A hearty snack

This is something I've made for us a couple of times, now, and 'tis easy and satisfying: lamburgers. There are plenty of ways to prepare ground lamb; I just had a really tasty sandwich at Fort Street Brewery that was topped with mint pesto and mild feta, mmm. I've been doing a more middle eastern take on it, mixing cumin, white pepper, and garlic into the meat before forming and grilling patties. (Direct fire strongly recommended.) The patties get topped with baba ghanouj and fresh tomato slices, maybe a bit of fresh spinach, and served on a bun. (A sesame bun would be particularly good.) Beer pairing is easy; we've enjoyed Vienna and dunkel, as well as the infamous pepper beer, and even a good American or English style pale ale makes a nice accompaniment.

Tonight at Fort Street

We'll let Doug tell it:

This Thursday, October 6th at 8ish p.m., we'll tap our 189th cask-conditioned beer. "Ginger On The Bottom", is actually a cask-conditioned lager. The base beer is one of those "when ya gonna have an Oktoberfest beer on tap?" beers. To the cask, we added fresh peeled ginger. If you like ginger snaps, ginger ale, Ginger from Gilligan's Island, or pestering me about why we don't have an Oktoberfest beer on tap, you're sure to love this beer! As always, we'll have free beer and autographed photos of Tina Louise for a few lucky folks in attendance at the tapping!

Mmmm, ginger....

Detroit Draft Divas at Merchant's

I recently became a member of said Divas, a group of delightful beer-savvy women (wearing awesome t-shirts) who get together periodically to discover and enjoy the delights of local good craft brew. Honorary Diva Todd Parker from Copper Canyon regularly joins the group, and this past Sunday Merchant's Fine Wine welcomed the Divas into the store for browsing, shopping, a beer scavenger hunt with prizes for winners, and following this, lunch and beers at Fort Street.

Thanks ladies! It was fun. Next time you'll be able to taste some beer, as Merchant's will have its license to do this.

What's Happening Downriver

Doug at Fort Street Brewery is celebrating Lincoln Park's 90th anniversary and the Downriver Cruise in the way he celebrates most things: new beers! Info here.

Happy Birthday Fort Street!

Today is the sixth anniversary of the opening of Fort Street Brewery, and we will be heading down there to toast them with a bottle of Doug's Opus Amor wheat wine we've cellared since their fifth anniversary. Whoo!

Lots of new small batch beers will be released all through the week to celebrate. Check it out.

Brew Day, Batch 327: IPA

Staying old school with this one, old school American craft IPA, that is- Briess 2 row base, with some Munich and Crystal to round it out and add some color. Centennial, Perle, Cascade, and Willamette hops to around 55 BU; OG 1055-1060. Chico ale yeast will do the actual work.

Doughed in early enough that if things go right, I can still take Mrs. Cicerone over to the pub for some Indian pudding after I'm finished. Whoo!

National Indian Pudding Day 2010

Where has the time gone? This Thursday the celebration begins at Fort Street Brewery, with both the pudding itself and Indian Pudding Ale, made, like the dessert, with corn, molasses, ginger, milk, and cinnamon. Whoo! Mr. Cicerone has been looking forward to this; the only reason he might miss the Thursday night festivities is if he is brewing. Thursday is also Veterans Day, and we here at Chez Cicerone suggest you grab the nearest veteran and give him or her a big sloppy kiss. Since Son of Cicerone is in the far-off land of California, he will have to settle for a big sloppy text, but Dad of Cicerone is close to hand....

Mary says....

.....that Fort Street Brewery's Piston Pale Ale is Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

MBG Fall Festival!! Whooo!!!

This week, I'm the guy who goes, "Whooo!!" Whooo!! The fall festival was great. Sold out, but not oversold. A big, big party with all of your favorite people in attendance. Like these guys:

Joe Hudecek, Andy Hudecek, and Uncle Dave DRINK MICHIGAN BEER! WHOOO!!!

With 40+ breweries each pouring an average of, say, 4 beers, there was no way to check it all out in 5 hours. Some folks (Mrs. Cicerone,) formulate a plan of attack, using the festival program downloaded off the 'net days in advance, focusing on unique, otherwise unavailable beers. Mr. Cicerone, however, uses the 'go with the flow' serendipity-based model. One rule generally adhered to is Visit Doug First. Our friend Doug always has something special for the festival. Hell, he has something special each and every Thursday. Saturday, in addition to a selection of regular beers, we sampled Black Ops 'Black IPA' and "Citra-sation," an IPA made with fresh Citra hops, both excellent.

Doug and the Fort Street Brew Zoo

Another festival stalwart and favorite of Mr. Cicerone is Grizzly Peak's Sheerwater IPA. Brewer Duncan Williams almost always brings a cask of this complex and delicious beer to the MBG festivals. This year Mr. and Mrs. Cicerone were also enthralled by a delicious cask mild, and "Poisson Rouge," a wonderfully oaky, tart, perfectly balanced barrel-aged version of their Steelhead Red ale. That was Mr.'s favorite beer of the day.

