Olde Peninsula

While on my biercation, I visited Olde Peninsula in downtown Kalamazoo. We decided to stop for dinner based on a recommendation of the food.

 Serving a smaller craft beer selection, I would say Olde Peninsula is more of a nice restaurant than brewery. Their food was delicious, our recommendation was right on. I ordered a burger, and decided on a flight of beer.

My flight contained four beers - a Pumpkin Ale on nitro, the Jack-O-Lantern, the Midnight Stout, and the Haymarket Cream Ale. I really wanted to try their Stout Chocula, but they were out of it. The Pumpkin Ale was delicious, very smooth and creamy. My favorite pumpkin ale is Screamin' Pumpkin by Michigan Brewing Company, OP's Pumpkin Ale came close. The Midnight Stout was a dark beer with hints of chocolate and coffee, and the Jack-O-Lantern was a hybrid beer mix of the Pumpkin Ale and the Midnight Stout. The Haymarket Cream Ale was good, too - very light. Cream Ale's are a bit too light for me, but this one had good flavor. (Note: pictured flight is OP IPA, Midnight Stout, Jack-O-Lantern, and Pumpkin Ale; my flight came in small glasses as they ran out of flight glasses).

Similar to their Jack-O-Lantern hybrid, Olde Peninsula serves a selection of four additional mix-n-match brews, where they serve combinations such as the Midnight Stout combined with the Raspberry Wheat. They also serve several bottled domestics.

http://oldepenkazoo.com/

Bastone Belgian Brewery Review

I decided to take advantage of the Living Social deal a few weeks ago and purchased a Lifetime Beer Club Membership to Bastone brewery in Royal Oak. I visited Bastone on a Friday night, which can be a nightmare in Royal Oak, but I found parking within a city walking block. The host told us we would have a 45-60 minute wait, and we could order beers at a discount downstairs at Commune while we waited. We immediately went downstairs and our buzzer went off before the bartender could even finish our drink order.

Bastone is a Belgian style brewery located at the corner of 5th and Main in downtown Royal Oak. Connected to different destinations, Bastone is above Commune (a dance club), next to Vinotecca (a wine bar) and in front of Cafe Habana (a Cuban restaurant).

I ordered a Harvest Ale, a brown ale which had hints of pumpkin. It was good, but I have had better pumpkin beers. Someone else in my party ordered the Witface, a white beer brewed with orange, lemon and coriander, which was also good.

While the beer at Bastone was good, the food is overpriced and the atmosphere lacked the community feel of most other breweries I have visited. The crowd seemed like a meat market at a dance club, and soon after we arrived we had to yell over the thumping from Commune. Even the t-shirts for mug club members were only available in men's sizes and fits (mine went straight into the rag bin).

I had heard good things and had high hopes for Bastone, and I was disappointed. I don't plan to go back on a weekend evening, but may give it a second chance on a weekday mug club night.

http://bastone.net/br/bastone-brewery

Detroit Fall Beer Festival

Last Saturday was the 3rd Annual Detroit Fall Beer Festival. Featuring more than 300 beers from over 50 breweries in Michigan, this festival is one of my favorites in Michigan. Taking place in Eastern Market, this festival is smaller than both the Summer and Winter fall beer festivals.

I started at Sherwood Brewing Company, my absolute favorite brewery, and had Erica (one of their beautiful servers) pour a Jamocha Cocoa Coffee Stout. It was delicious.

Next I hit North Peak; I was able to taste both their Hooligan Hoppy Pumpkin beer and the Hoodoo mentioned in a previous post. Both are IPA's, which tend to be bitter. Hooligan was good, but I loved Hoodoo. At 9% alcohol, it was sweeter than I thought it would be. And the hops are from Old Mission Peninsula - go Michigan!

My favorite pumpkin beer is Screamin' Pumpkin from Michigan Brewing Company in Webberville. While I like to try new beers at the festivals, I made an exception for this beer. The brewery owner told me about mixing Screamin' Pumpkin with their Nut Brown Ale, and then poured the mixture for me. It tasted just like a Windmill cookie.

It was a festival full of pumpkin brews - other favorites of the festival include La Parcela Sour Pumpkin Ale from Jolly Pumpkin, Punkin Pie Whole from Right Brain and Funkin' Punkin' from Shorts.

So what does everyone think? What were your favorites from the festival?

Black Lotus

Friday night I was able to catch happy hour at Black Lotus (on 14 Mile Road in Clawson).  They were featuring $2.50 pints and half off all appetizers.

Black Lotus will always have a special place in my heart - it is the central meeting place for my college friends, and the brewery that took my bierginity.  There was a time when I only knew commercial beers without flavor - meant to be served cold so you had no idea how bad they actually were.  In those days I tried the Funkin' A Apricot Wheat (5.0% ABV).  I was instantly hooked - I couldn't believe beer could taste good, and I loved the sweet apricot flavor.  It's still one of my favorite beers.

Friday I ordered the Monster Mash Pumpkin Ale, which was delicious.  The first flavor to hit my mouth was pumpkin, and I was left with a spice aftertaste.  It didn't have the sweet vanilla flavor of the Michigan Brewing Company's Screamin' Pumpkin Spiced Ale, which you may prefer depending on your taste.  Black Lotus Monster Mash Pumpkin Ale is definitely one of my favorites of this season.

Note: Monster Mash Pumpkin Ale on left, Funkin' A Apricot Wheat on right.

Black Lotus also has a Black Bottom Oatmeal Stout on tap, which I may need to try later this week. In addition to the beer, they have great specials - happy hour (4-6pm), reverse happy hour (12m-2am), and a lunch time $6 burger/pint special.  The beers on tap and specials can be found on their website.  If you get a chance, order their Magic Mushroom Melt sandwich and the sweet potato fries...they are to die for.

http://blacklotusbrewery.com/