Keweenaw Brewing Company round-up

One of my more memorable vacations of the past few years was my visit to the Upper Peninsula. The UP (pronounced "You Pee" DON'T LAUGH) comprises roughly a third of Michigan's landmass, but contains only about 10% of it's population. It's also one of the most unique areas of the United States: culturally distinctive, geographically isolated, and possessing a wildness usually only found in Western states. Home to gray wolves, and now possibly cougars, it is a must-visit destination for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in Great Lakes culture. It also inspired one of my favorite Sufjan Stevens songs!

One of the few craft brewing operations in the UP is the Keweenaw Brewing Company out of South Range, MI. They would be notable for this fact alone, except that they do another unusual thing: their beers are sold in cans! Those Yoopers! Always gotta be different! Canning is seldom done in craft brewing operations, for reasons that I'm not sure of. Canning is cheaper than bottling, and cans can be taken outdoors - something that is probably a big selling point given the UP's outdoors-centric lifestyle.

But being different ain't enough! Are these canned concoctions any good?



Name: Lift Bridge Brown Ale
Variety: Brown Ale
ABV: 5%
Price: ~$8 six pack

Lift bridges, such as the Portage Lift Bridge featured on the can, are a type of bridge rarely found in the United States. Most tend to be older, built during an era of iron and steel and without the benefit of modern architectural engineering or space-age materials. Bridges are also among Michigan's most beloved structures, second probably only to lighthouses. So hey! Why not put one on a beer?

This particular brown ale pours like a cola; rich brown color, lots of fizz, and a foamy tan head. Scent is very sweet and yeasty. Taste is about as equally sweet with a bit of nuttiness, but the overall package is quite watered down. It tastes OK out of a glass, but made me say "Bleagh" when I tried it straight from the can.

Rating: 4/10 - Some hints of flavor, but not as rich as a brown ale should be.



Name: Pickaxe Blonde Ale
Rating: Golden Ale
ABV: 4.7%
Price: ~8 six pack

Hey, if St. Pauli Girl has proven anything, it's that people will buy beer if it has a foxy lady on the label.



Pours a clear, straw yellow with an off-white head. Scent is very, very light - somewhat bread-like with a little bit of hops? The taste is very fizzy and light, but generally kind of unpleasant. Tastes quite cheap. Not as cheap as actual CHEAP beer, mind you, but it could be more than it is.

Rating: 2/10 - Not a blonde you want to take home with you.



Name: Red Jacket Amber Ale
Variety: Amber Ale
ABV: 5.1%
Price: ~$8 six pack

Is it just me, or does the guy on the can look like the old Tampa Bay Buccaneers logo?



Not that there's anything wrong with that!



Pour is a clear reddish-amber with an eggshell-colored head (is there a difference between eggshell and off-white?) Scent is heavily malted with a hint of hops, but, like the previous two beers, the smell is mostly intangible. Tastes like a typical amber with light, fruity malts and a touch of bitterness. I'm not crazy about ambers to start with, and this one doesn't stand out, sadly.

Rating: 4/10 - Hey, remember when the Bucs won a Super Bowl? Seems like forever ago, don't it?



Name: Widow Maker Black Ale
Variety: Schwarzbier
ABV: 5.2%
Price: ~$8 six pack

Last but not least is the darkest of the lot, Widow Maker Black Ale. Apparently this was named after a mining drill that had a high death rate for the men that operated it. It was also apparently ridden by a saucy tart in a red dress!



Hey, it looks like a stout! Thick and dark with a caramelized head, this would fool you if you hadn't read the label first. Scent is that of roasted malts, molasses, and a little bit of chocolate. The taste and body is very light and drinkable, with some pleasing nutty flavors to accompany the roasted malts. Surprisingly tasty, and easily the best of the bunch.

Rating: 7/10 - Worthy of a six-pack purchase.

E-mail me at mibeerguy@yahoo.com to tell me I was too harsh on ol' Keweenaw.

P.S. Here's some shots from my vacation to the UP. SINCE I KNOW EVERYONE LOVES VACATION PHOTOS SO MUCH.

Recipe Review: Blues-Bustin' Beef Stew

Yes, it's true folks. I love winter. And while it doesn't OFFICIALLY start until December 21st, we all know better - it starts the EXACT moment that Halloween candy is marked 50% off. So welcome to winter, folks!

And while I love winter, it can be a downer of a season sometimes. The trees are bare, most of the songbirds have left, and all the ladybugs are dead until spring.



