Manchester Brewing Grand Opening Block Party

A cold rain couldn’t conquer the springtime cheer as Manchester Brewing celebrates its grand opening with a community block party.

Manchester Brewing Grand Opening

After opening their doors on February 27th, brewing up some damn fine beers, and serving delicious tacos, the folks at Manchester Brewing decided it was time for a party. We pulled up just after 3 pm to see a large tent consuming Main Street in Manchester. According to Jason Cooper (owner), this is the only private business that has been given permission to close the street. Clearly, Manchester is embracing its new brewery.

Ah, springtime in Michigan! A golden sun hung high…(insert record screeching sound here)…who am I kidding. There was no sun, not even a hint. Instead, a steady cold rain pattered down on the side tent as we made our way into the party. There was a sizable crowd when we arrived, and folks just kept on coming. Evidently, the prospect of a party with great beer, food, and music was more than enough incentive to brave this soggy weather situation.

Beer, Tacos, and Art

It was nearly balmy inside the tent. Sure, you need to huddle up with your neighbors, but that makes for a great excuse to chit-chat with folks. Alternatively, you could grab a beer, check out some art, and of course devour a few tacos.

Manchester Brewing Head brewer, Bob Johnson, was our first stop inside the big top. In addition to the spritely MAT Cream Ale and the malt forward River Raisin Red, Bob had a couple of other gems to dazzle our palate. 

In a nod to the easy swilling 40s such as Schlitz Malt Liquor, Bob supersized the cream ale, calling it “Cornballer”. This impressive imperial cream ale retains the smooth, drinking nature of the original cream ale while amping up the buzz. The other special option was the Force Sensitive IPA. Appropriately named for May The 4th, this session IPA hopped with Centennial hops has plenty of hop aroma with a dandy dry finish. Yoda would approve of this brew.

Beers in hand, we pursued the art and swag offerings. Photographer Kyle Lough of Welcome Optics was on hand with his botanically inspired art. These images are magical. Manchester Brewing also had t-shirts on hand to complete your ensemble.

To complement the beer and complete your experience at the block party, Manchester Brewing was serving up their amazing tacos. Choices outside in the party tent included Barbacoa (featuring locally sourced braised beer), Carnitas (mojo marinated twice-cooked pork shoulder), and Pollo de Tinga (slow roasted chicken). We inhaled one of each. These tacos are so damn delicious it might be illegal.

Wilson Thicket

The music entertainment at the Manchester Brewing grand opening was the savory sounds of bluegrass adjacent to Wilson Thicket. I’m not kidding when I say these guys are some of the finest musicians in Michigan. In case you have been sadly deprived of experiencing this band, they are Jason Dennie (mandolin, vocals), Aaron Markovitz (guitar, vocals), Keith Billik (banjo, vocals), and Scott Kendall (upright bass).

Wilson Thicket’s set included a ton of their original music. With exceptional improvisational chops, quick tempo tunes, and rich vocal harmonies, they elevated the block party to barn burning status. I couldn’t help but be swept away by the lush and tender “Three Stones in The River,” which is a personal favorite. Their rousing cover of Huey Lewis and The News “I Want A New Drug” cranked up the fun while proving this band is way more than bluegrass.

More Parties and Pictures

We had a fantastic time at the Manchester Brewing Grand Opening block party. Just before the music started, Jason mentioned that Manchester Brewing plans to host an Oktoberfest party. Sounds like the perfect way to celebrate Manchester’s rich German heritage.

There are a few more photos from the Manchester Brewing Grand Opening in our gallery. Take a gander and feel free to share, but please let folks know where you got the images.