Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week: Collaboration and Community
Our first time at Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week (February 1-8, 2025) was as tasty as it was inspiring. On top of a celebration of craft beverages, we witnessed the power of local businesses joining forces to craft an unbelievable experience. We hit the final two days of Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week and packed them with perfect pairings, great conversations, and a whole lot of fun. With every stop, sip, and taste, I couldn’t help but think—why doesn’t our town do more to foster this kind of community and collaboration in the craft beverage realm?
Friday Night Pairings: A Tale of Pretzels and Pizza
We arrived on Friday just in time for the Beer & Sarkozy Soft Pretzel pairing at Brewery Outre and the Wine and Pizza Pairing at Sit and Stay Winery. It was the ideal carb-loading needed for Bell’s Snow Jog on Saturday. Our weekend wrapped with a sweet and hoppy Donut & Beer pairing at Apoptosis before cheering on the spirited competitors at the Beer Olympics at Presidential Brewing.
Beer & Pretzels at Brewery Outré – You Know You Want Some
Our first stop at Brewery Outré set the tone for the weekend. Bright with cheerful comfort, their pub begs you to sit down, enjoy a beer (or two), and have fun. The cherry on top was the smell of fresh beer brewing. It smelled like fresh bread and hot cereal. Sort of like Grandma’s house if your grandma brews delicious beer. We felt right at home.
A big theme during Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week was food and beverage pairings. Brewery Outre and Sarkozy Bakery set out to deliver a set of combinations designed to tantalize and satisfy. The McKenzie Red IPA was wonderfully matched with a Sourdough Rye pretzel made with the same beer. The malt and IPA brought out the rye notes of the pretzel.
If you are into IPAs, no worries. The other options were sure to please. They had a cinnamon sugar pretzel served with ganache dip paired with their Cerberus Coffee Porter. This is what I could enjoy every day for breakfast. Ok, sure, beers in the morning may not make for the most productive day, but what the hell. The sourdough pretzel served with Outre beer cheese and Unica Lager was the quintessential beer and pretzel pairing. Brenda and I both agreed that the Outre beer cheese was the best we had ever had. Add a lager and pretzel, and we are talking next level awesomeness.
While settling our bar tab, we learned they’d already sold out of the Sarkozy Pretzels. The bartender mentioned he wasn’t surprised. Their regulars love Sarkozy pretzels.
Wine & Pizza at Sit and Stay Winery – A Match Made in Heaven
Sit and Stay Winery puts a crafty, bold, and delicious spin on the traditional wine and cheese pairing. They served slices of Benny DiCarta’s with Sit and Stay Wines. Pizza and Wine for the win. The pairings included the house Red with pepperoni pizza, Pinot Noir with cheese pizza, and the Pinot Grigio with a bruschetta pizza.
Each of these unique and flavorful combinations was marvelous, making picking a favorite tough. The meaty pepperoni pizza made the house red pop with flavor. The balsamic drizzle on the bruschetta pizza amplified the citrus notes on the Pinot Grigio. Cheese pizza never tasted so good as when paired with the fruitiness of the Pinot Noir. While I gave the pepperoni pizza and house red the nod, each pairing was outstanding.
Popcorn & Wine with Pop City Popcorn – A Surprising Culinary Combo
I never would have thought to pair wine and popcorn. The good folks at Sit and Stay Winery tapped the flavor wizards at Pop City Popcorn, and together, they took us on a wild, buttery, cheesy, and sweet ride.
Bacon Cheddar Popcorn with Pinot Noir made for a fancy meets fun tango of smoky cheese and earthy wine. The subtle zing of the Buffalo Wing Popcorn matched with the crisp Riesling, which was spicy, sweet, and amazing.
For the perfect dessert, Sit and Stay Winery offered two special pairings: Caramel Corn with Moscato, a magical medley, and White Chocolate Strawberry Popcorn with Strawberry Blush, a sweetheart’s dream.
Sit and Stay Winery is located at 260 E Michigan Ave in downtown Kalamazoo. Its tasting room is cozy and adorned with fun and whimsical art. Deb and Bob Gilman, the owners, will make you feel at home while providing exceptional wines and fantastic service.