OK, yeah, I promised. No more depressing stuff. But there's no denying that the coldest of seasons can also be the harshest. Fortunately, I've got a hearth-and-soul warming recipe to chase those chills away!

Blues-Bustin' Beef Stew
Recipe Link: None! This is a recipe given to my fiancee by one of her friends, so you can only find it online right here!

Ingredients
* 1 to 1 1/2 pounds cubed stew beef - mine from Lamb Farm in Manchester, MI
* 2 medium yellow onions
* 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes - mine by Eden Foods in Clinton, MI
* 1 clove garlic
* 1 cup dry red wine
* 3 tablespoons cooking oil
* salt
* pepper

Required: One large crock pot, one large non-stick pan

Preparation
I have to note that this recipe is just the BASIC list of ingredients. One of the great things about crock pot dishes and stews in general is you can toss in just about anything you like, so long as it fits the dish's profile. Secondly, MY GOD LOOK AT THIS ONION.



For Pete's sake, this is the largest onion I've ever seen! It's seriously the size of a softball and feels like it weighs more than a pound! I'm 6'4" with very large hands, so that should give you some idea as to this monster's scale. So when I say 2 MEDIUM ONIONS I suppose I also mean 1 RIDICULOUSLY LARGE ONION.

OK, let's set Onionzilla aside for a second and start on the dish. First, take the cooking oil and coat the bottom of a large, non-stick pan. I almost exclusively use olive oil, but anything that heats and sputters will do the trick here. Turn the range up to MEDIUM and wait a few minutes for the pan to heat up.



Dump the stew beef into the pan, separating the cubes as necessary. This will make them easier to flip over.



Salt and pepper the beef while it cooks. I'm a kosher salty guy, and I loooooves the pepper, but you can scale how much you use to your own preferences. Like I said, feel free to improvise!

After about two minutes, flip the cubes so that the browned side faces up.



Mmmmm, don't that look grand? Salt and pepper the beef again, and then cook for another 2 minutes or so. We're not trying to cook the beef completely, mind you! We just want it nicely browned a bit so it's not totally raw when you toss it into the crock pot. WHICH YOU SHOULD DO RIGHT NOW (but don't turn the heat on yet). Drain the excess fat from the pan, and return it to the range.

Now it's time for the onion! Chop it up to a size of your liking - I prefer larger pieces for this recipe since there's nothing better than a big, caramelized piece of onion soaking up all kinds of stew juices.

Transfer the chopped onion(s) into the freshly drained pan.



Turn the heat up to MEDIUM and let the onion pieces become nice and brown. This'll take about 20 minutes, so feel free to peel the garlic clove while you're waiting. When the diced onion is browned to your liking, add the whole clove and cook for about three more minutes.



When it is done, ALL TOGETHER NOW, toss it into the pot.



Don't toss the pan in the sink, we still need it! Take the can of tomatoes and dump that whole mess right on in.



I suppose you could dice your own tomatoes if you like, but I HATE dicing tomatoes, so I'm taking the lazy route. Sue me.

Now we're going to need that cup of red wine. This is the part where I tell you guys about some great Michigan wine, right? VERY WRONG SIR. I HATE wine. I don't drink it, I don't get it, and I don't want to pay more than $5 for it. So I'm using some "Four Buck Chuck" Cabernet Sauvignon from Trader Joe's.

But feel free to use whatever awful thing you want. I REALLY won't judge you.



Eugh. Looks about as good as it smells. But trust me! We're going good places here.

Bring the foul mixture to a boil, but DO NOT REDUCE. Instead, CROCK POT. DUMP INTO IT.



There! You're done! But is it just me, or does this feel a little lacking? Stew is supposed to be filling, and I just don't know if tomatoes and onion is going to cut it...



That'll do it! Throw in some hastily peeled golden potatoes from Homer, MI and some carrots and baby, you got a stew going! This is the part where you could REALLY go nuts. Celery, cabbage, leeks, kale, beets... whatever weird vegetable you happen to like, I guarantee it would fit in with this recipe.

But it isn't cooked yet! Set the crock pot to LOW and let the whole mixture simmer for about 7-8 hours. Yes, you heard me. What part of "slow-cooker" don't you understand? So feel free to go about your day or watch some really long programming. Perhaps the latest Ken Burns' documentary? Or nearly a full season of The Wire or Mad Men? Or you could be a big weirdo and, I dunno, read a book or something dumb like that.

