March MOB Meeting - Bell's Brewery Takeover

There is no disputing that Bell’s Brewery is one of the preeminent breweries in the country…and it is right here in west Michigan. Its about time The MOB takes it over.

On Saturday, March 7, 2015 we're chartering a bus and riding in style. It's about a 200 mile round trip so let's let the professionals watch the road while we share some home brew and visit. The brewery tour itself will start at 10:30 am and go for about 1-1/2 hours. Afterwards, we can visit Bell's Eccentric Cafe and hit other brewpubs in beautiful downtown Kalamazoo.

The bus ride will be $20 per person. We'd like to open it up to made and paid Mobsters first, then to friends up to 50 passengers. Expecting to be back between 7-9 pm.

Bell’s Brewery Take-Over Itinerary:

9:00 am - Leaving the I-96 Exit 16 Park & Ride via Great Lakes Motorcoach 55 passenger bus. Plenty of room for small coolers full of homebrew.

10:30 am - Arrive at Bell’s Brewery, 8938 Krum Avenue, Galesburg, MI 49053. Luke Hutchings, Bell’s Brand Ambassador to lead the tour of Bell’s Production Facility.

12:30 pm - Load up and ride to Bell’s Eccentric Café and check out their pub beers. I will see if we can tour the pub brewery too.
http://bellsbeer.com/eccentric-cafe/

While there, shop in Bell’s General Store and browse their large selection of brewing supplies.
http://bellsbeer.com/store/

Shakespeare's Pub, 241 E Kalamazoo Ave is also nearby and has a good selection of craft beers.
http://shakespearespub.com/index

Olde Peninsula Brewpub and Restaurant, 200 E. Michigan Avenue, has an extensive menu and a large dining room.
http://oldepenkazoo.com/

Arcadia has a Brewpub about a ½ mile east at 701 E Michigan Ave. Good food and great beer there as well.
http://www.arcadiaales.com/

Tibbs Brewing Company, 402 South Burdick Street is a small batch brewery worth checking out. Open at 2 pm on Saturday.
http://tibbsbrewing.com/

Gonzos Biggdogg Brewing is a bit of a walk west, at 140 South Westnedge Avenue. A Righteous Brew, Born and Bottled in Kalamazoo.
http://www.gonzosbiggdoggbrewing.com/

Boatyard Brewing, 0.6 miles north on 432 E. Paterson St. Kalamazoo, MI 49009. Nice selection of beers.
http://boatyardbrewing.com/

Kalamazoo Beer Exchange is highly rated craft beer bar with a unique twist: Stock market style pricing starting at 6:00 pm. If we’re lucky, there will be a market crash!
211 East Water Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007
http://kalamazoobeerexchange.com/

Plenty of other things to do and see in downtown Kalamazoo, too. Much of it is within walking distance.

7:00 pm - Meet back at the bus for the ride back north to Exit 16.

9:00 pm - Arrive at our cars. You don’t have to go home, but you do have to wake up and get off the bus.

Hoping to keep the bus centrally located at or near the Eccentric Cafe. If you know of other points of interest, post on!

Fetch Invaded by The MOB

Last Sunday, February 8th 2015, the monthly club meeting was held at Fetch Brewing Company in Whitehall. Dan Hain and his awesome staff spoke with the group, gave us tours of the facility and treated us very well.

Dan Hain talking to a house full of Mobsters

25,000 pennies on the vault floor!

There was abundant home brew available as well as the excellent beers brewed by Fetch. The brewery is a beautiful old bank building with tons of character and charm. You can even sit inside of the old bank vault and enjoy your beers.The floor of the vault is covered with 25,000 pennies which were hand laid, face up, by the brewery employees.

Old dairy tank mash tun, works like a charm.

As you all probably know, starting a brewery is expensive, that's why Dan had to get creative when building the brew house. The mash tun they use is an old dairy tank with a home made copper manifold.

We had a great turnout for the meeting and signed up a few new members as well. Overall I would say that this was one of our best meetings yet.

Thanks to Dan and Fetch Brewing Company for being such gracious hosts, we will definitely be back.

Time to Review the Rules

We are very lucky to have friends in The MOB who allow us to hold our meetings at their breweries and we cannot take that for granted. We need to ensure that we, as a home brew club, follow all the rules and do not jeopardize our hosts in any way. To that end I am posting the statute that explains the rules. Please read this and follow it during future meetings.

MCL 436.2027(3)(d) - This section does not prohibit: A micro brewer, brewpub, or on-premises licensee from allow...ing the sampling and consumption on the licensed premises of beer, wine, mead, honey-based beer, or cider produced by 1 or more home brewers at a meeting of home brewers, or a club composed primarily of home brewers, under the following circumstances:

(i) The sampling or consumption is for the purpose of exhibitions or competitions involving home brewers.

(ii) The beer, honey-based beer, or cider is served in portions that do not exceed 3 ounces. The wine or mead is served in portions that do not exceed 2 ounces.

(iii) The beer, wine, mead, honey-based beer, or cider produced by the home brewer is only consumed by the home brewer, the home brewer’s family, a club member, a
judge, or a guest speaker and is not sold to members of the general public.

(iv) The participants in the sampling or consumption otherwise comply with applicable state and federal law and applicable regulatory provisions of this act and rules adopted by the commission under this act.

(v) The participants in the sampling or consumption are not charged for the sampling or consumption of the beer, wine, mead, honey-based beer, or cider.