Detroit Hofbräu Charity Beer Garden

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, check out Detroit's Christmas WonderFest, which runs until November 27 in Campus Martius Park (800 Woodward Avenue). Part of this indoor/outdoor festival is the Detroit Hofbräu Charity Beer Garden, inspired by the original German Hofbräuhaus. Located in a heated tent on Cadillac Square, the Garden will feature live music, communal seating, and (!) beer. In fact, the festival obtained a liquor license for the entire square, so adults can enjoy their beers in the tent or while walking the grounds

Based on European markets, WonderFest will also include an International Market, Buy Local pavilion, indoor gallery featuring local artists, and the Motor City Marketplace featuring Detroit related merchandise. The festival will features a Carousel, Ferris Wheel, pictures with Santa, the Detroit Christmas Tree, and an ice skating rink.

Be sure to check it out!

Beer Garden Hours:
November 23, Wednesday: 12pm -12am
November 24, Thursday: 9am – 1 pm
November 25, Friday: 12pm -12am
November 26, Saturday: 10am – 12am
November 27, Sunday: 12pm – 8pm

http://www.christmaswonderfest.com/

Grand Trunk Pub

A few nights ago I had the fortune of attending an event at the Grand Trunk Pub on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit.  Located near Campus Martius Park, this is pub a gem for Detroiters wanting to get their local brew on.

From the moment I saw the door, I knew I was among friends. I told the waitress my taste preferences (a porter or stout, sweet versus dry), who recommended the Coal Stoker's Blackberry Ale from the Mt. Pleasant Brewing Company. It was love at first sip; a combination of their raspberry wheat with their stout. The result was sweet, the flavor from the blackberries and raspberries reminded me of a berry cobbler.

And check out that lacing:

I moved onto my second beer from Mt. Pleasant, their Gambler's Golden Ale. While I did not love it as much as the Coal Stoker's, it was still very good. According to Mt. Pleasant, this beer pairs well with spicy food, so if you have something hot on the menu you may want to check it out.

Grand Trunk Pub will be on my list of places to visit again. I did not order off the menu, but the food coming from the kitchen looked delicious. And the beer menu was amazing, from Atwater to Founders to Shorts to Jolly Pumpkin, this pub had it all.

 

http://www.grandtrunkpub.com/

Detroit Beer Week/Detroit Beer Fest

It's an exciting time for beer drinkers - it's Detroit Beer Week. From October 13-23, breweries in the area will have special events and dinners. One of tonight's events is the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Beer Dinner at Slows BBQ. Beginning at 7pm, in Slows new private dining room, diners will have access to a special menu paired with Dogfish Head beers. Tickets are $50 per person, reservations must be made in advance. For more information or to access other Beer Week events, visit: http://www.detbeerweek.com/.

Saturday, October 22 is the Detroit Beer Festival at Eastern Market from 1-6pm. Tickets are $35 in advance, and are already sold out online. Traditionally this festival completely sells out, so don't wait until the day of and hope to purchase them at the gate. Some breweries may still have tickets, I recommend contacting them before you make the trip out. I anticipate the Michigan Brewers Guild will update the list of available beers throughout the week, the current list (as well the list of breweries with tickets) can be found on their blog, The Mash: http://www.mbgmash.org/. Be sure to pay attention to the special and limited beer releases, even though some are available at certain times typically when they run out you're SOL.

I hope to see everyone out this week, or at Eastern Market on Saturday!

Tashmoo Biergarten

Today I visited the Tashmoo Biergarten in Detroit - what an awesome place! Located at 1416 Van Dyke, Tashmoo is only open Sundays from noon - 9pm, with next Sunday being their last day for the season. It was a great time - family friendly with board games available on the tables and corn-hole games being played in the lot. Sorry, no dogs allowed.

Entry was free, beer tickets were $2 each, and each glass started at 2 tickets (Jolly Pumpkin was 3 tickets). The beer list was great - I love porters and stouts, so I quickly ordered a Founders porter. The Biergarten was wonderfully simple, the food and beer lists were written on chalkboard and the tables were made from old doors. Great atmosphere, it was very relaxed and chill. I absolutely loved it, I wish I could've stayed all day. I look forward to visiting next year.

http://www.freep.com/article/20110925/COL20/109250330/Sylvia-Rector-Tashmoo-Biergarten-ready-pop-up-Detroit-s-West-Village