*magic Internet fastforward*



It's done! Oh, doesn't that look beautiful? Just looking at that makes my hypothermia slightly less torturous.



Serve over a bed of rice or mashed potatoes for a hearty winter meal that any bitter soul will enjoy. Savory and rich with delightfully tender bits of beef, this is a deceptively simple and cheap recipe - you'll be amazed at how much flavor is created by so few ingredients. Double-up the recipe and make a big pot the next time company comes for the holidays - you'll be the chef that saved Christmas!

Rating: 9/10 - Pure comfort food that's easy and fun to make. It beats the blues, but nothing can beat it!

Beer Review: Winter Bell's

A word to the unaware: if you're from a Sunbelt State and you ever move up north, lie about where you are from. For the first year, every time you meet people you will be peppered with "OH MAN JUST WAIT UNTIL WINTER ARRIVES GEEZ." Every year after that, you will be peppered with "SO HOW YOU LIKIN' THE WINTER?" It is INCESSANT. For some reason, Northerners can't fathom ever wanting to actually LIVE in the North. Whenever I say "Florida" to someone from Michigan, their eyes light up with an ethereal glint - a mingling of fantasy, jealousy, and disbelief. How? How could you leave behind that utopia of the tropics for this frigid, desolate waste?

Here's how Michiganders see Florida:



And here's how Michiganders see their own state:



Well you know what? I LOVE winter. It's awesomely cold so I get to wear big jackets, snow is beautiful, and there's less people out and about. And beer! Beer is great for the winter. Nothing beats sipping on a big, bad stout while snow falls silently outside and the Grinch plays on TV for the 1 billionth time.

Bell's is rolling out the red carpet a little early with an absolute tide of seasonal beers. I haven't picked up Expedition Stout and Cherry Stout yet, but expect reviews of both of them soon!



Name: Java Stout
Variety: Stout
ABV: 7.5%
Price: ~$15 six pack

Can't say no to a coffee beer! Don't know what it is, but for some reason the combination of bitter beans and roasted beer almost always yields a tasty tastebud-teasing treat.

Pours dark and thick, as expected, with a robust caramel-colored head. Scent is heavily that of coffee with some undertones of chocolate, roasted malts, and alcohol. Taste is primarily of balanced coffee beans with some chocolate undertones. Not as bitter as Perkulator and not as chocolately as Founders Breakfast Stout.

"Even-handed" is the best way to describe this beer. It's very tasty and drinkable, but when it comes to coffee stouts I tend to prefer the really "out-there" variety. But don't take that as a slight, Bell's!

Rating: 8/10 - Pleasingly balanced and bitter, if a bit conventional.



Name: Rye Stout
Variety: Stout
ABV: 6.7%
Price: ~$11 six pack

Why so sad, peasanty old lady/man? Is it because of the famine? Yes, then that would be a cause for sadness. But cheer up! You're a Bell's beer!



Pour is dark with a light tan head. Not as thick or oily as most stouts. Aroma is a general roasted pastiche of bread, rye, and coffee. I don't taste very much rye, honestly, and the beer has an unexpected creamy texture that gives it a slightly weak feeling to me. Good bitter finish, but overall this lacks pizazz.

I was disappointed by this beer, just because I typically like rye beers A LOT. In the end, it feels slightly weaker and conventional than most of Bell's stouts. I'd go with the Kalamazoo Stout any day of the week.

Rating: 7/10 - Far from my favorite, but far from bad. Not Bell's best, but still solid overall.



Name: Winter White Ale
Variety: Belgian White
ABV: 5%
Price: ~$10 six pack

Fun fact: Not every winter beer has to be a stout!



I know! Amazing, right?



The beer pours yellow and cloudy, almost like lemon juice, with a bubbly white head. STRONG aromas of citrus (lemon and orange particularly) with even a little bit of banana, pineapple, spice, and alcohol (despite the low ABV). Flavor is zesty with a nice zing that reminds me of spiced apple cider. Sort of like a winterized version of Oberon, but more flavorful and more satisfying.

Rating: 9/10 - I'll be picking this up again once the snow starts to fall, I can tell you that!

E-mail me at mibeerguy@yahoo.com to berate me for reviewing Bell's too much.

Beer Review: Great Lakes Brewing Co. seasonals

I've waffled for a bit on whether or not to do this review. Why would that be? The bottle says Great Lakes Brewing Co.! Michigan is the Great Lake State! What could be more Michigandery than a brewing company named after the Great Lakes?