Bell’s Snow Jog: The Ultimate Pub Crawl
We didn’t make it to all eleven stops but hit enough to get a taste of the Bell’s Snow Jog experience. While the event name suggests running, the point is really to take your time and have fun. We gathered at Bell’s Beer Garden for the start, where the “runners” were decked out in fantastic costumes. They poured out on their beverage adventure, clutching their passports and beaming with smiles.
Snow Jog Mission (Should you choose to accept it)
Each team of runners set out to complete five of the eleven Snow Jog challenges, collect their stamps, and make it back to Bell’s by 4 p.m. The Snow Job challenges were hosted at local pubs that proudly served Bell’s beer, turning this pub crawl into a full-blown celebration of local businesses. The Snow Job teams could visit the stops in whatever order floated their boat, making for some frosty, festive fun.
Shakespeare’s Pub – A Tricky Challenge
Tucked toward the back of Shakespeare’s Pub, Snow Joggers accepted what had to be the trickiest challenge of the day: trying (and mostly failing) to toss a football through a goalpost and land it into an incredibly small bucket. The hopeful snow joggers gave it their best shot as the pub filled with their cheers and laughter.
After spectating for a bit, we made our way to the bar. Along the way, we passed a couple of Minions sharing a round of beverages with a bride and groom. As we found a space at the bar, a woman wearing a birthday sash sauntered by—celebrating her 90th birthday with more vigor than most of the younger crowd in the room.
A pair of Snow Joggers dressed as a lemon and lime spotted us eyeing the menu and insisted the nachos were the move. This was definitely the right call. The nachos were huge and delicious! Our Snow Jog had officially started, and we were more than ready for whatever wild surprises lay ahead.
Crafted Copper: Duckpin and Drinks
Ducking into Crafted Copper, we waddled over to check out the duckpin bowling lanes. (Did you see what I did there?) As we watched, Snow Joggers sent the pins flying with the little bowling ball. We made a note that on our next trip to Kalamazoo, Crafter Copper is a must-stop for a few frames and a round of drinks. They have a cool, pour-your-own system as well as a full-service bar.
Green Top Tavern: Finger Field Goals and Bell’s
Walking into Green Top Tavern with its classic dive bar vibe, you just know the burgers will be top-tier—greasy, juicy, and exactly what you need to fuel your pub crawl. Today, the pool table wasn’t for eight-ball; instead, Bell’s staff turned it into a mini football field, with mini goalposts and stacks of paper for Snow Joggers to craft their best finger footballs.
Mike McKillop, Bell’s project manager, was on hand to help with stamping passports, refereeing the finger football, and promoting Bell’s. After a quick introduction, it didn’t take long for Mike to extend an open invitation to Bell’s Oberon Day on March 24, 2025—a date now etched on my calendar. He also encouraged us to take a tour of Bell’s downtown Kalamazoo facility or their larger brewing operation in Comstock. Sounds like yet another reason to visit Kalamazoo again.
High Dive Kitchen & Bar: Super Sized Flip Cup
High Dive Kitchen & Bar, Green Top Tavern, and Crafted Copper form a kind of “fun triad” on Michigan Ave in Kalamazoo – a perfect trio for a night on the town. Our final stop on this stretch of the Snow Jog was High Dive, where Snow Joggers gathered next to the bar, awaiting their turn for the giant cup flip challenge. Ok, the cups weren’t gigantic, but fairly large.
While soaking up the action and a beverage, we chatted with a few Snow Joggers decked out in their best Oberon-themed costumes—because nothing says dedication like dressing as your favorite beer. Our last two stops were calling…
HUB Tavern: A Race to Perfection
Perfection was the name of the game at HUB Tavern and Grill (359 S Kalamazoo Mall) as Snow Joggers competed against the clock in games of Perfection. With furrowed brows deep, teams raced against the clock to place shapes in their proper place. We were sweating with anticipation, and we weren’t even playing.
