Bad News for Michigan Beer Lovers..

Cherry Trees near Traverse City

As many (or at least some of you know) my wife is from Traverse City, MI. I have been lucky enough to spend a fair amount of time there, however anyone that has spent anymore then 12 minutes in Traverse City will know that the city is synonymous with cherry's. Cherry Capital of the world in fact. Even their airport is called "Cherry Capital Airport". Well, this spring was not very kind to the cherry harvest it seems. A warmer then usual spring, followed by some frost reeked some havoc on the crop. Making for a much lower then normal yield this fall.

Why am I bringing this up on a beer blog? Well, Bells Brewery, from Kalamazoo brews their seasonal Cherry Stout using Montmorency Cherry Juice, that comes from the Traverse City area. As a result of the crop, there will be no Cherry Stout brewed by Bells this fall. There is a small number of 2011 batch kegs that find its way into the market on a limit basis.

The next batch of Cherry Stout is planned to be brewed next fall.

You can read the release from Bells here.

I would like to add a little prospective however. while this is really a mere minor inconvenience to us beer lovers, this is truly awful news for the farmers and their family's. Lets hope that this doesn't effect them too greatly, and hope next year is a real banner crop for them, to not only allow us a great beer we enjoy, but more importantly for these hard working folks to be able to maintain their lifestyle.

Short's Expansion!

Its no secret that on this blog, that we LOVE Michigan beer! After all, whats not to love? I mean, some of my all time favorite beers come from The Wolverine State, among them, New Hollands Dragons Milk, Founders KBS and Devil Dancer, Bells Oberon, Acadia's Ship Wreck Porter, I could go on, and on and on. While the number of breweries in Mich is still relatively small, the quality of the brewers currently residing in the mitten are nothing short of great, in my humble opinion.



Brewed in Michigan!

One of the smaller, and dare I say "quirkier" brewers is Shorts Brewing, in Bellaire, MI. Set on Main St of this small, quaint, Rockwell-esque town, this brewery is small, but daring. One look at their list of beers, and you see beers ranging from a simple brown ale, or IPA, to a slightly more strange PB & J Stout, S' More Stout, Key Lime Pie Ale, and a host of many others most brewers haven't even imagined let alone having the temerity to actually brew, and sell!





My Father in Law leaving Shorts

 Shorts has been around since the early 2000's, started by Joe Short, and group of friends. With a goal to create unique and exciting beers for local consumption. They currently operate a little pub, that is quaint, comfortable, although, to the first timer slightly confusing, but still very fun. My In Laws are lucky enough to have a summer lake cottage just a few short miles from Bellaire and Shorts, on Intermediate Lake. I had the pleasure of stopping by Shorts last summer for some wonderful pizza, and a 5 beer sampler. While with every daring, risk taking venture, not everything is going to work, as is the case with some of Shorts brews. Some fall short of being even good, while others are an absolute grand slam!

My sampler consisted of 5 Beers...

My Shorts Sampler





Beer Czar enjoying a Cornholio!



Bananarama- a sweet, (almost too sweet) fruit beer, that I think was good to try one, glad I did, wouldn't get again

Saison du Shorts - a great, flavorful, refreshing take on a great summer style!

Cornoholio - A 7% abv Baltic Porter, while not the greatest version of this style I've had, it was a very good version, I would buy this again, for a cool, winter evening around the fire pit.



Mrs Czar, and my mother in law at Shorts



Mama’s Strawberry Milk - I'm normally not a fan of fruit beers,and this beer is a great example of why that is. WAY too sweet,tasted like a light ale, with strawberry syrup in it, not a fan!

Chocolate Wheat - a great, very chocolaty American Porter! I liked this one a lot, despite the huge chocolate presence, I normally find unpleasant, this one worked well!

Before heading to shorts, I had spent the afternoon with a six pack of their Nicey Spicy, a very pleasant, drinkable herb spiced brown ale. As well as thier famous Huma-Lumpa-Licious IPA, a great IPA.
Also, a few Christmas's, my in laws sent me a bottle of their Peaches and Cream, from their very popular 2007 Imperial Series. Now, I know I said I don't normally like fruit beers, but this one was awesome! Not a ton of fruit, but enough to be obvious as to what you were drinking. A well crafted beer.

Inside Shorts Pub

Now, why am I writing about all this after almost a year or more from enjoying them? Well, like so many other Brewers in the Great Lake State, Shorts is expanding, big time! Sadly, Shorts is all about Michigan, and doesn't distribute outside the state, so we will still have to rely on loving friends and family to send us our Shorts fix, or why not just head to Bellaire and spend a few hours enjoying the many many eccentric ales this brewery offers! Expansion is always good news, even for those of us unlucky enough to live outside the small reach of this great little brewery! Congrats to Shorts, and good luck, I hope to see soon!


Read all about Shorts expansion here....
Shorts Brewing's $2 million expansion...

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

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