Categories
Specials

Big Ten Football & Beer

It is said that in ancient Rome, the emperor Caligula would send men to collect beer from the foreign lands he was about to invade, in the belief that if he consumed the libations of his enemies before battle, it would give him magical powers that would lead to Rome’s victory. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this story is that, well, we just made it up. But it sure would be a great excuse for drinking the beer made in the hometown of the Michigan Wolverine’s adversaries this year, which is what we’re basing all of our fall specials on. But the fact is, we have even BETTER reasons to drink the beer of your enemy. First of all, it’s damn good beer, in this case. And secondly, how about good old-fashioned sportsmanship and respect for a worthy adversary? Besides, if you’re going to plan to kick someone’s butt on the gridiron, you could at least buy them a beer afterwards, and be a good host while they hang their head in defeat in a strange land. So for this year’s fall specials, we’ve done our best to pick a fine beer from the land of our enemy, and priced them all to make the agony of defeat a little more bearable. Below is a summary of this year’s schedule for Michigan Football, with a preview of the beers being highlighted. Full details on the featured beers here.

Categories
News

Ann Arbor Art Fair 2011

Ann Arbor Art Fair iPhone App

The Ann Arbor Art Fair?
There’s an app for that.

We have plenty of links to useful resources for enjoying the Ann Arbor Art Fairs below, but here’s your first idea for visiting the fairs this year: start and end your day at Main Party! Why? Because we’re in a perfect spot, are open 7am to 2am, and have everything you need to start your day, and everything you need to wrap it up pleasantly. First of all, we’re just blocks from a handy freeway arrival and escape route on US-23. Second, we’re less than 50 feet from a parking structure. After you’ve parked, we have just about anything you need to get your day rolling: coffee, bottled water, juices, a small deli, energy bars and energy drinks, basic sundries, even handy items like aspirin and allergy medicine. When you’re ready to head out, we’re just a couple blocks from the action. And when you’ve had your fun, we’ll be here at the end of the day with the largest selection of fine wine, craft beers, and fine spirits in Ann Arbor, so you can pick up something nice to unwind with when you get home. But enough about us, below are pretty much all the links and resources you’ll need to enjoy the fairs, all in one handy place. First of all, you need to know that the Ann Arbor Art Fair is actually FOUR fairs. We’ll start off with links to each fair’s sites, which all have plenty of other links to useful information. So if you’re leaving us now, we hope you appreciate our little Art Fair Guide, and we’ll look forward to seeing you during the fair!

Categories
Holidays

Smart Beer Drinkers Say “I Think Therefore I Can”

For a long time, a sure sign that someone didn’t know what a good beer is would be the fact that they were drinking it from a can. In fact, for many of us, watching someone drink beer from a can gave us the uneasy feeling that at any moment, they were going to smash it on their forehead and then turn around and do a “keg stand”. That has certainly changed; some of the finest beers around are now available in a can, and that’s convenient, now that summer is here. Whether on the patio, by the pool, or golfing, beer in a can is a fantastic convenience. It’s easier and safer to stash in a backpack or duffle, it won’t tip over as easily poolside, and if it does it won’t shatter, and when you’re done with your fun, the can will easily crunch down for easier toting as a returnable or recyclable. We’ve selected some nice beers to help you explore your independence this holiday weekend. Check them out below:
Categories
New Arrivals

Would You Travel 4,000 Miles For Some Herradura Tequila?


Our barrel of Herradura tequila has arrived! Fortunately for you, the actual tequila is in numbered bottles with our personal imprint subtly added to the label, so you don’t have to buy the whole barrel to give it a try. After a journey of six thousand miles – four thousand to travel to and from Mexico to select this barrel of Herradura Reposado, and the two thousand the barrel traveled on its own – you’d think the journey might be over. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. If you’ve been following our little story about how fine drink is a journey, you know that Joe (the owner) and his sidekick Steve (aka “Señor Gracias”) made a trip to Amatitán, Mexico, to personally select a specially-aged barrel of Herradura’s amazing Reposado. But that’s just the beginning of the journey. The next part of the journey is YOURS. First, a little journey to one of the outlets that have this amazing tequila in stock. Then the journey of enjoying it with your friends. And this is just the first of many journeys we’ll be taking. As promised, we launched HandSelectedSprits.com in May to record the trips we’ll be taking around the world to find the best wines and spirits, and when possible, bring them home to you. So this barrel is really just the beginning. Stop by and select your own numbered bottle. They’re going faster than we expected! And stay tuned for news of future trips. Joe already made a trip to ten California vineyards last month, and we’ll be visiting Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versaille Kentucky this summer. Join us on the journeys!

Categories
Humor

25 Craziest Beer Brands And Labels

Crazy Beer BrandsFor an independent beer maker, it’s probably a challenge to cut through the noise of today’s marketplace. Think about it. With literally thousands of beers to choose from, and the incessant marketing chatter of TV, radio, billboards, Twitter, texts, and dozens of tap handles behind the bar vying for your attention, what’s a small independent beermaker to do? Well, first of all, they better make a darn good beer. And then they need to get people talking about it. And although many craft beers create a buzz just by being consumed, the brewer needs to create the other kind of buzz. Which probably goes a long way toward explaining brand names like Old Leghumper, Moose Drool, Yellow Snow IPA, Shaggin’ in the Wood, and Imperial Hopwhore. But beer enthusiasts are a special breed, and although they’re probably even more demanding and discriminating than the typical wine connoisseur, they tend to have a much better sense of humor. There are probably few consumer groups that could recommend a product to their friends called “Arrogant Bastard” or “Hairy Eyeball” without batting a lash. Which probably better explains the preponderance of bizarre, nearly offensive, but always hilarious names of cutting edge craft beers. We’ve rounded up nearly thirty of the craziest brands and labels below. Feel free to share any we missed in the comments.