Bell's Brewery

 

Recently I was lucky to get an opportunity to visit Kalamazoo's Bell's Brewery and go on a tour of the facility.

What started as a modest brewing operation by Larry Bell, Bell's Brewery has grown into one of Michigan's famous craft beer empires. Bell's is famous for (among others) their Oberon and Two Hearted brews, but what was interesting about visiting in person was the number of beers that are ONLY served in their Kalamazoo pub. When ordering off their beer menu, the beers noted with the yellow Bell's logo are pub exclusives.

 

I was not feeling well the morning I visited, so I played it safe and ordered the Lager of the Lakes. I now know that I detest any type of lager; this one was good for a lager but overall light and not memorable (also pictured is the Winter White Ale). If I could do Bell's again I would order a flight of their stouts, as I'm kicking myself for not trying the Smoked Stout and the Milk Stout.

Bell's production, which was once done on the Kalamazoo grounds with the pub, has been moved to a larger facility in Comstock, MI. Lucky weekend visitors are able to tour the old production facility at the top of the hour beginning at noon. I believe the old facility is still used to brew small, experimental batches.  I was able to snag some pictures while on the tour of conicle fermenters and oak barrels, which are used to make sour beers.

Our tour guide was passionate about Bell's and the brewing process, and mentioned that Bell's uses their own special yeast in the brewing process. This Bell's exclusive yeast is used in the brewing process for every Bell's beer. For those not familiar with the brewing process, the yeast plays a role in fermentation. Yeast is a living organism that consumes the carbs/sugar in the beer, producing the alcohol. Yeast also plays a role in the flavor and aroma of beer.

If you happen to visit Kalamazoo, be sure to stop in at Bell's - it is a truly a divine place.

http://www.bellsbeer.com/

Kalamazoo Beer Exchange

One of the coolest bar concepts I have witnessed is the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange. Located downtown, this place was packed with people - and after being there for an evening I have no doubt why.

Similar to a stock exchange, beer pricing is based on supply/demand. If a lot of people are ordering a particular beer, the price adjusts up. For the less popular brews, the price drops. Every 15 minutes prices adjust based on the "market". Video monitors throughout the bar note the beer's current price, if it has gone up/down, the time left until it adjusts again, and there is a beer "stock ticker" at the bottom of the screen.

So how is it that prices do not go through the roof? A couple times throughout the evening, sirens go off indicating the market has crashed, and beer prices reset to their original trading price - some as low as $2.50 a brew. When this happens, the bar erupts into craziness with people scrambling to put their order in before the price adjusts again. It's wild, definitely a site to see.

The beer isn't lame, either - they serve mostly craft brews. Local brews included selections from Short's, B. Nektar Meadery, Dark Horse, Saugatuck, Mount Pleasant, Founder's, and Bell's. For those not into craft beer they also served Miller Lite. Not into beer at all? The Beer Exchange is also a restaurant - simply visit for dinner.

It was such a fun evening; the bar was packed, the restaurant had a wait, and the wait staff was insane. If you are in Kalamazoo, you must stop in and experience it.

What does everyone else think about this concept?

Bell's Brewery Brown Ale

 At lunch today I ordered the Bell’s seasonal that was on tap - the Brown Ale (think Newcastle). I am not a big fan of brown ales…but I liked this one. It had a good color, good aroma, you could pick up the caramel flavor, and the bitterness was at a minimum. The beer was much better than the service, which left me wondering if the server personally went to Bell’s to pick it up. (Note: Sam Adams Oktoberfest in the background).

You can see the beer had good lacing - the foam near the top of the glass (i.e. the lacy pattern). Lacing occurs when the bitter compounds from the hops link proteins in the beer together. Some feel the more lace the better quality ingredients in the beer. While I really enjoy Sam’s Oktoberfest, note its lack of lace. I’m not an expert, I’ve been told some types of beers have better lacing than others. But I wonder if it may be due to quantity produced? Does anyone reading know?