Michigan Summer Beerfest 2018 in Review

This past weekend marked Michigan’s 21st annual Summer Beerfest hosted by the Michigan Brewers Guild. This event is by far the biggest of the four beer festivals hosted by the guild, and the talented and dedicated brewers in the state of Michigan always bring their “A” game for this event. The event goes on rain or shine (luckily this year we had extremely pleasant weather) and is widely considered one of the biggest and best beer parties you can attend in the mitten state.

This year was no exception and the annual beer festival certainly lived up to expectations. All of the states most reputable brewers showed up and were lined up side by side with new breweries and brewers from all over the state. Accompanying me to Summer Beerfest was one friend who is an avid sour beer aficionado, and another friend that prefers the cold blue Rocky Mountain decorated cans best known as the Silver Bullet. Regardless if you’re a hardcore beer geek or newbie to the craft beer scene you’re not only guaranteed to find some new brews to fall in love with but you will also meet some fabulous people that represent the craft beer industry, wear their heart on their sleeve, and exemplify the passion for beer that so many of us share. Of course everyone has they’re own preferences when it comes to beers but without further adieu here are Sommbeer’s 5 favorite beers From the Michigan Summer Beerfest!

Skittlebrau with Skittles – Old Nation Brewing – A beer that’s inspired by the nonsensical ramblings of Homer J. Simpson… I’m sold. Skittlebrau was a limited tapping that featured one of Old Nation’s trademark NEIPA’s with a couple Skittles candies gleefully floated within your tasting cup. The beer was sweet and had a little bit of pleasant funkiness which was an amazingly refreshing beer to tap right in the middle of the day. One can only hope Old Nation decides to can this in the future (with Skittles on the side of course). Bourbon Barrel Mean Mallow Bean – Drafting Table Brewing Co. – I think I finally found a way to appreciate marshmallows, use them while brewing a stout and then age them in a bourbon barrel! Mean Mallow Bean was absolutely stellar, remarkably balanced, and exceptionally easy to drink. This beer is a real treat and is so good that by itself could justify making a trip to Summer Beer Fest. MBA King Cold Brew – Homes Brewery – I hate to admit it but I’ve been slacking on Homes Brewery in Ann Arbor. I work less than 10 minutes from their taproom and this was my first experience with their beer, gotta say I was impressed. MBA King Cold Brew is a Maple Barrel Aged cream ale, the body on this beer is remarkably light and the Maple peaks on its back end. It’s a fantastic beer and I can guarantee that I will be making my way to their taproom sooner than later. A Girl Named Egypt – Arbor Brewing Co. – A Girl Named Egypt is a Double White IPA that was brewed specifically to honor a young lady that is no longer with us. I’ll include a link if you would like to read more about Egypt. This Double IPA is fantastic though, white IPA’s are something of a rare bird to begin with and this one definitely stands out. Lightly bodied and accented with beautiful floral aroma the tropical fruits used in this beer truly pop. For more about A Girl named Egypt check out Arbor Brewing’s website. Double Barrel Night Fury (Maple & Buffalo Trace)- Witch’s Hat Brewing Co. – This was actually the first beer of the day that I had the privilege to try and it totally set the tone for this entire festival. This beer is big, loud, mean and abrasive in all the best ways imaginable. The maple flavor in the beer is anything but subtle and the heat from the bourbon barrel is still very upfront. If you are into barrel aged beers make sure to make your way to this years Fury for a Feast, I know I’ll be looking for it there.

The Michigan Brewers Guild does a simply incredible job with this festival year in and year out. Regardless of what style of beer you gravitate to or how much you know about beer these festivals really are worth the time and effort to check out. Summer Beerfest might only come once a year but the guild does host 3 other festivals through out the year, each of them provide a different experience due to the time of year and weather, but each one is a blast. You can check out the events page on the Guild’s website for more information for upcoming festivals. I know I’m already counting down to the Detroit Fall Festival happening at the end of October!

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