By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
There will be no shortage of beer related activities starting Friday, Feb. 15, when Beer Month GR begins its annual month-long celebration of craft beer brewing and drinking all across the greater Grand Rapids area.
But there will be one, the Beer City Brewer’s Guild’s Brewers Grove fundraiser for the Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, that will allow beer lovers to show a little love to Mother Nature at the same time.
There will be nearly two dozen West Michigan brew pubs and restaurants, including Wyoming’s own Two Guys Brewing and Kentwood’s adopted Dutton-based Railton Brewing Co., will not only be raising funds to plant trees but many will also have created “tree-themed beers.”
See WKTV stories on Two Guys Brewing and Railtown Brewing Co. by clicking through.
The Brewers Grove started in 2013 with an idea to create tree-themed beers that would be offered in conjunction with Experience GR’s Beer Month GR. Each participating brewery, distillery and cider house makes a donation to Friends of Grand Rapids Parks to fund tree plantings to “further our vision of thriving parks and sustainable urban forest.”
Now, each fall, funds raised are used to “plant trees and increase the tree canopy,” according to the Friends of Grand Rapids Parks. “The trees planted will improve tree diversity, provide a source of food to wildlife and park users, and replace removed ash trees lost due to the Emerald Ash Borer epidemic.”
The Brewers Grove fundraiser goes through March 15. For more information on the Brewers Grove, or visit friendsofgrparks.com .
… and thats just the beginning of Beer Month
Beer Month GR, running Feb. 15 to March 15, is an annual celebration of Grand Rapids’ craft beer scene, with special events and offerings at many West Michigan establishments highlighted by the 14th Annual Winter Beer Festival, running Saturday, Feb. 22, and Sunday, Feb. 23 (alas, Saturday tickets are sold out).
The 2019 Winter Beer Festival will feature more than 140 Michigan breweries and brewpubs. Each guest ticket comes with 15 tasting tokens which can be exchanged for 3 oz. samples from over 1,000 different craft beers (note that some specialty beers will require 2 tokens per 3 oz. sample). There will also be live music from local bands, other entertainment, ice sculpture demonstrations, and fire pits to warm up by. A selection of tasty food will be available for purchase at the festival.
The Beer Festival runs Friday 5-9 p.m. and Saturday 1-6 p.m., at the Fifth Third Ballpark, 4500 West River Dr. NE, Comstock Park.
For a link to the venues, and special events and offerings, during Beer Month GR visit Cool Brews. Hot Eats. For more information on the beer festival, visit Winter Beer Festival.
Oh, ya, and if you don’t already know about the Beer City Brewsader program, shame on you.
New brews on tap, on sale
In late January, New Holland Brewing Company announced the launch of Dragon’s Milk White, a bourbon barrel-aged white stout, that is the first Dragon’s Milk product to be available in cans.
“The white stout is an entirely new Dragon’s Milk experience, pulling many of the same awesome flavor notes that our fans have come to love in our original bourbon barrel-aged stout, but presenting them in a way that is completely unique,” Dominic Bergquist, brand manager for Dragon’s Milk, said in supplied material. “It’s not simply a visual play. The hazy golden color is really just the first cue that this beer is going to be unique, with the aromas and flavors that follow making it something we feel is truly special to behold.”
At six percent ABV, Dragon’s Milk White brings a much lighter brew but “it promises to appeal to traditional stout drinkers as well as those who simply are looking for a well crafted, full-flavored and accessible drinking experience,” they say.
I’ll be the judge of that.
Dragon’s Milk White is now available in New Holland’s pubs in Grand Rapids and Holland; a nationwide release will follow.
For more information on the Grand Rapids Knickerbocker location and the Dragon’s Milk White, visit newhollandbrew.com .
