Beer Fest Journal PART TWO

Part Two:

11:00 a.m. Mikey & Laura Save Beer Fest!!!

When I spoke to Mikey Lerman a couple of days earlier he mentioned that Miss Laura Bates was soon to be a new Auntie and they would be driving to Grand Rapids to visit the new addition and her family. By wonderful coincidence they were preparing to head to GR from Lansing exactly when the tour bus broke down. I enlisted them with some urgency to come rescue the Kuhnhenn brothers and also hitch a ride to GR since there was no telling how long we would be stuck there. Eric Sr. was highly skeptical of their ability to get to GR on the bus and the mood was becoming quite grim. Father & Son felt very bad about all of this which they reacted to be risking death and jumping out into the freeway to retrieve the beer. Nick from Kbrew assisted, and before any of us knew what insanity was going on the beer kegs, taps and display bench were all on the side of the road. It was kind of funny because a committee of 6 of us were trying to sus out the logic of igniting flares or blocking off the road these guys just went out and did it. No way in hell was I stepping on to that road, but sometimes doers in this world save the rest of us from chewing on our own flesh!!!

With that dilemma solved naturally it occured to folks on the bus that there were now beer kegs on the side of the road. Some anarchy ensued. Some of us were attempting to save the beer but in fairness these folks paid good money to drink good beer, so the kegs were tapped. Thankfully, Mikey & Laura showed up shortly after this began. A few of us enjoyed the Hefe Weizen while awaiting their arrival, which is exceptional beer, and the good times began. Eric was heading back from GR but way behind our saviors from Lansing, so it was decided that Bret, Eric Sr. and I would go to Beer Fest with the beer and set up. Eric would load the van with the remaining equipment and passengers. The bus would presumably find their way to us later. They were preparing to attempt start up when we quickly filled Laura's little car with beer and passengers and sped off.

12:30 Beer Fest at last!!!

It is important to take a moment and describe The Kuhnhenn brothers. I've been performing with Mikey, Joe Neely and Reg at Kuhnhenn's for over two years now. It took them a long time to fully embrace the concept of having live music in the brewery, and it's taken me just as long to get to know these guys at all. They are running a business after all, and very dedicated to their craft. The process began as the After Party shows began drawing better crowds and we became a staple of the brewery. They truly look forward to us showing up and playing, and we truly look forward to being there. It has become more like hanging out with friends than a gig. Over last summer, Reg, myself, John, Mike and many others would routinely hang out with these guys chatting it up, drinking beer (sometimes sobering up), playing Euchre and going well over the 2 a.m. closing time. More often than not we play well past our set times as well. They are generous with beers and many things, we are generous with our time. The invite to beer fest was a chance to actually get to witness their world first hand and be representatives of good people with good product. These fellas are easy to hang out with but not exactly easy to read. They are very laid back, and often enjoying beer, but when they say something is going to get done, it gets done or people die!!! It is with this in mind that I was very surprised to have Bret get a little emotional after arriving at festival. They could see that our main concern was getting the beer to the people and they were truly grateful.

Upon arrival at the fest all hell broke loose. The line to get Kuhnhenn's beer was well out of the beer tent, and they didn't even have any taps. We raced through the concourse carrying kegs, and Bret had about enough time to throw in the taps set them down in front of the rabid beer fans and suddenly they were pouring beer. The display, backup taps, and signs were assembled over the course of an hour after ward. There was no promo material whatsoever but it made no difference because people will keep coming back for more without having to be reminded. The reputation of their beer has achieved so much clout that everybody knew where to wait and the line never slowed down for the remainder of beerfest. We have become accustomed to big crowds in Warren but to see this fierce loyalty on display at Beer Festival was very encouraging. Most of the next few memories are hazed by some of the strongest beers I have ever experienced, but I will try my best.

1-5 The Beers!!!

The real reason I kept a journal of yesterday. The prime brews. At the festival, admission gives you a stack a beer tokens. That stack is still in my coat pocket, perhaps for use at a later festival. After assisting with setup and pouring some of the Kuhnhenn beers during busy periods I decided I was no longer one of the commoners! Reg and I both just walked around most of the lines and went straight to the brew masters. If I did not feel like dealing with crowds or cramped spaces I just went back to Kbrew and poured myself another Rasberry Eisbock.

Rasberry Eisbock - Kuhnhenn's

Legend has it that Kbrew fans have been sending bottles of the Eisbock to their friends and relatives in Europe since it's release last year. It has since surfaced in International and European beer competitions and is widely considered one of the best beers in the world! For the record, I despise Rasberries, and I plowed through 5 cups of this amazing beverage yesterday. Knowing very little of the brewing process I simply compared my samples on a 1-5 Scale, 5 being great. This was my honorary top 5 star beer of the day. And I now know I never need to drinking this amazing beer again. The flavor is still present in my mouth a full day later.

Black Bottom Oatmeal Stout - Black Lotus

My other 5 stat that I've enjoyed many times before. We've played Black Lotus and the owner is Reggie's old friend Mark "Swami" Harper. I already knew this to be great beer but trying it against many other Stouts and Oatmeal Stouts I was happy to see it is my favorite. It is a very smooth and non-harsh Stout that warms the tummy. Mark brought one to me while I was attempting to get to Short's through the blockade of people.

Black Cherry Porter - Short's

Not really a huge fan of fruity beer period but I could not deny the explosion of flavor in every sip of this beer. Short's brews usually knock you out too quickly because they are unbelievably hoppy and thick, but that seems to be what the beer enthusiasts go for more than anything given the 20 minute line for Short's all day long. They were the Kings of the festival no doubt about it. The strong beer fans were essentially bouncing back and forth from Short's to Kbrew and the remaining brewers snarled and looked on. The Short's people were thorough, organized, and loaded with Merch. Kbrew, in contrast had a sign and taps scattered in all directions. They both have some of the best beers of Michigan, and it was really something to watch Bret camp out in The Short's tent and then Joe Short to move over to The Kbrew tent for the rest of festival. Mad respect! For some political reason Bell's Brewery does not set up a tent at Beer Fest. They would be the only presence that would trump these guys and the lines would be insane all day. That may have something to do with why they don't do it, because everyday is beer fest with Bell's. Joe Short is an amazing and innovative talent whose product has dominated his personage. In rare moments of calm you sense he is a nice guy with conviction and he is fun to share beers with. Since Short's has taken off though the man works 90 hour weeks and is in constant demand. It is widely believed that Short's may be the heir apparent to the Bell's empire! Not that Bell's is going anywhere, but Short's has just begun distributing bottles this year, their taps are popping up in many Detroit area bars now, and they have expanded from Bellaire to Elk Rapids. At least we can say we knew him when we were jamming out of tune acoustic guitars on his rough top!

Triple Belgian - Liberty Street

Joe from Liberty delivered the knock out surprise of the day and I couldn't be happier for them. I am somewhat biased since I can see their brewery right now, but they are the newest kids on the block. They are still figuring out when to release beers, the right balance of flavors and the demands of a tricky Plymouth beer drinking crowd. I had not sampled the Triple Belgian yet but I can tell you it was my tie for best beer with the Eisbock. It had an amazing after taste, smacked you upside the head with many different flavors, and I've been told will be on top at Liberty by the time the Acoustic AP plays there on Friday. I could not be more pleased. Maybe by the weekend I will ready to think about beer, much less drink more Triple Belgian and Eisbock. I normally go for IPAs or Pale Ales, maybe some Porter or Stout, so this whole beer fest was a departure from my normal tastes, but that's the benefit of beer tastings!


Next, the thrilling conclusion...