Another reason for me to go "Whooo!!" was spending a little quality time with Mr. Todd Parker, the very large, very enthusiastic brewer at Copper Canyon, sampling many strong and delicious beers. I had Yellowcard APA, RyePA, Maibock, and Rocktoberfest. The Rocktoberfest was an 8% (!) "double marzen" that was so clean, balanced and drinkable, while hiding its strength, that no one could be blamed for accidentally getting drunk on it.

While Mr Cicerone was busy saying "Whooo!" I was at the Jolly Pumpkin booth sampling Vicious wheat IPA, closely followed by "Nightmare Before Vicious"- the same beer that had been in oak at the JP brewery for 6months. Mmm. Other favourites for me were also Fort St Brewery's Citra-sation, JP Fuego del Otono, Arcadia Nut Brown Ale, Wolverine's Brown lager, Dark Horse Bourbon-aged Plead the Fifth, the aformentioned Poisson Rouge, and, saving the best till last.....Big Rock's Red Rock Flanders Ale.

A Scary Kuhnhenn, The Big Banana, and Crazy Hat Lady.

Stay tuned for another strange-but-true Porta-Potti story.

Upcoming Cool Stuff in the Great Beer State

Our home state may have more than its share of problems, but if you like beer, it's one of the best places to be. Here's a quick rundown of some of the reasons why for October:

Harvest Festival at Fort Street Brewery

Wednesday, September 29th - Saturday October 2nd
Saith Doug:

We'll have a special menu of Michigan grown foods and Michigan inspired recipes all week, and a new beer will be released each night as well!

Slows BBQ 5th Anniversary Party

Roosevelt Park | Michigan Ave + 14th Street, Detroit
Sunday October 3 | 12-8pm
Bands, Beer (24+ Taps), Reasons and Mac from SLOWS, Grub from Mind Body Spirit, Cornhole Tournament (sign-up info below), and an Art Opening at the Imagination Station. Admission is free. Food and Beer for sale $5 cash. All proceeds from the event go to the redevelopment of Roosevelt Park. The party is on, rain or shine. We have tents.

Detroit Beer Week

Friday, October 15 – Saturday, October 23, 2010

My day job forced me to be out of town for the inaugural DBW, but this year I'm going at it with guns blazin'! The organizers have some info here on
Facebook
PDF of Press Release here.

2nd Annual Michigan Brewers Guild Fall Beer Festival

October 23rd, 1-6PM

Last year's festival was great, and those of us in the near suburbs appreciate having an MBG festival so close to home.

Quickie- Cool Stuff We're Doing

Sorry for the sparse posting of late, but your humble Mr. Cicerone's day job is eating him alive!

Tonight, we are making time for a beer, however- Doug at Fort Street is tapping their 145th cask-conditioned ale at 8 ish p.m. "Willamette Damnit" is Piston Pale Ale dry-hopped with Willamette hops. Mmmm...

Saturday night, we're heading to Original Gravity for movie night! Check out the trailer for "Locally Buzzed" here.

Mild At Fort Street

Ed
An English-style mild ale. Flavors of toffee and chocolate that are as likable as your best friend, Ed. How can anyone not like Ed?!

ABV= 3.25%
IBU's= 16

Yeah, buddy! Me' n' Ed's friends....

Wheatstock!

The grooviest week of the year, Wheatstock, is upon us!

Greetings and salutations!

