after all, if you are truly proud of your community, don't you want the right to brag about it? So lets take pride in our local beer, and celebrate it, and next year, lets break into the top 5!

Let me just add this as well, if you are reading this from Grand Rapids, MI, or Portland Maine, or where
ever, the same holds true for you, you don't have to hold the rank of #1 beer city in the country. Be proud of what you have, and drink what you have. You can't complain of about not having any good local beer, if you don't drink local beer.

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends!

The Beer Czar

Schmohz Brewing, a little Brewery with a Big Heart!

Here is Roving Beer Czar Corespondant UNcle Gary's lasts visit to a Central Michigan Brewpub. This time,
it is Schmohz Brewing, so take a moment, and check it out......








Schmohz Brewery, Grand Rapids, MI

A Big Hearted Small Brewery


by Gary Morrison



Schmohz Brewery in Grand Rapids, Michigan is a small neighborhood brewery with good beer, a good reputation, and a big heart.

The brewery's stable of beers include Bone Crusher Stout (a robust aggressive ale built with five specialty malts), India Pale Ale, Zingiberene Ale (a light malt based ale using ginger rather than hops), and Kiss my Scottish Arse (a great ale guaranteed to lift your kilt).

There are several other beers they brew and keeping up with the needs of the people means that brewer Chas Thompson has more than a full time job keeping up with demand.

Schmohz Brew House

"We brew 20-barrel batches," he said. "We ferment in three 60-barrel and one 20-barrel fermenters."

Their beer is sold in about 1,000 bars and retail outlets in Michigan, Chas said. None of it is sold out of state.

“We also sell our own brand of root beer and cherry soda,” said Chas who has been a brewer for over 15 years.

Schmohz was originally the Robert Thomas Brewery before going out of business. It sat idle for several months before Jim and Laurie Schwerin bought the building and all of the equipment almost eight years ago.

Laurie (left), with customer Sarah Roberts

"I call this my husband's midlife crisis," Laurie said. "Most men go out and buy a Corvette; we bought a bar."

It then took Jim and Laurie about three months to get up to speed and open its doors to the public; which worked out because it took them three months to get their license.

"But we could make beer even though we couldn't sell it until we got our license," she said. "When we got our license we were ready to go.

"Jim is a home brewer so three of our beers are his home recipes," she said. "We have five beers on tap all of the time and have a reasonable amount of seasonals."



A very comfortable look!



The decor of the brewer can best described as "your buddy's basement rec room" equipped with a large screen TV, pool table, and dart boards. The brewer cannot sell food on premises, but people are allowed to bring in food or grill their own on an outside patio. Laurie and Jim won't have it any other way.

"We're not a yuppie bar," she said. "We don't want to be pretentious, just a laid back place where you feel like you’re at home."

That is one of the draws that attracted Sarah Roberts and here husband to Schmohz. They moved to the area from Kentucky over a year ago and felt that they would have trouble adjusting to a new life in the area.

"Then we found this place about a year ago and now we come here three to four times a week" Sarah said.



A friendly bar!



“We like it because you always find great people here, great beer, and always feel comfortable about coming here."

Now when she goes back to Kentucky it is mandatory that she brings bottles of Schmohz beer with her.

“When our relatives visit, this is the first place they like to come to,” she said. “They cannot get Schmohz in Kentucky, so they insist we bring them some when we go back home to visit.”

Chad Riley lives about twenty minutes away and can only stop in occasional, he said. However, he likes Schmohz's Scotch and pales ales and those are his beers of choice when he drops in.

Chad Riley and friend CJ Davis

"But I do drink quite a bit of their beer because it is available in bottles in a lot places in Michigan,” he said. “When I can’t get here, I don’t have to worry about getting my fill.”

And as for Schmohz's big heart; Jim and Laurie are a graduates of Michigan Technological University and both work closely on charity events with Michigan Tech's Alumni Association, Laurie said, as well as sponsor a 5K run every year for the Special Olympics.

