As the U.P. Fall Beer Festival approached, excitement buzzed through Marquette, Michigan. Brewers from all corners of the state converged at Mattson Lower Harbor Park, ready to serve nearly 500 beers to eager beer enthusiasts. Though rain seemed to threaten, the skies cleared, leaving behind an ideal day to celebrate Michigan’s vibrant craft beer scene.
The 2024 UP Fall Beer Festival
The U.P. Fall Beer Festival is always popular, so the general admission line snaking down the walkway along Mattson Lower Harbor Park in Marquette, Michigan, was unsurprising.
The festival setup transformed Mattson Lower Harbor Park into a beer mecca. Tents filled with Michigan breweries filled the green space, while the savory scent from food vendors filled the air.
Pre-Festival Fun
But before I get into the festival’s details, I must mention a few pre-fest activities, starting with Wednesday at White’s Party Store. I promise to be brief, but this is why you want to arrive early for the beer festival. There are plenty of beer activities. We hit just a couple.
Old Nation Beer Tasting at White’s Market
Since we were just a few doors away, we stopped at Whites Market to say hi to “Danger” and sample a few Old Nation beers.
Barrel + Beam Canning Day
Then we got a text from Kevin McKinney; they were canning the LifeInMichigan Beer we brewed with them in June! Of course, we had to make a pit stop.
Thermocline at the Kog
Our next stop was Kognisjon Bryggeri to buy Thermocline, another LifeInMichigan collaboration.
They were busy canning their Oktoberfest and Red Wing Ale, which will be part of the Yooper United vs. Red Wings Alumni hockey match on Friday, September 13th. Proceeds benefit the United Way of Marquette.
906 Day With Jay
Day with Jay Green has become a thing. Our first Day with Jay was last October in Grand Rapids. It was so much fun that we had another day with Jay in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was, as you’d imagine, a joyous day of brews. We even dusted off our Defender and Fogger skills at Pinball Pete’s. Since we’d all be together in Marquette, another Day with Jay was hatched.
Peace Pie
Day with Jay Marquette started with food first at Peace Pie on the South Side of Marquette. I got my first slice of Peace Pie this summer when I interviewed Lorri Smith to get the rest of the story. I fell in love.
PIeVioli anyone? After enjoying a piece of quiche as big as your head, Janelle took us on a little tour of where the elves perform their magic.
Along the way, she revealed her idea for a tasty treat to serve at the U.P. Fall Beer Festival called PieVioli. They are ravioli filled with pie! The Peace Pie team was busy rolling tons of dough to prepare these gems for the beer festival just hours away.
We tried these little beauties during the beer fest, and all I can say is OMG! We could have eaten fifty of these without a trace of remorse.
Yooptone Music
Chuck has an intense relationship with vinyl records; seeking out record stores is part of his gig when we travel. Last year, he shared his journey into Marquette’s enchanting world of vinyl records. Of course, we had to stop at Yooptone, and this time, he purchased the Mystery Bag. Chuck went for the $20 version.
It was like buying a box of Cracker Jacks—Chuck’s Mystery Bag prize included a Tom T Hall album. You’ll have to ask Angie about her $5 Mystery Bag. I saw an Olympic soundtrack LP from the 70s. Who knew they even made such a thing?
Scared Tattoo
Now might be a good time to mention Bugsy Sailor, the Official Unofficial Ambassador of the Upper Peninsula. He had an epiphany in 2012, and (906) Day was born. At some point, getting a tattoo to celebrate 906 Day became a thing. So, why not? We got ours.
Kick Out the Jams
We made a string of our favorite beer stops, ending with Black Rocks. All along the way, Chuck passed out his “Kick Out the Jams” buttons.
Here’s a bit of the backstory on the silly Chuck picture. I snapped it while he demonstrated his Karate Kid moves and posted it on Social media. Soon, it became a thing, and memes were popping up.
So I wasn’t surprised to see Jef Smith from Loaded Dice with a life-size cutout of Chuck.
Festival goers would occasionally demonstrate their version of “Kick out the Jams.”
U.P. Fall Beer Festival Highlights
Big Lake Brewing
Big Lake Brewing, out of Holland, had a gorgeous lineup of beers this year, including a few of Casey Brunetti’s. One of hers that stood out was the “Blaze On” a refreshing, hoppy IPA made with New Zealand hops. Casey’s mom was pouring with Casey during the festival; she may have been as excited as I was to see Casey’s beers on the board.
