Tag Archives: Bier Distillery

On Tap: Liquid updates from across West Michigan

By Amy Sherman
WKTV Contributing Writer


Perrin Brewing sold to Monster Energy

Recently announced was the purchase of the CANarchy Collective, which includes West Michigan based Perrin Brewing, by Monster Beverage Corporation. (Amy Sherman)

Another major Michigan brewery buyout/acquisition occurred this week, with Monster Beverage Corporation announcing that they would be purchasing the CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, which includes Comstock Park based Perrin Brewing Company. CANarchy was formed in 2015, as a group of like-minded breweries came together to share capital, distribution networks, beers and products to the market in a new, collaborative company. Members, in addition to Perrin, include ​​Oskar Blues Brewery, Cigar City Brewing, Squatters Craft Beers, Wasatch Brewery, Deep Ellum Brewing Company,  and Revitalyte. The group is considered the sixth largest craft brewery in the country.

 

Monster is purchasing the group for $330 million, in an all cash deal. This will be the energy drink maker’s first foray into the alcoholic beverage market. What does this mean for West Michigan? While Perrin declined to comment at this time, we can say that the sale does not include their pub in Comstock Park, so you should be able to continue to enjoy a burger and beer there. In the future, it probably won’t change much of what is on the shelves here, but may help Perrin get out to a larger national audience.

Locally brewed gluten-free beer is finally here

Brewery Nyx, Michigan’s first dedicated gluten-free brewery is right here in Grand Rapids, and now has beers on the shelves of local retailers. Founded by business partners Jessica Stricklen and Sebastian Van Bommel, the brewery has a production facility in the southwestern part of the city, and can be found on the shelves at Bridge Street Market, and certain D&W’s, with more retail to follow as production ramps up.

Gluten-free Brewery Nyx is finally on the shelves in West Michigan, and it’s been worth the wait. (Photo courtesy of Brewery Nyx)

Stricklen, who has been gluten-free for 10 years, loves craft beer, but couldn’t find a Michigan one that was truly up to her standards. She and Van Bommel, who is the head brewer, decided from the beginning that their beers needed to be able to go head-to-head with regular brews. Instead of trying to strip the gluten from a beer made with barley, they are brewing their beers right from the start with gluten free grains like amaranth and quinoa. The resulting beers are every bit as full bodied as any regular beer, with incredible aroma, big mouthfeel, and great flavor. You would be hard pressed to tell these gluten-free brews from a regular one.

Right now Brewery Nyx is in limited distribution only. Although they have plans to open a tasting room in the future, the goal right now is to just get the product out on shelves. If you are lucking enough to find some, don’t get surprised at the price. Yes, these four packs are more than your typical local craft beer, but it is absolutely necessary. The ingredients they use to make this beer can costs up to four times more than traditional brewing ingredients. But if you are gluten-free, and have been missing that precious pint of local beer, Brewery Nyx is a gift from the celiac gods.

 

Larry Bell named Environmentalist of the Year

Don’t mess with Larry Bell might be the message here, and with very good reason. The Bell’s Brewery founder, who recently announced a sale of the family owned company to New Belgium Brewing, was named the Sierra Club of Michigan’s Environmentalist of the Year for 2021. Bell’s work to protect the Kalamazoo River, as well as his battle to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline, made him the first business owner chosen for the award in its thirty year history.

 

“Larry Bell’s fact-based, non-partisan and pragmatic advocacy has illuminated the dangers of the ticking time bomb that threatens the Great Lakes every day Line 5 is allowed to operate in the Straits of Mackinac,” said Gail Philbin, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter state director said via a press release. “He and other visionary leaders in the Great Lakes Business Network are indispensable voices for businesses who understand how vital it is that we protect our Great Lakes.”

 

Bell began his environmental work after the 2010 Enbridge oil spill in Kalamazoo threatened his Comstock production brewery. Enbridge decided to store toxic sledge in the area, without letting officials know, or pulling any of the necessary permits. Bell sued Enbridge, and then created the Great Lakes Business Network, to help shut down Enbridge’s Line 5, an oil pipeline that runs through the Straights of Mackinac.

