For those of you who haven’t seen the daily musings online at the new Kalamabrew blog…shame on you. Hop to it!

http://www.mlive.com/kalamabrew/

By David Farley, ForbesTraveler.com

Fragrant flowers, half-timbered windmills and friendly attitudes are just a few of the reasons travelers hit up Holland. But there’s another, just as kind, just as gentle land where wooden shoes and tulips rule: Holland, Michigan. Check in to the Dutch Colonial Inn B&B, which blends Midwestern hospitality with Old World atmosphere in a cozy house built in 1928. Amble through downtown where Dutch-accented shops flank the tree-lined streets and then settle in to the New Holland Brewing Co. for a few pints of Red Tulip Ale. In the end, you’ll be wearing clogs too.

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http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-05-05-europe-america-forbes_N.htm

The Michigan Brewers Guild and Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville are kicking off the summer in style at the 3rd Annual Michigan Beer & Brat Festival, planned for Saturday, May 24 from 4-8pm. As many as 40 Michigan craft beers from a variety of state microbreweries will be available for sampling throughout the day.

“The Michigan Beer & Brat Festival has quickly become the event that marks the beginning of the summer season at Crystal Mountain,” says Brian Lawson, public relations & special events manager for Crystal Mountain. “This festival is a great opportunity to discover a countless number of fine lcoal brews and an extensive menu of specialty brats you’re only going to find in Michigan.”

Admission to the Michigan Beer & Brat Festival is $20 and includes a commemorative mug, as well as tickets for beer and brats and giant Bavarian pretzels. You must be 21 to enter. Live entertainment by Egon is also on the schedule.

“What better way to celebrate the start of the warm-weather season in Michigan than with a cool fresh hand-crafted beer,” says Scott Graham, Executive Director of the Michigan Brewers Guild. “Our partnerships with Michigan’s top tourist properties such as Crystal Mountain Resort not only give us a great venue to showcase some of the finest Michigan beers but it helps us reinforce the value of the state’s overall hospitality industry.”

For those looking to add to the holiday weekend experience, Crystal Mountain is offering a special lodging package that allows guests to add a few birdies (and maybe a couple bogies) to their beers and brats. The Birdies, Beers & Brats package includes two nights lodging, unlimited golf, two breakfasts and admission to the Michigan Beer & Brat Festival. Rates start at $279 per adult and are available May 23-25. For reservations, call 800-YOUR-MTN or for more information, log on to http://www.crystalmountain.com.

FROM APPLETON (WIS) POST-CRESCENT
May 7, 2008

Scotty Karate is aptly named for a 9.75 percent beer that kicked most of its competitors last fall by winning a silver medal for Strong Scotch Ale at the Great American Beer Festival.

Its strength puts it into a category that traditionally was referred to as a “wee heavy,” essentially a Scottish barleywine.

Scotty Karate has a huge malt aroma and flavor, is hopped a bit more than you might find in beers from Scotland and its sweetness is more in line with McEwan’s Scotch Ale. But unlike that lighter beer from Scotland, which is so sweet I can barely make it through one, Scotty’s alcohol strength balances out the malt sugars.

The body is slightly syrupy from the malt, which gives a creamy mouthfeel more than a cloying one. Caramel, toffee and bread notes dominate the taste, with a medium carbonation that is just right for this type of beer. There is a slight smokiness in the aftertaste that is typical of the style — in this case, from hardwood smoked malt.

A homebrew club I once belonged to received an e-mail from a gentleman in Scotland who happened across a Scottish ale recipe on the club’s Web site. He admonished Americans who used smoked grain for the style, writing that any smokiness from ales made in Scotland is derived from the yeast strain. I have used the Scottish yeast variety in homebrew and it does impart a slight smokiness. However, I have also used smoked peat malt and been just as happy with the results. The world can accommodate both methods.

Dark Horse beers are currently only available in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Its distributor list can be found here: www.darkhorse|brewery.com/distributors_newfront.|asp.

I do have to mention the confusion over the use of the terms “Scottish” or “Scotch.” Some people argue that the beer style should only be called Scottish ale, since Scotch generally refers to whiskey. But Dark Horse’s own Web site uses both terms in its description of Scotty Karate, so there should be nothing wrong with using the term “Scotch Ale.” What is not debatable, however, is that you should never refer to a person from Scotland as Scotch.

Beer Man sez: Scotty Karate has a tasty kick.

TODD HAEFER of Scandinavia gets paid to drink beer and write it for Weekend. He can be reached at beerman@postcrescent.com.

http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080507/APC05/80507107

Categories: Executive Profile

Posted by John Turk | Oakland Business Review May 01, 2008 01:07AM

Although the words “beer” and “geek” might not seem to go naturally together, Eric Briggeman, the newly chosen president of the Michigan Brewers Guild, says those two words are what define most employees in the brewing industry.