“We’re also sponsors of Sammi Rae of Hope, an organization created to financially help families suffering with the possible loss of a family member,” Laurie said. “It helps those family members who are forced into making financial decisions while waiting for a medical miracle or for the inevitable.”




For more information on Schmohz's Charity work, check out Sammi Rae of Hope here  www.sammiraeofhope.org

For information on thier Charity race, the "Achillies Ale 5k, get more information here 

www.schmohz.com/race, or download a flyer here


Schomtz Brewery is located at

2600 Patterson S.E
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

616.949.0860

website

Neighborhood Success

Roving Beer Czar Corespondent Uncle Gary continues his tour of Central Michigan breweries with a stop at Harmony Brewing in Grand Rapids! Recently opened (recently as in a few weeks ago recently) they were kind enough to spend a little time with my Uncle, so take a moment to read up on (and hopefully stop by) this brand new member of Michigan's impressive beer family.



Neighborhood Success

by Gary W. Morrison

My intended trip to visit three brew houses in the southern middle part of Michigan was sidetracked because of the opening of Harmony Brewing; the newest brewery to open in Grand Rapids.

Visiting just days after opening, I found a brewery immediately immersed in success.

Owners Barry, Heather and Jackson

Harmony Brewery is owned and operated by brothers Barry and Jackson Van Dyke and their sister Heather Van Dyke-Titus. They are also the owners of a successful property management company behind the development of two cafes and a bar in the Grand Rapids area.

“Now we’re here running our own brewery,” Barry said. “If you’re a beer fan, Michigan is the place to be; especially Grand Rapids.”

Barry and Jackson have been home brewing for about 10 years, Barry said. In that time they have developed their own distinct styles.

Jaskson, next to thier 5 gallon brew kettle

“Jackson and I take turns brewing,” Barry said. “We each brew three different styles on separate days.”

They have no plans for a bottling line; that enables them to constantly change styles, Barry said. It’s one of the joys since they do not distribute their beer they do not have to adhere to having the same beers on tap all of the time.

“We were looking for another business venture,” Heather said. “Because Barry and Jackson have been brewing for years, we thought a brewery would be a good fit.

“It was a light bulb that went off in our heads.”

Harmony opened with beers such as Black Squirrel (a smoky peated porter), Star Stuff (a Belgian dubbel), Golden Lion Tamarin (a mild pale), Brownson Pinchot (an American brown), and Crossroads (a rye pale ale).

On any given day, you’ll find the small neighborhood brewery busy with people drinking its beer and eating any one of its signature wood-oven pizzas. That combination has resulted in the Van Dykes experiencing the side effects of their success.



Server Fran Buss, serving up a glass



Within days they began running short of their beer, but rather than leave customers with just one or two beer choices they filled in the gap by substituting Michigan craft beers from other local breweries.

“It has taken us by surprise,” Jackson said. “We’re working practically every night just to keep up; it’s been that good.

“But we don’t want to leave our customers without a choice of good beer, so we fill in when we have to with other crafts.”

They attribute that success to being “neighborhood centric” enabling them to keep tabs on whatever their customers want. Besides their beer and pizza, they also serve wine, mixed drinks, and desserts.

Harmony is located in a neighborhood where walking to the brewery is an easy option for many of its customers. They plan to utilize an upper level dining area in the afternoon for neighborhood classes in everything from cheese making to philosophy.

“We will have a topic and a date when it will be discussed,” Barry said. “We want to see this become a gathering place for people in the neighborhood.”


"Big Beer" drinker Adam Schmitt



Drinking a Golden Lion, Adam Schmitt was enjoying his first visit to Harmony seven days after it opened its doors. A “big beer drinker,” Scmitt said that he was enjoying what he was tasting.

“This will not be the last time I come here,” he said. “It feels like a good place to visit with friends and hangout.”



That pleases the siblings. It tells them they got it right.

