The Michigan UP Fall Beer Festival is our favorite Michigan Brewers Guild Beer Festival.
UP Fall Beer Festival
Chuck took hundreds of pictures. You can review the full set in the gallery.
This year the festival was the second weekend in September, which meant the trees were lightly touched with color. It was still warm and sunny on Saturday when we lined up with our friends for the 7th Annual Michigan Brewers Guild Beer Festival. Michigan’s upper peninsula is one our favorite places to re-charge our batteries so combining Marquette with Michigan craft beer is PURE Nirvana. I bet you thought I was going to say Pure Michigan. Well, it is that too. The slogans are interchangeable.
This year we found ourselves missing many of our beer friends. Most of our friends from Dark Horse stayed in Marshall to recharge. We were relieved and happy to see Chris Lasher managing the Dark Horse taps. Chris made the trek from Marshall, Michigan and included in his pack of goodness was 30 Jars of Hearts Saison – a tribute beer brewed in honor of Bell’s 30th Anniversary.
Thank you Larry Bell for starting the crazy train of craft beer in Michigan. We liked Bell’s Brewery’s the Quinannan Falls a dry hopped lager and the Upper Hand’s 906 Imperial Red which were both featured at this year’s UP Beer Festival.
Kuhnhenn Brewing Co really outdid themselves with count them, 5 Fluffers: Grapefruit, Habanero, Mango, Thumper and the original Fluffer. I tried both the Grapefruit and Mango Fluffers and recommend both. Fluffers are paired well with a panty launcher! Our buddy Jon Piepenbrok was stoked about that launcher.
We dearly love Jen and Beech from Greenbush and their presence was also missed. We are so happy for Jen who is getting married (not to Beech) but to another handsome man who is spiriting her away for new adventures. Hopman’s vuvuzela and flashing red cape and stunning green leotard were also missing. We heard by way of Cowboy Doug they were celebrating Bell’s 30th Anniversary Funvitational Beer Festival in Kalamazoo.
I’m not going to say I didn’t have a hangover after this year’s beer festival. Lord! The beer was delicious and it is easy to forget to drink lots of water. A few of our personal favorites were Witch’s Hat Brewing Co.’s Rez Gets SMASHED and Cognition Brewing Co.’s Campfire Cologne and Storm the Castle.
I didn’t try it, but Chuck really liked the Brewery Becker’s Vargdricka. It is a Scandinavian Farmhouse Ale. (I get flashes of Viking ships, do you?)
A bunch of merry pranksters in their gleaming silver NEARUR bus arrived from Blackrocks Brewery. They brought several different takes on the Grand Rabbits: The Jacked Rabbits with coffee and Razzle Rabbits with raspberries. I am certain they slipped something into the pretzels they were serving, OMG so good. They need to package and sell them. We filled up our mini-Dixie cup several times. We even tried to coax the recipe from them.
Nate and Laura from Tripelroot were in Marquette for their first UP Beer Festival. Kentucky Waterfall also made its debut at the festival; a bourbon barrel aged black IPA. We discovered this gem in Zeeland following the Spring Beer Festival in Beer City.
Yooper Jugglers something you’ll only find at the UP Beer Festival. (Please don’t try at home alone.)
The beard guy! He let me fondle his beard. It was super soft.
The 57 Beer Pub & Bistro featured an impromptu dance party fueled by their Better Daze! DIPA. It does get a party started!
Our Brewing was serving Gourdeous Maximus, a heavy duty Imperial Pumpkin Ale.
Fun Wear
New Friends
We missed our friends, but we made many new friends, including this couple who were pretty sure I was stalking them during the festival. They recommended Timothy’s Pub in Gaylord, which we tried on our way home – great, beer, food and service.
We also friended this couple. You can’t really tell as it looks like they are trying to avoid us.
Not new friends, but a couple we only find at the beer festivals.
Just so damn cute, I had to include
We don’t know any of these cute faces, except maybe the guy photo-bombing the selfie.
Music
Aral Sea Divers, Conga Se Menne, Jerry Kippola and Green Gene the singing farmer provided entertainment. The crowd loved them.
Food Vendors
From Dia de los Tacos, Rollin’ Smoke Barbeque, Stucko’s Mobile Grill to AWESOME whitefish from Gordon’s there was plenty of great food to be found.
Party Safe and Blow before you go.
Stay in Touch
Did you make it out for the event? If so, leave us a comment or send us a message on what you enjoyed the most. We love to hear your stories.
Chuck took hundreds of pictures and not all were featured in this post, you can review the full set in the gallery.
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