OT: Michigan Beer

Submitted by Tate on

Since, it's the bye week I felt that this thread is okay. If not, delete.

But next week, for the Maryland game, I will be making my first trip to Ann Arbor. Lately, when I travel to a new area or state, I have been trying to grab a six (or 4)-pack of the best beer from the area and bring it back home with me.

With the large amounts of drinking threads that flood this website weekly, I know that you all know your beer. So I've come here to make it easier on myself and ask for some of your help.

If I could grab one six (or 4)-pack to bring back home with me to MD, what should I get?

I don't have any preferences, anything is fine with me.

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ChuckieWoodson

November 15th, 2014 at 9:25 AM ^

Outside of MI. So while two hearted is my personal favorite, you can probably get it where Tate lives. So I'd recommend getting a few six packs of Shorts, which doesn't distribute outside of MI, and according to their sales reps, never will. Huma Lupa Licious is my favorite Shorts. Controversiale if you're not into that much hops. Beard of Zeus is a pleasant APL.

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rob f

November 15th, 2014 at 10:57 AM ^

So many great beers and ales, so many great breweries and brewpubs in Michigan, it really comes down to looking for your favorite style and buying a few sixes from various brewing companies. 

Greenbush, Oddside, New Holland, Saugatuck breweries are all very good to great along the west coast of Michigan.  Founders, Dark Horse, Arcadia, and Bells are all damn good in western and southern Michigan.  Shorts is probably the best  (and best-known) in northern Michigan.  None of this, though,  means to ignore any of the others in this state. 

 

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rob f

November 17th, 2014 at 4:50 PM ^

at The Liquor Cabinet in St. Joe yesterday, and they still had at least a couple more 4-packs there  (posting this in case anyone else in the area is searching for some Backwoods Bastard).

They also told me they'd have some Hopslam in January. 

Later on yesterday evening I popped into a local Hardings for a few groceries and lucked into a deal on some Bell's Venus Planetary Series brew.  It was marked $9.99 for a six but was supposed to be going for $13.99, according to the cashier.  So I saved a bit on something I didn't expect to even see there, got it chilling and will pop one open later this evening.  Has anyone else had any "Venus" or gotten any of the other Bells Planetary Series special edition ales?

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CompleteLunacy

November 15th, 2014 at 12:55 PM ^

I literally just bought a Backwoods yesterday to try. I am so happy to be able to buy a Michigan beer where I live in Oklahoma (its the first I've found in 5 years here)...and my local liquor store has been really ramping up the varieties of Founders lately.

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jcorqian

November 15th, 2014 at 3:22 PM ^

To be honest, I don't really love Two Hearted.  I'm a huge Bells fan (and general small brewery / craft beer fan), but I don't think Two Hearted really differentiates itself significantly from many other pale ales out there.  Don't get me wrong, it's great, but not something I'd go out of my way for.  The Michigan ties and the good times I had while drinking it obviously make a difference, but it's not enough to make it outstanding.

Now Bell's Hopslam is a ridiculously distinctive and noteworthy beer that is much harder to find outside of Michigan (I live in NYC and have seen a few times, but nowhere near how much Two Hearted is distributed).  The stories I could tell about getting hammered on the deliciously enjoyable beer...

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Huma

November 15th, 2014 at 6:12 PM ^

I disagree that Two Hearted is not distinctive. It is the benchmark to which all other IPAs should be compared and is an excellent brew. Two Hearted became very well known long before the explosion of craft brews and superb hoppy IPAs.

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might and main

November 15th, 2014 at 6:54 PM ^

http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/bells-two-hearted-ale-is-contrarian-pr…

 

So I wanted to call Bell's Two-Hearted IPA overrated. The headline would have been so much fun to write! And I could have told all sorts of irrelevant jokes about how Detroit's a hellhole and Michigan football sucks and tried to pass them off as having anything at all to do with a beer from Kalamazoo. But alas, the Bell'sholes are right about this one. Two-Hearted is fucking spectacular.

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btn

November 15th, 2014 at 9:32 AM ^

Pretty sure that it is available nationwide.  See it everywhere in Atlanta.

 

I would go for Oddside , Shorts, or Right Brain  I had never seen any of them in the Atlanta area.    I wish I had brought home more of the Oddside Beanflicker Blonde, a blonde ale made with coffee.  Took home a variety pack of Shorts and thought it was pretty good too.

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rob f

November 17th, 2014 at 8:56 PM ^

while in my successful search for some Backwoods Bastard.  The Liquor Cabinet in St. Joe told me to expect some in January---maybe either they or you are just slightly off on the timing.  I'll research this at Bell's website and check back in...

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