Briggeman said he has a library dedicated to the pursuit of beer knowledge, and subscribes to many national and statewide beer publications. He says many in the industry follow suit to keep up with the market.

Background
Education: Adams High School; 95 credits toward business degree at OU; some technical brewing classes
Family: Married; 5-year-old daughter; 2 chocolate labs, and 2 cats
Age: 36
Residence: Rochester Hills

Briggeman, aside from being the president of the MBG, has in the past been head brewer at Big Buck Brewery in Gaylord and is currently brewmaster at the Rochester Mills Beer Company in Rochester.

Briggeman said that the guild’s main goal is to promote and market Michigan-brewed beer. That’s why whenever he visits a bar or brew pub, the first question he asks is what kind of Michigan beer it has.

“A bulk of the breweries in Michigan formed when the Michigan Brewers Guild formed. I was active in volunteering from day one,” said Briggeman, who served on the MBG’s board as secretary for four years.

One of the MBG’s events, its Winter Beer Festival, used to be held in Lansing near the guild’s headquarters, and just this year moved to Grand Rapids, where it sold out.

Briggeman said that the recent change of venue obviously has not diminished interest in the event, which was held Feb. 23.

At the MBG festivals, “we take everything we make and use it for marketing Michigan beer,” said Briggeman. “For example, we recently expanded our Michigan beer brochure to about 16 pages of information about pairing beer with food, and things like how beer is made in general.”

The MBG also holds annual technical conferences for industry personnel, and will host its 11th annual Summer Beer Festival in Ypsilanti on the weekend of July 25.

“We have a $300,000 to $400,000 budget for the events,” Briggeman said. “And the Summer Festival usually totals 5,000 to 6,000 people each year.”

Along with handling festival planning and marketing, Briggeman has a large role in the upkeep of the MBG’s blog, “The Mash,” which is at www.mbgmash.org.

With his new position, Briggeman said, there is a little more added to his workload, but he enjoys having a hand in nonspecific marketing of Michigan independent breweries.

His schedule usually consists of board meetings that are up to two hours away, along with his full-time brewmaster career at Rochester Mills.

“It’s time-consuming, but I love it,” said Briggeman.

INSIGHTS

Best way to keep competitive edge: Keep an open mind; don’t rule out any possibility.

Personal hero: I admire a lot of people, but don’t think I have a “hero.”

How do you motivate people: Never give someone a job or task that I wouldn’t do myself.

How do you motivate yourself: I like to be busy. Hearing feedback from customers.

Three greatest passions: Beer/brewing, building trades, softball.

Most unique office decor: A 15-liter drinking vessel, or my beer bottle collection.

Favorite hobby: Going to concerts, live music.

JUDGMENT CALLS

Best business decision: Accepting my current job at Rochester Mills.

Worst business decision: I plead the Fifth.

Biggest management myth: If you’re the boss you have to be a (jerk).

What advice would you give to yourself 10 years ago? Have a plan, but be ready and willing to adapt. Hardly anything turns out the way you expect it to.

Words that best describe you: Passionate, hard-working.

CONFESSIONS

What keeps you up at night? Nothing.

Pet peeve:Bad grammar, especially on resumes.

Guilty pleasure: Anything sweet, but I don’t feel guilty about it.

First job: Worked in a local greenhouse.

First choice for a new career: I wouldn’t want one.

TREASURES

Favorite cause: Supporting the military service men and women.

Favorite book: Any beer-related book.

Favorite movies: “Old School,” “Major League,” “Star Wars,” “Blues Brothers.”

What’s on your iPod/car radio dial? Anything ’80s rock. I love the hair bands!

What do you do to recharge the batteries? My batteries don’t usually need it. If I’m tired I sleep.

Favorite restaurant: Quick - Taco Bell; sit down - Texas Roadhouse.

Wheels: Jeep Cherokee.

REPRINTED FROM:
http://blog.mlive.com/oak_business_review/2008/05/eric_briggeman_president_michi.html

The Michigan Brewers Guild invites you to attend the Ticket Kick Off Party for the 11th Annual Summer Beer Festival

What: Ticket Kick Off Party for the Summer Beer Festival
Where: Aubree’s (upstairs in Stix) in Depot Town,Ypsilanti
When: Thursday, May 1st from 5-9pm.
Who: Everybody is welcome

Attractions include:
• Festival ticket sales including a discount on the purchase of 2 day tickets. This will be the only opportunity to get this discount.
• Prizes including guild and brewery merchandise and festival tickets.
• Enjoy a beer with brewery staff from around the state
• An expanded selection of Michigan beers including some special features

Special Features

Jolly Pumpkin ~ 750ml bottles
Madrugada Obscura; Belgian inspired stout, aged in oak barrels with wild yeast and souring bacteria. Dark as a moonless midnight and twice as delicious.

