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?

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 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?

Jacoby’s German Biergarten

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit Jacoby’s in Detroit.  Located at 624 Brush Street, this quaint Biergarten features a comprehensive beer list and some of the best German food around.  The potato pancakes are delicious, as is the spatzle. I ordered the German meatballs, which is one of my favorites.

 

I ordered a Shorts The Magician, a dark red London style ale.  It was very good, had a sweet fruity flavor with a hint of raisin.  Unfortunately I was craving a pumpkin beer, and eyed the Sam Adam’s Double Pumpkin Ale on the beer menu, but due to all the area sporting events lately they were out.

Jacoby’s was busy but not packed, the Lions were on and the crowd was into the game.  It’s always a fun time at Jacoby’s, if you’re in the mood for great food, great people and great beer I highly recommend going.

 http://www.jacobysbar.com/