Thursday, October 14, 2010

DBW: Beer Drinker's Guide to the Galaxy

Detroit Beer Week starts this Saturday. That's really all I need to say. Here's a complete-to-the-minute guide of all the DBW festivities this year. Who wants to play "Beer" with me? (I'm warning you: I'm really good at "Beer.")

Saturday, October 16: Tap: Detroit
(I'll have a little more thorough information on this tomorrow; for today I cut & paste.)

This year’s Detroit Beer Week kicks off on October 16 with “Tap: Detroit” – a charity beer event at St. Andrews Hall, co-produced by Live Nation and Liquid Table, with support from the Michigan Brewers Guild and other sponsors. Tap: Detroit will feature eight of Detroit’s best beer-friendly restaurants pairing multiple dishes with Michigan beer, a rare beer and cask ale sampling, live entertainment on all three floors, and a cocktail lounge showcasing Michigan-distilled spirits and meads. Tickets are $35 for the main event, and $55 for all-access. A portion of proceeds from Tap: Detroit will benefit Pints For Prostates, a charity to build awareness and fund research for prostate cancer. More information at www.pintsforprostates.org.

Tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.com & www.localwineevents.com as well as St. Andrew's box office, Kuhnhenn Brewery, Merchants Fine Wine (Dearborn), Grand Trunk Pub, Meadows Fine Wine (Farmington Hills), Holiday Market Beer Dept (Royal Oak).

Sunday, October 17:
Official Tap: Detroit After Party
The game of "Beer" shall continue from midnight - 2AM at Jacoby's German Biergarten after the Tap: Detroit debauchery. Jacoby's is conveniently located within stumbling distance of St. Andrew's Hall.

Sunday, October 17:
Whiskey & Beer at Ye Olde Tap Room
Hey look, two things I'm good at!

Once you've risen and gotten through your productive Saturday to-do list, following an amazing night at Tap: Detroit, come join us at one of Detroit's oldest & iconic beer bars, Ye Olde Tap Room. The whiskey and beer will be flowing!

This Prohibition-era bar has a rich and fun-filled history (wink-wink). Check it out on their site http://yeoldetaproom.com/history/prohibition.html and experience it for yourself. The "owner Russ 'Big Mack' Mack is known for his deadly skill with a bottle opener and would kill a 6 pack at the slightest provocation".

Tuesday, October 19:
Beer Dinner at Cliff Bell's featuring Kuhnhenn and Dragonmead Breweries

Take one part Cliff Bell's amazing atmosphere, one part innovative culinary offerings from their chefs (Executive Chef Matt Baldridge hails from the Rattlesnake Club), and then mix with beers from Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. & Dragonmead Microbrewery ... the result is an evening sure to please! Join us as we explore beer and food in one of Detroit's historic landmark bars where art deco decor, avant garde cuisine and some of the most cutting-edge beer in the state meet in a polygamous marriage of exceeding excellence.

Tickets are $30 and include 4 courses with beer pairings as well as an opportunity to discuss the wonderful world of beer & food with the brewers and fellow enthusiasts. Reservations are HIGHLY recommended. Please call 313-961-2543 to reserve your spot today.

Thursday, October 21: BIKE-toberfest

Bil Lusa!!!!!! Bil Lusa does things with beer and bikes! Did you know he was one of the people who helped Jon Piepenbrok organize the innaugural Detroit Beer Week? Huh? Huh? How about did you know he is the MAIN organizer behind the annual Tour de Troit bike ride, which this year drew in some 2,500+ cyclists from in and around the city? Hmmmm? Bil Lusa. A Detroit Original.

Anyway, Bil Lusa organized this event, which is a natural combination of his loves of beer and biking. He also writes for Brewing News. He ALSO owns his own company, which does something with computers or cars or databases or something; whenever he talks about it we're usually drinking and I space out until he starts talking about something my 20th-century brain understands.

Bil Lusa. Also single-handedly responsible for increasing the city's Caucasian population one offspring at a time.

No autographs, please. He is a busy man.

Here's the deets:
Explore Traffic Jam, Motor City Brewing, the historical brewery buildings of Eastern Market, Atwater and more.

Gather at Detroit Beer Co, enjoy a few pints and prepare for a 5:30pm departure. We will end the tour at Foran's Grand Trunk where you can enjoy New Holland Brewing's event and/or the Beer vs. Wine Cheese Pairing upstairs at Motor City Wine.

BIKE RENTAL IS AVAILABLE - PLEASE CONTACT BIL LUSA VIA EMAIL lusab@brewingnews.com

PLEASE NOTE - WE WILL DEPART FROM DBC @ 5:30PM SHARP!