 

“When the spill happened 30 miles away from us, the oil came down the Kalamazoo River and started impacting us,” recalled Bell, via the release. “Our eyes were opened. Then we found out there was this pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. It was unbelievable that this company owned those pipelines in the Straits. I said, ‘Hell, yes, I’m in.’”

Bell said he plans to increase his environmental work, now that he has sold his brewery. “I can be stronger now in my sentiments and work harder for the causes I care about,” said Bell.

Small Pours from West Michigan breweries:

Mitten Brewing Company on Leonard St in Grand Rapids has reopened and expanded their outdoor dining area known as Base Camp. (Courtesy photo provided by Mitten Brewing Company)

Founders Brewing is hosting their famous Cellar Raid, from Jan. 26 to 30, at both their taproom in Grand Rapids as well as Detroit. The event features taproom exclusive, small batch, barrel-aged, and even some never before seen beers. The brewery will release tap lists each day, and all the beer is available on a first come, first served basis. There will be special food pairings available as well. On Saturday, Jan. 29, there will be live music from Oracle.

 

Railtown Brewing in Dutton revealed a new winter food menu on Monday January 17. According to the brewery, “it’s chili season.”

Cedar Springs Brewing Company has its winter Biergarten open, and is offering live music most nights of the week. You can see the full listing of who’s playing weekly on the brewing company’s Facebook page.

 

Arvon Brewing in Grand Rapids just celebrated its second anniversary, and have several special brews on tap and available to-go to honor this special occasion. Stop by the brewery on Division to see what’s still pouring.

Broad Leaf Brewery is hosting a special “vegan weekend,” Jan. 21 – 23. The special food menu will feature “munchies” from Chef Gabe. Featured will be chicken fried seitan, Tot-chos, French bread pizza, a carrot corn dog, and a dirt cup dessert. There will also be a limited regular menu.

 

City Built Brewing continues to host their pop-up Li Grande Zombie, a special menu offered weekends at the brewery featuring Creole and Cajun cuisine. They announce the menu on Facebook each week. Look for things like crawfish étouffée with chicken fat biscuits, and a mean fried hot chicken sandwich. Each Monday, look for local favorite StreetChefShaw to be throwing down some of his famous tacos on site.

Creston Brewery recently opened for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The menu features classic breakfasts like pancakes and a breakfast burrito, as well as lunch offerings like oven baked mac and cheese, and a cheeseburger. There’s also a kids menu, which includes a pancake mountain, which sounds hard to beat.

Bier Distillery in Comstock Park has a new special, Thirsty Thursdays. All 8 of distillery’s burgers are $2 off, and draft pours are 50% off. They also have live Irish music each Thursday.

 

Wednesday Jan. 19, stop by 3 Gatos Brewery in Wyoming for a special trivia night featuring the television show “The Office.” Get there early as it starts at 7 p.m.

ELK Brewing announced the close of their Comstock Park brew pub this week. Their tasting room on Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids will remain open.

On Tap: Whiskey pancakes, Pink Floyd landing and breakfast bourbon — all real things! 

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

You can get a charge these days at Comstock Park’s Bier Distillery: you, your car and your pancakes.

 

Bier Distillery recently re-released its Redeemed Whiskey, and whiskey made from beer pulled off the tap. The original beer was a sour beer, we are told, so the whiskey will be “nothing like you’ve ever tasted before.”

 

Speaking of something never tasted before … The brewery/distillery also released a maple syrup  that — and I quote — is a “barrel aged maple syrup (which) exclusively uses syrup from our local farms to provide a a wonderfully unique flavor.  Aged in our own used Michigan white oak whiskey barrels, the syrup has been transformed with notes of brown butter, creamy vanilla, smokey oak, and caramel.” Warning: it is an very limited release. But can you imagine giving that as a holiday gift.

 

The final charge to be gained from the Bier Distillery is its electric car charging stations, which earlier this fall hosted a Tesla takeover.

 

“The number of electric cars on the road will only be increasing in the near future,” management previously said about the car chargers. “The cars need convenient places to recharge, and the drivers often need to recharge as well.”

 

Hey, a whiskey neat always recharges me.

 

For more information visit bierdistillery.com.

 

Dark Beer, Dark Side returns to GRPM on Black Friday

 

Can you think of a better way to end the day of craziness that is Black Friday than attending an evening music/light show performance at the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) which, in partnership with Brewery Vivant, will host Dark Beer, Dark Side.