Kognisjon Bryggeri
Kognisjon had two collaborations available at the U.P. Fall Beer Festival. One was a pumpkin pie chai spice Dunkelweizen collaboration with the Peace Pie Company called Kaddu Barada Nikto. This baby was dry with a capital “D” and tasty. The pie notes are subtle, with the chai coming through the most. I wish I had a piece of pumpkin pie or one of those PieVioli to pair it with. Chuck wasn’t sure if the beer’s name was a play on the phrase from the movie The Day The Earth Stood Still. If it is, Chuck is sure Gort would approve.
Hop Growers of Michigan Tent
Kognisjon’s other collaboration was Thermocline, which we brewed with them. Samples of this outstanding Czech pilsner were available at the Hop Growers of Michigan tent, which features Michigan-grown Saaz hops from Hop Alliance.
Chuck spent an hour chatting with folks and pouring Thermocline and Ascension Brewing’s take on ambrosia salad, fittingly called Ambrosia. They collaborated with City Built Brewing to brew this lactose sour. It brought back childhood memories of that fruity marshmallow salad that somehow found its way onto your plate at graduation parties, even when you didn’t ask for it.
Archival and Barrel + Beam’s New Baby
Just about a year in the making, Archial Brewing’s collaboration with Barrel + Beam was on tap for the festival. Called Aegir’s Barrel, this Sahti featured juniper berries from Marquette. It was fermented via a Coolship, giving it a unique and wild taste thanks to the wild yeast that found its way into the beer. Dry and tart, you could imagine this beer being very close to what the Finnish farmers may have enjoyed.
Top Notch U.P. Beverages
Chuck was on a mission to try out beverages from the U.P. brewers. He didn’t get to them all, but he did find some fine beers. Les Cheneaux Distillers (Cedarville) Red Headed Step Child red ale was a well-balanced beauty with a smooth and somewhat malty finish. Superior Culture (Marquette) blew Chuck’s mind with their UP Maple Brown. Chuck claimed it was the best brown he’d ever had.
Barrel + Beam, known for their Spooky Kriek sour, had their fabulous Monarch lager and Noble pilsner at the festival. These beers are stellar representatives of each style and seemed to make the sun shine brighter. Of course, it could be that the sun was relatively the same, and the beers were starting to add up for Chuck.
Over at Flatiron Brewing (Manistique), the Czecn Up lager was very nice. This was a smooth dark lager, not your typical light Czech beer with a rich roasted taste. Last but not least, Chuck enjoyed Latulip Brewing (Cooks) Dalmatian Express English IPA. They hit the mark with a true English beer that features great hoppiness without crossing the line into an American or West Coast Style. As Chuck said, this one is a gem.
Keg Tappers United
Ore Dock Brewing supplied the U.P. Fall Beer Festival celebration keg. Preparing for the coming cooler weather, they had a barrel-aged oatmeal stout with hazelnut and pecan. I’m not sure what the name of this beer was, but it was dark and luscious without being boozy.
Mike Lane was the festival’s honorary keg tapper. Chas (celebration MC, forklift captain, and website wizard for the guild) apparently didn’t trust Mike with the keg-tapping mallet. He gave Bret Hartranft the duties of holding the tapper while Mike wielded the hammer. I suppose the pairing of Mike and Bret makes sense, as they are both longtime volunteers on the guild’s keg team. Thanks guys for hauling all the great beer to these festivals for us!
2024 UP Beer Festival People’s Choice Awards
Keweenaw Brewing – Houghton – Widow Maker Black
Downey Brewing – Dearborn – Hooligan Irish Red
Cheboygan Brewing – Cheboygan – Blood Orange Honey
Rocking The U.P.
The music at the U.P. Fall Beer Festival was as awesome as the near perfect weather.
The Organgrinders
First up was the Organgrinders Blues Band. They played a sultry set of blues music, complete with honking harp, Memphis licks, and pocket beats. This band was guaranteed to get you shaking and baking.
Blanco Suave
Just when the beers were starting to say, “Why yes, we should groove,” it was time for Blanco Suave. Smooth, jazzy, with a touch of trippy dream pop, they delivered a set that made you want to chill and enjoy the ride. Their cover of Radiohead was next-level cool and awesome.
Photos
More 2024 U.P. Fall Beer Festival photos are in our gallery.
The U.P. Fall Beer Festival always brings a buzz to Marquette; this year was no exception. After a week of keeping a wary eye on weather apps, the day arrived with blue skies, crisp air, and the perfect backdrop for a day of brews, food, and music at Mattson Lower Harbor Park. With nearly 500 craft beers to sample and live bands setting the tone, it was another unforgettable celebration of Michigan’s fabulous beer culture.
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