Thursday, October 21: Metro Times Detroit Beer Week Happy Hour at Wolfgang Puck


Allegedly, anyway. It's in the MT's email blast but there is no time or details. As I have not received a Facebook invitation for it and cannot easily located it with The Google, it's as good as not happening in my book. But the next print edition comes out in time for this happy hour to happen so maybe check there. I'm simply the aggregator here.

Thursday, October 21:
Beer vs. Wine Cheese Pairing at Motor City Wine

It's exactly what it says it is, and it's happening in Motor City Wine, which is upstairs from Foran's, which is the Happiest Place on Earth.

Speaking of Foran's ...

Thursday, October 21:
New Holland Brewing Night at Foran's Grand Trunk Pub

Foran's Grand Trunk Pub
= the Happiest Place on Earth. All their taps are Michigan drafts with another 100 or so Michigan labels by the bottle, and probably the most extensive selection of Michigan spirits in the metro area.

New Holland makes Ichibod, El Mole Ocho, and Dragon's Milk, currently 3 of my top 10 favorite beers I'm drinking. If you don't think I'm going to be there then you've never read this blog before, not ever, not even once.

Friday, October 22:
Foxtown/Park Ave. Pub Crawl

Park Bar / Cliff Bells / Rub BBQ Pub / Hard Luck Lounge / State Bar / Hockeytown Cafe / The Town Pump Tavern / Centaur...a $10 wristband will get you drink & food specials as well as waive any cover at each establishment...come explore all that Foxtown has to offer! A Detroit Ber Week representative will be selling wristbands at each location.

Saturday, October 23:
Michigan Brewers Guild Fall Beer Festival at Eastern Market
God bless you, press release:

2nd Annual Detroit Fall Beer Festival (formerly Harvest Beer Festival)
Presented by the Michigan Brewers Guild and Metrotimes
October 23rd, 2010
Eastern Market, Detroit ***
Purchase Tickets***

The 2nd Annual Detroit Fall Beer Festival will take place Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 at the Eastern Market in Detroit. The Harvest Festival is a cooperative effort between the Michigan Brewers Guild and Metrotimes and we expect our combined efforts to result in one of the best local beer events in the region. The Eastern Market is one of the nation’s oldest farm markets and the area is rife with brewing history. In its heyday, there were more than 40 breweries in the Market area and malt silos still stand as a testament to the rich brewing history. The Market will be open on Saturday so you may want to come early and check it out. We are expecting more than 40 Michigan microbreweries and brewpubs to participate and there will be nearly 200 different beers available to sample. The event will be open from 1:00pm to 6:00pm; Rain or Shine. Enthusiast Members of the Michigan Brewers Guild will be allowed to enter the Festival an hour early at Noon. The Festival will take place in the parking area near shed #5 and there is ample parking in the surrounding area.

The cost to enter the Festival is $35 in advance and $40 at the gate if tickets are still available. The total quantity of tickets is limited so advance ticket purchase is suggested. Tickets can be purchased here on our website, at participating member breweries and at select retail outlets. Please see the related post on the MASH (our blog) for an updated list of ticket outlets. 15 drink tokens are included with a ticket and each token is good for one 3 ounce beer sample. Additional tokens are available for purchase inside the Festival for 50 cents each. Live entertainment will be provided by local bands and food prepared by local restaurants will be available for purchase.

Festival attendees must be 21 years of age or older and have ID to enter. Designated Drivers are encouraged and DD tickets will be available on line at the gate for $5 each.

Please look for information to be posted on the MASH regarding participating breweries, ticket outlets and other information. The MASH will be updated as new information becomes available. Please feel free to make a post of your own if you are organizing a bus or have something else to share.

Cheers, and see you October 23rd at the Eastern Market!

Saturday, October 23: Official Detroit Fall Beer Festival After Party

At the newly-remodeled taproom of Atwater Block Brewery from 6pm-midnight.

Sunday, October 24: Sunday "Bloody Mary" Sunday at Third Street Bar

Though it's *technically* not an official Detroit Beer Week event, it's a nice way to round out the week's festivities. From Jon: Scott and the crew from 3rd Street have been gracious to host our closing party for DBW 2010. We will be creating the ULTIMATE BLOODY MARY BAR -- yes you read that correctly, you will be in Bloody Heaven!!! To aid in your recovery, they will be adding breakfast items to their taco truck menu; the chili verde is AMAZING and I can't wait to smother chorizo & eggs with it!