By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Now in its fifth year, the Lakeshore Brewers Guild will host “the Great Lakes region’s only on-the-beach beer festival,” the Burning Foot Beer Festival Saturday, Aug. 24, at Pere Marquette Beach in Muskegon.
“We’re really upping our game this year,” Allen Serio, Burning Foot Beer Festival chairman, said in supplied material, with the festival having “more breweries, bigger bands and better sound.”
And they ain’t kidding when they talk bigger bands — with the likes of Everclear and Sponge lined up — or more breweries.
Something around 80 breweries from around the Great Lakes region will be represented at the festival — including those as close at Dutton’s Railtown Brewing Company and as far away as Sprecher Brewery form Wisconsin.
The festival will feature a “Hop Up” Art Tent with brewery inspired art by local and regional artists. Attendees can also look forward to “the flaming ‘Hop Tower’ installation and interactive element charging stations”. Not sure what either means, but they sound cool.
And as far as the music? The festival will offer two stages, one main stage and one waterfront stage for acoustic acts, with sets by country performer Matt Williams and regional bands like Tropadelic and the Melophobics. But the headliners will be 1990s alternative bands Sponge and Everclear — think back for Everclear hits “Santa Monica” and “Father of Mine.”
Festival goers don’t need to worry about getting home after the festival, either — with the purchase of camping tickets, they can camp on sites right next to the festival grounds.
“You get down there, you spend the whole day at the beach, you enjoy this great festival, and then you can sleep right next door and wake up and hear the waves 20 feet away, crashing on the shore,” Serio said.
Tickets for the festival will first be available at a ticket release party hosted at the downtown Muskegon beach volleyball courts located behind the Western Market chalets on Saturday, June 8, from 12-4 p.m. The party will feature draft beer and music, and all tickets will be on sale without a processing fee before they are released online. General Admission tickets will also be available at a discounted rate of $45. Online ticket sales will open at 5 p.m. on June 8.
For more information about the Lakeshore Brewers Guild visit lakeshoreguild.beer . For more informant on the Burning Foot Beer Festival visit burningfoot.beer .
Long Road Distillers named state’s best gin maker
Long Road Distillers was recently named Michigan Gin Distillery of the Year at the 10th Annual New York International Spirits Competition. More than 600 spirits from 29 countries were submitted and judged by a panel of “trade-only” judges at the annual event. The judges come from a variety of disciplines, but all work with spirits on a daily basis. They are made up of restauranteurs, sommeliers, retail buyers, distributors and importers.
“We’re honored to claim this title,” Jon O’Connor, co-owner and co-founder of Long Road Distillers, said in supplied material. “We take a great deal of pride in crafting our portfolio of gins – it’s one of our favorite spirits to produce and share with others.”
Opened in 2015, Long Road has a long line-up of botanical spirits, including Long Road Dry Gin, Long Road MICHIGIN and Long Road Aquavit, as well as other year-round and limited-release gins, including Long Road Barrel Reserve Gin, Long Road Patriot Gin, and the very limited Long Road Barrel Reserve MICHIGIN.
Long Road’s distillery and tasting room is located on Grand Rapids’ West Side at 537 Leonard Street SW, and also available in many restaurants and cocktail bars.
For more information visit longroaddistillers.com .
Bike Nights (and beer rewards) return to Cedar Springs Brewing
Again this year, Cedar Springs Brewing is working with the Speed Merchants biking group to host two bicycling groups — one for leisure and another for serious training — on Mondays starting at 6:30 p.m., thorough September.
The training group ride is a 28-36 mile gravel ride for fat tire, mountain, gravel, or cx bikes. Led by Speed Merchants, the initial rides will be 1.5-2 hour rides, increasing to 2-2.5 hours as more daylight allows. The pace will be a minimum of 16 mph.
For those who like a more leisurely pace, a family friendly group will embark on a shorter paved ride on the White Pine Trail.
Helmets are required. Spare tube, bike pumps, and Strava app recommended.
At the end of each ride, riders will meet up at the brewery — after all good rides end with a beer with friends. Bike night participants receive $2 off appetizers, or refuel with Chef’s “Radfahrer Special” a power packed meal for cyclists.
For more information visit csbrew.com or email events@csbrew.com .