“We’ve been happy so far to see a full range of ages stopping at the brewery,” Barry said. “It is what we want: a comfortable place for people to come.”
 
Harmony Brewing Company is at 1551 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506, and can be reached at 616.233.0063, or like them on Facebook.
 
 
Gary is the older brother of my father, Don. He resides in Grand Rapids Michigan with his wife Linda. Gary is a writer (working on finishing a book) and Power lifter. If you are interested in WWII History, and/or Theater, please check out my Uncle's Website Morrison-TG and check out his info on his one man show "Hi, I'm Ernie Pyle", or even check out a show that may be near you!!!

It’s All About The Beer And Then Some

Please take a moment and check out Roving Beer Czar corespondent "Uncle Gary" for his excellent review of Siciliano’s Market in Grand Rapids Michigan. Take note all you Michigan beer folks, especially home brewers, sounds like this is a must stop for Central Michigan beer runs!! Enjoy, and again, my thanks to Uncle Gary for his contribution!



It’s All About The Beer And Then Some


by Gary W. Morrison

It’s only fitting that Siciliano's Market in Grand Rapids is considered the Charles Atlas of all things beer and beer supplies.

Just as Charles Atlas (who real name was Siciliano) changed his body from scrawny to robust; market owner Steve Siciliano changed a dusty party store from failure to success.

“When I bought this place in 1993, it was going out of business,” Siciliano said. “It was nothing like it is now.”

Beer Advocate give’s Siciliano’s Market a rating of 100; it’s designation for world class status.

Steve said he struggled a few years trying different things before he started carrying micro beers such as Michigan produced Bells. Business improved, but he said it improved even better when he began also selling beer individually instead of just in six packs or cases.

“About that time people became interested in making their own beer so I started carrying beer supplies,” he said. “I carry all types of craft beer, beers from all over the country and world, about 30 different beer making kits as well as have one of the largest supplies of beer components available anywhere.

“I have stuff for the dabbler as well as the advance brewer,” he said. “I even have some breweries coming in for supplies.”

Ren Hanselman

Warehouse manager Ren Hanselman knows full well the amount of beer supplies the store carries. They are getting beer components in everyday; it’s nonstop, he said.

“We have many different kinds of grains as well as malts from Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, as well as the United States,” he said. “We have everything anyone could ever want for making beer.”

Lets make some beer!

But it is the beer that first brings people into Siciliano’s. When you walk into the store the first thing you see are the seemingly endless shelves of beer. It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the vast selection. You may at first be looking for your favorite beer, but after facing so many different brews you start saying to your self: I’ve got to try that and that and that….”

If you’re an adventurist, you just grab blindly, buy what you can get your hands around, and contemplate the pleasure of trying something new as you leave the store.

Kati Spayde

Beer buyer Kati Spayde said her father taught her how to home brew. That instituted in her a strong appreciation of beer and that makes her job a lot of.

She really doesn’t know how many different beers the market carries. After a quick count she stopped when she reached 800.

“We really have more than that,” Kati said. “It would probably take a few years for someone to try them all.”

Cigars!!

Once you’re in the store you start to realize that is much more to it than beer. You will notice the selection of cigars at the counter and the walk-in humidor next to it, a large selection of wine and liquor, cider, mead, and saki.

You’ll also discover wine making kits and supplies, kits for making your own cheese, bread making kits, green coffee beans, and 20 varieties of lose tea in bulk.

When Steve bought the business, the building also housed a pizzeria. After that business moved out, Steve expanded his business because he needed the space for beer kits and supplies. They now have over 4,000 square feet retail space.

“My staff is very knowledgeable,” Steve says. “Whatever we carry we have a knowledge curve.”

Steve Siciliano,
the world needs more people like him in it!

And keeping ahead of the curve is a constant job for Steve. He still hasn’t seen it all when it comes to what is next in home brewing, but does see people developing an interest in what they find is offered in many brew pubs and microbreweries.