But the bottle is deceiving. The brewery is actually based out of Cleveland, Ohio! Now, this is all kinds of wrong. First off, Michigan borders FOUR OUT OF FIVE of the Great Lakes. Ohio borders ONE, Lake Erie, which is arguably the worst of the lot. It's the smallest by water volume, the shallowest, the warmest, and the most polluted. Secondly, Ohio and Michigan are archenemies. Thirdly, I have an irrational hatred for the state of Ohio - it's flat, it's boring, and it once tried to kill me with a near-miss car accident in Cincinnati. Take my word for it, Ohio is plain bad news.

But that doesn't mean good beer can't come out of it! And Cleveland is only about three hours or so from Ann Arbor, which meets my requirements for "local." So, begrudgingly, and just in time for Halloween, here are two seasonals from Lake Erie Brewing Co.!



Name: Nosferatu
Variety: American strong ale/Red ale
ABV: 8%
Price: ~$10 four pack

Ah, good ol' Nosferatu. The grand daddy of all vampire movies, this classic 1922 silent film remains one of the most faithful (unofficial) adaptations of Bram Stoker's horror classic. Nosferatu himself is also one of the classic movie monsters - his misshapen form, bulging eyes, and rodent-like fangs have ensured him an enduring legacy in popular culture long after silent films went the way of the Dodo.

Vampires are the hot thing right now. Sadly, they just don't make them like they used to. I mean, which do you think is more frightening and memorable?





That's what I thought. The film is public domain and is available for free on YouTube, so give it a watch if you're feeling retro/scholarly.

Oh, right! The beer.

It appropriately pours a dark brown-red, nearly the color of dried blood, with a foamy yellowish-white head. Spooky, no? Aroma is outdoorsy and hoppy with a pretty strong alcohol scent. Flavors include caramel, malts, but with a well-blended hoppiness that gives the finish a strong, pleasing bite.

This is a very unusual beer - you don't come across many ales quite this strong and strange. But it's also a superb offering from Great Lakes. It's smooth and pleasant to drink with a nice twist of supernatural weirdness.

Rating: 9/10 - Perfect for a party or night of spooky movies!



Name: Glockenspiel
Variety: Weizenbock
ABV: 8%
Price: ~$10 four pack

Hmmmm. Great Lakes' Web site says this beer is only available from May until June, but I recently found it on the shelf at Whole Foods and I am CERTAIN it had not been on the shelf the week before. Maybe it was a late arrival. Oh well! The name sounds German, so I'm going to call it Oktoberfest appropriate, s'allright?



Hey, this actually looks really similar to Nosferatu! I swear I didn't screw up and post the wrong pictures. Nosferatu is MUCH more red looking in person and Glockenspiel is much more yellow-orangish with significantly more haze. Aroma is yeasty with some slight fruity notes. Taste is.... well, it's supposed to be plums and bananas and raisins and other types of fruit, but it just tastes astringent and somewhat mediciney to me.

I should say I don't get on with German-style beers to well. If you do, then by all means!

Rating: 5/10 - Not a badly made beer beer, but certainly not for me.

Beer Review: Arbor Brewing Co. Jackhammer

Hard to believe I've gone this long without reviewing a single beer from the most high-profile Ann Arbor brewery, Arbor Brewing Company. There's a couple of different microbreweries in town, but ABC, to my knowledge, is the only one that bottles their beer for sale outside of their brewpub (which, I should note, is an excellent bar!) But enough from me! It's time to write about righting a wrong! Wait...

Name: Jackhammer
Variety: Old ale
ABV: 8.5%
Price: ~$11 six pack



Jackhammer pours a very dark brown with a slick, oily appearance. The head is small, slightly khaki, and diminishes quickly. Aroma is that of caramels, toasted cereal grains and a fair bit of alcohol. The flavor is slightly nutty and malty with a strong alcohol finish. This actually has one of the strongest alcohol flavors of any beer I've tried, and it gave me quite a good little headache!

This is a decent offering, but not my favorite of ABC's. Of their bottled variety, my favorite are Bavarian Bliss and Brassiere Blonde. I've also had their Oktoberfest on tap at their pub and that was delicious! Goes to show you can never judge a brewery on just one beer.

Rating: 5/10 - Not really worth the price and ow my head.

E-mail me at mibeerguy@yahoo.com if you ow my head.