 

Beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23, attendees will hear a brief 45 minute presentation from Ryan Engemann, the Wandering Monk from Brewery Vivant, on the differences between various dark beers including Brewery Vivant’s highly anticipated release of Tart Side of the Moon. After the presentation, visitors have the chance to grab another beer before entering the Chaffee Planetarium for the Museum’s original production, Dark Side: The Light Show, set to the music of Pink Floyd.

 

“Shine on your crazy diamond …” You either know it or you don’t.

 

Tickets include 3 beer samples and admission to the evening’s planetarium show. Beer samples will be Tart Side of the Barrel, Tart Side of the Moon and Velvet Stud. Tickets are $22 and $12 for Museum members. Must be 21 or older to participate.

 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is located in downtown Grand Rapids, at 272 Pearl Street, NW. For more information visit www.grpm.org.

 

Grey Skies fall releases includes Breakfast Bourbon 

 

Grand Rapids Grey Skies Distillery on Nov. 20 released its limited-edition Breakfast Bourbon, which was aged more than two years and bottled at 87 proof. According to supplied material, the bourbon spent time in two different barrels, starting in charred new, oak barrels before it was finished for 9 months in maple syrup casks.

 

“Breakfast Bourbon offers a playful twist on a typical bourbon whiskey,” Steve Vander Pol, co-owner of Gray Skies Distillery, said in supplied material. “We infused maple flavor into the whiskey by taking a traditional bourbon and finishing it for 9 months in a barrel that was previously used to age maple syrup … The maple finish amplifies the sweetness inherent in bourbon whiskey and imparts a creamy mouthfeel to the viscous finished spirit.”

 

For more information about Gray Skies Distillery please visit the Gray Skies Distillery website.

 

On Tap: Perrin hosts benefit winter fest, Bier Distillery goes all Tesla

Beer and cold weather do go together — really. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org 

 

Getting a good sweat going, for a good cause, followed by good beer and food? Sounds like a great idea for a cold January day.

 

Comstock Park’s Perrin Brewing will host its second annual “Perrin Ice Jam Winter Festival”, a benefit for the local Kids’ Food Basket of West Michigan, on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 3-8 p.m.

 

The event will feature live music from Jake Kershaw, Mustard Plug, and Hollywood Makeout, as well as specialty Perrin beers, and follows the running of the Frostbite 5K Run/Walk at 2 p.m.

 

Admission without running is either a cash donation or a donation of food items from Kids’ Food Basket wish list. The Kids’ Food Basket provides kids in need in the community with a nutritious evening meal. Perrin Brewing has already begun to collect food donations in the front foyer from the group’s wish list, which includes fruit/ applesauce cups, granola bars, toasted oat cereal, cheese crackers cracker packs, pretzels and snack-size zipper bags.

 

The run/walk is $25 for adults and $15 for age 12 and under. Packet pick-up will be on Friday, Jan. 26 at the Perrin Pub. The run check-in is from noon to 2 p.m., and online registration is available at Frostbite 5K Run .

 

Perrin Ice Jam Winter Festival pre-sale online tickets are available here .

 

Bier Distillery has Michigan first: electric car chargers

 

Also in Comstrock Park, Bier Distillery recently announced the availability of its Tesla car chargers, a first for a Michigan distillery, brewery, or winery, according to supplied material. Owned and operated by Bier Distillery, the Tesla chargers are available free of charge to electric vehicle drivers on a first come, first serve basis. There are four chargers that can be used simultaneously.

 

Got an electric car? Bier Distillery has a charge for you.

“Bier Distillery is proud to support the electric vehicle community,” Joel Bierling, president of Bier Distillery, said in supplied material. “The number of electric cars on the road will only be increasing in the near future. The cars need convenient places to recharge, and the drivers often need to recharge as well. … Why not do it in one location?”

 

Bier Distillery produces an expanding line of grain and fruit-to-glass spirits, beer and wine at the distillery. Its leading brands are Sole Cry Rye Whiskey, Devil’s Message Rum, Mum’s Ruin Gin, Heart Cut Vodka, Brillari Amaro Americano, Henry’s Absent Absinthe Verte, and JusttheShine Moonshine.

 

For more information visit bier distillery.com .