“Sour beers are getting hot and barrel aged beers are two trends I see people getting into,” he said. “We always need to talk to people and we are always learning.”

 
Bottoms Up my friends, until next time!
Beer Czar

Beer Heaven Right Here On Earth

~Beer Czar Note~ A few weeks ago, I posted a link from Draft Magazines list of top 100 Beer bars in America. If you recall, I mentioned I was sending my intrepid Beer Czar contributing writer, Uncle Gary out to write up one of the bars mentioned, Hopcat, in Grand Rapids Mich. Well, here it is folks!!!



Beer Heaven Right Here On Earth
By Gary Morrison

Beautiful view of the bar at Hopcat!

A person who has trouble making up his mind will have a tough time deciding on which beer to drink on his or her first visit to HopCat.

Taps at Hopcat

Voted the third best beer bar in the world by Beer Advocate, HopCat in Grand Rapids, Michigan has 48 handpull taps behind the bar and another 200 to 300 beers in bottles. Those beers comprise an array of Michigan and regional craft brews, global beers, and a large selection of Belgians. Also included is a range of HopCat’s own beer brewed on premises. Looking at the beer menu then becomes a matter of choosing what you will drink at the moment while in the back of you mind planning what you will drink on your next visit. And that is part of the grand plan of HopCat manager and chief beer geek Steve Smith.

Just a few of the many...

“I’m on the lookout for beer,” Smith says. “My job is researching beer and planning events featuring beer. When it comes to beer, we want to stay ahead of the curve.”

HopCat has a heavy rotation of beer, Smith says. You can walk into the bar with friends at the beginning of the week and have a particular selection and then come back later in the week with a different group and have a different selection.

They rotate at least twelve taps a week, Smith says. That means he has to update his beer menu twice a week.

“With a heavy rotation, I can keep the beer fresh,” he says. “But I also do some aging. I have some stronger styles in barrels such as barley wines, sour ales, and imperials that I’ll pull out for festivals.”

For those times your not in the mood for a beer, HopCat has a full bar offering cocktails and wines. All of that, plus the beer, pairs well with HopCat’s dynamite food menu. For times you’re not interested in a craft or global beer, Smith also offer American and Euro lagers beers as well.

“That style will never go away,” he says referring to the Euros. “A lot of people will come in for those as well as use a lighter beer to cleanse out their pallet before venturing to another bolder tasting beer.”

With all of the possible beers to stock, Smith relies on social media such as Facebook and Twitter and beer websites like Beer Advocate to see what is trending. Once he decides what to carry, he relies on a network of eight different distributors for delivery.

Becky Hall

That suits customers like Becky Hall just fine. She drops into HopCat once or twice a week because she likes the selection of porters and stouts.

“I love the variety of porters and stouts,” she said. “At other places, the beer is all the same. I can come here and have a large selection to choose from.”

Dick Terpstra

Long time customer Dick Terpstra likes the ambiance and friendly service just as much as beer. He doesn’t have any favorite beer because he likes them all.

“It’s hard to have a favorite,” said Terpstra, a regular customer since HopCat opened four years ago. “I love the selection; there are a lot of choices.”

Shelby Williams

Bartender Shelby Williams has worked at HopCat since it opened. She cannot count how many beers she has served in that time, but can tell of the trends she has seen from behind the bar.

“Besides our beers from around the country, people want to drink local beers,” she says. “There are so many beers. I serve a lot of IPAs, but in the winter, people like their stouts.”
 
 
 
 
 
My thanks to Uncle Gary! Gary is the older brother of my father, Don. He resides in Grand Rapids Michigan with his wife Linda. Gary is a writer (working on finishing a book) and Power lifter. If you are interested in WWII History, and/or Theater, please check out my Uncle's Website Morrison-TG and check out his info on his one man show "Hi, I'm Ernie Pyle", or even check out a show that may be near you!!!