The rest of this spacious tavern was blissfully unaware of the Perfection action at the doorway. As friends and families enjoyed a Saturday afternoon complimented by wood-fired pizzas and tasty beverages. A few Snow Jog teams shared stories in the front bar area with its large street-facing windows. A perfect spot for people watching as you enjoy a beer or a whiskey from their extensive selection.
Louie’s Trophy House: Bowling with Fred Bear (or was that Dave?)
When you walk into Louie’s Trophy house, you feel like you have walked into an old bar in the U.P. minus the 6-hour drive. Located at 629 Walbridge St, only a couple blocks north of Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, this stop on the Snow Jog is a favorite as you can easily stroll over for the 4 pm “race” finish.
Entering Kalamazoo’s oldest bar is a journey through time. At the door, you’ll meet “Fred,” the brown bear, as well as a large horseshoe bar. Lining the walls are trophies from nearly every game animal imaginable. At the bar, you will find comfortable seating and attentive staff. While we didn’t check out the food, it looked fabulous. The couple dressed in unicorn costumes ordered the smoked lamb gyros, which were gigantic and evidently delicious, as they cleaned their plates.
Bell’s team offered a bowling contest in the backroom where teams tried to roll a strike on the plastic bowling set. There was a steady chorus of cheers and high-fives as teams completed their mission before settling in for a beer (or three).
Sweet & Savory at Apoptosis Brewing
After a full day with the Snow Joggers at Bell’s, we had a hankering something sweet—Peace, Love & Little Donuts to the rescue! Luckily, Apoptosis Brewing Company was hosting a donut & beer pairing with our names written all over it.
Donut & Beer Pairing – Weirdly Wonderful
At first glance, I’m not sure beer and donuts sound that great. We were curious about how this collaboration came to be. It is a simple story of neighbors supporting neighbors, which gets an A+ in our book. Now, how did it taste? Honestly, it was awesome. The sweetness of the donuts amplified the hops of the beers. In the case of the stout and chocolate donut, it was just heaven all the way.
Jerky & Beer Pairing with Chester’s Wild Meat – Holy Wah!
While chatting with the crew behind the bar, they shared with us another fantastic pairing—this time with Chester’s Wild Meat, matching handcrafted jerky with beer just the night before. One taste of the jerky samples they still had on hand, and I was online at Chester’s checking prices. I’m adding Chester’s as yet another reason to head back to Kalamazoo (as if I needed a reason)
Beer Olympics at Presidential Brewing
As cardboard cutouts of current and past presidents looking on, we ended our full day of fun at Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week at the Presidential Brewing Beer Olympics. Eight teams of skilled and determined athletes engaged in beer fueled games as the crowd cheered them on.
While we didn’t partake in the games, we had a great time in Presidential’s spacious pub, hanging out at one of the communal tables just off from their expansive bar. We couldn’t go wrong with any of their beers. However, one did rise above the rest – the “Pale To The Chief” pale ale with its dandy hop finish. On top of great beers, the kitchen at Presidential is top-notch, serving pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and their secret weapon – loaded tater tots.
Let The Games Begin!
Ceremonial music and the arrival of a plastic torch signaled the start of this year’s Presidential Beer Olympics. The order of the teams was determined through a grueling game of rock, paper, scissors. There were five games of skill that involved drinking a beer. The first and most memorable was a combination of dice rolling and beer pong. There were plenty of laughs to be had at these games, which made for a fine end to our Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week adventure.
Hail to Craft, Community, and Collaboration – Until Next Year!
Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week 2025 was more than a celebration of exceptional drinks—it was a fantastic showcase of community, collaboration, and creativity. From expertly paired bites to lively pub crawl challenges, each stop offered something distinct, highlighting why craft culture thrives in Kalamazoo. As we left town, one thought stayed with us: this is the kind of energy every community should aspire to. Until next year, Kalamazoo—cheers to craft beverages, amazing people, and unforgettable memories.
Pictures
There are more photos from our adventures at Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week in our gallery. Many thanks to Discover Kalamazoo for having us out. When planning your trip to Kalamazoo, make sure to see their site for all you need to make your trip most excellent.
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