Maracaibo Especial; Belgian influenced brown ale brewed with raw cacao. Oak aged with wild yeast and sour bacteria. Rich and velvety with hints of chocolate and dark fruits.

Biere de Mars; Franco Belgian style red brown bitter sour American wheat ale. Brewed with twin yeasts, oak aged for four months. Biting as a March wind, refreshing as a gentle breeze. Not to be missed.

The Livery ~ Firkin
Carvana; Imperial Red Ale aged in oak barrels, 118 IBU’s, 8.5% abv

New Holland ~ Firkin
Dragon’s Milk Ale; a crown jewel of New Holland Brewing Company Dragon’s Milk is a complex ale with a soft, rich caramel-malt character intermingled with deep vanilla tones; all dancing in an oak bath. 19° Plato, Alc. 8.5% by Vol.

New Holland ~ Draft
Existential Ale; This special ale boasts 200 pounds of malt per barrel yielding 25.5° Plato and a resulting 10.5% ABV as well as 10 hop-strikes, totaling 37 ounces per barrel of American-grown hops.

See you there!

Booze news you can use; bottoms up

The Michigan Brewers Association has come to the rescue of beer drinkers plagued by questions about their favorite beverage, such as “What’s the difference between lager and ale?” and “Where can I get some right now?”

The East Lansing-based trade and lobby group is issuing 100,000 copies of “Michigan. The Great Beer State” — a marketing guide to the state’s beer industry aimed at “novice and serious beer drinkers alike,” the association says.

Inside, beer aficionados will find:

- A locator map for 53 locations in Michigan that brew beer, and six pages devoted to a brewery listing and nearby amenities.

- A guide to support an increase in requests for food and beer pairings.

- A guide to the purchase, care and enjoyment of “hand-crafted beer.”

- A list of brewing ingredients and styles.

Naturally, there’s information about joining the guild as an “enthusiast member” and how to buy merchandise. The guides are available at member breweries and state welcome centers.

There are 17 beer brewers in metro Detroit listed on the association’s online application at michiganbrewersguild.org.

The Michigan Brewers Guild has just released “Michigan. The Great Beer State” – an annual marketing piece which spotlights the state’s microbreweries and brewpubs. The publication features a slick new look and loads of helpful information for novice and serious beer drinkers alike, including:

• A Michigan Beer Locator Map – listing 53 locations around the state, with a companion six-page listing of breweries complete with icons to identify the various amenities such as restaurant, live entertainment, outdoor seating and brewery tours. Eight different regional tours are also identified.

• A Guide to Matching Beer & Food – supporting an increase in requests for food and beer pairings.

• A Guide to the Purchase, Care & Enjoyment of Hand Crafted Beer.

• A List of Brewing Ingredients and Styles – identifying the difference between lager and ale as well as the four basic ingredients used to make beer.

• Clarification on Michigan’s legal definition of a brewery, microbrewery and brewpub.

• Details about July’s designation as Michigan Craft Beer Month – as well as dates for the 2008 Winter and Summer Beer Festivals.

• Details about the Michigan Brewers Guild – including information about purchasing merchandise and becoming an “Enthusiast Member” of the organization.

This year, 100,000 copies of the directory were printed and are available for free at all Michigan State Welcome Centers and at member breweries around the state.

Michigan’s thriving brewing industry contributes over $24 million in wages with a total economic contribution of more than $133 million. In terms of overall number of breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks #6 in the nation – thus supporting its claim as “Michigan. The Great Beer State.”

The Michigan Brewers Guild exists to unify the Michigan brewing community; to increase sales of Michigan-brewed beer through promotions, marketing, public awareness and consumer education; and to monitor and assure a healthy beer industry within the state. For more information, including a list of Michigan craft breweries, log on to www.michiganbrewersguild.org.

This year we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the modification of the Volstead Act on April 7, 1933, which allowed beer to legally flow once again in the United States of America. Not to be confused with the repeal of prohibition on December 5th, 1933, April 7 marks the date when beer was the only legal libation in the United States. For more information, and details about celebrations taking place all over the country, visit the 75 Years of Beer website. Here’s to beer!

For the 3rd year in a row, Craft Beer in the U.S. boasts double digit growth! Sales dollars increased 16% in 2007, while craft beer volume increased 12%, surpassing the 8 million barrel mark! While other segments of the alcohol industry have shown minimal growth, craft beer continues to flourish. For the complete story, and other craft beer statistics, click here. Feel free to share a copy of the official Press Release.