The mother of all beer weeks is here! This year, we were able to coincide it with our 4th annual Wheatstock festival. Groovy, man!
The fun begins Wednesday, May 19th at 8 ish p.m. That's when "Bitter Wheat Symphony" takes the beer stage. Made with 50% wheat and fermented with a unique yeast from a very old Belgian brewery, this beer cranks the hop volume up to 11, with 95 IBU's of refreshment. Following "Bitter Wheat" on stage, will be "Sweet". Also brewed with 50% wheat, the hop volume is signifigantly turned down, and orange blossom honey was used. It was fermented with yeast from a charming little brewery in Canada, who stole it from a charming little brewery in Belgium.
On Thursday, get ready to groove again to the taste of "Cask-Ette" at 8 ish p.m. This is a cask-conditioned version of the upcoming 6th edition of "Summer Sunsation" (sort of a French Farmhouse ale this year) with Calendula flowers added to the cask. If you drink one beer in your life with Calendula flowers in it, make sure this is the one! On the second stage Thursday night is my favorite beer of the week! "British Fungus" will blow you away, man! If I close my eyes and think of the most delicous thing I have ever had in my whole life, and then I think about the most refreshing beverage I have ever drank in my life, and then think about what would happen if those two things combined, wow! I'd see colors and stuff and totally feel like I was trippin'! But that pretty much describes "British Fungus".
So then on Friday, it's been a long week and ya just need to chill out after all that excitement. Just lean back in your chair at 8 ish p.m. and get ready for the harmonious smoothness of "Harmony". It's just a mellow jam session between wheat, barley, buckwheat, and rye. Yeeeaaaaah, maaaaaan! Cool!
Be sure to dress like a hippie each night. Ya know, bell bottoms, peace symbols, long hair, tie die, short skirts with go-go boots, and all that crazy stuff that we all laugh about and say, "Somebody actually thought this looked good at one time?!" Every night we'll give out a seriously righteous prize to the grooviest, hippest, hippie. We'll probably have some other prizes too and play some fun games like "Hungry Hungry Hippie" and "Stoned or Not Stoned" for prizes as well.
Our liquors of the week are something new and tasty. We have three new Polish vodkas called Alchemia, which are distilled from rye. There's the original, Chocolate, and Wild Cherry. Seriously good vodka! This week you can get a Mocha Chill (Alchemia Chocolate, Kahlua, and coffee on ice) for just $5, a Chocolate Cherry (Chocolate and Wild Cherry with Coke) for just $4.50, or a Fruit Bowl (Cherry, peach schnaaps, cranberry, and orange juices) for only $4.
I like free stuff! Everyone likes free stuff! Studies have shown that you could dump your trash on your neighbor's lawn if you tell him, "It's free!". That's how powerful the allure of free stuff is. Hell, I don't walk around the trade show at the Craft Brewers Conference every year with 3 heavy bags of crap on each arm because I paid for it! I do it because someone said, "Free!" and I just get all giddy and can't help myself! With that in mind, I unleash this torrent of free stuff! Just go to http://aramdek.com/promo_pack.html, fill out the form, and they'll send you 3 balloons, a key chain, a pen, and a bottle opener all for FREE! Damn! I get all tingly just thinking about getting that package in the mail!
This week on, "We've Made Some Changes to the Menu", you might notice that we've made 16 changes to the menu (in addition to adding the Stuffed Turkey Burger and Chicken & Waffles to the regular menu). Come in and see if you can spot all 16! If ya do, I might give you some free stuff!
On your special plate this week, look for Risotto Balls, Spinach Lasagna Rolls, Pasties, Salmon IPA Burgers, Hawaiian Pizza, Bacon & Tomato Pizza, and Beer Can Chicken (Thursday-Sunday).
In summary: "Happy American Craft Beer Week!; three days of love and beer Wednesday - Friday; dress like a hippy, but skip the patchouli oil!; "Free stuff is the best, man!"; "There's free dog poop in my yard, if you're interested. Makes good mulch!"; and "Did I mention that we have five new beers on tap this week?".

See ya soon,

Doug
Fort Street Brewery
www.fortstreetbeer.com
www.facebook.com/fortstreetbrewery
www.twitter.com/fortstreetbeer
www.americancraftbeerweek.org
1660 Fort St.
Lincoln Park, MI
(313) 389-9620

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Latest Fort Street Brewery News

The last cask at Fort Street was wonderful. Lively condition, and great fresh hop character without the grassiness some veterans of 'wet hopped' beers feared. This week, another variation on Piston Pale Ale. Doug tells it:

Greetings and salutations!

Ahhhhh! One week of being smoke free and I feel better already! The sky is a little bluer, the air a little crisper, the birds' songs a little prettier. How about you?
This Thursday, May 13th at 8ish p.m., we'll tap our 131st cask-conditioned ale. "Hoppywood" is the very popular, Piston Pale Ale (wheat IPA) with French oak added to the cask. No simulated bourbon barrel or second hand wood this time. Just plain oak. If you like red wine (with hops added to it), foods cooked over wood chips (and hops), or finding prizes inside your box of breakfast cereal, we think you'll love this beer. As always, we'll have some fabulous prizes for a few lucky folks in attendance at the tapping.
We have some new liquors at FSB. Last week we had a promo for one of them, and this week we feature some more. Shakka is a new line of fruit-flavored liquers. There's a grape, apple, and kiwi. These have a great fruit flavor without the syrupy sweetness of schnapps. This week you can get a Apple Shokk (Apple Shakka with Apple Vodka and 7-UP) for just $3, a Cinnamon Apple (Apple Shakka with a splash of Cinnamon Schnaaps) for just $2.50, or the refreshing and exotic Caribbean Kayaker (Kiwi Shakka and Banana rum) for the measly price of $2. Fan Club members, did you know that you can get 18.5 oz any beer for just $2.25 every Sunday and Tuesday?
Did you like that tequila promo we had last week, but miss out on getting some free tequila merchandise. No problem! Just go to www.cuervo1795.com/, give 'em your name and address, and you can get your choice of free tequila merchandise (I took the margarita glass, which I will probably give to someone at a Thursday tapping)!
Don't forget that Wheatstock is May 19-21 (Wednesday-Friday). This year, it's in conjunction with American Craft Beer Week (cards available at your local Hallmark store). We'll tap five different wheat beers (and I'm not talking about your normal run of the mill banana-clove wheat beers here)! There will also be prizes each night for the best hippie/Woodstock era costume. There could also be a special guest appearance by Woodstock artist Ravi Shankar (yes, he really did play there)! Check out our website or pick up a Woodstock program at the brewery for a list of the beers appearing.
This week on, "Specials!? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Specials!", you'll hear Nicole say, "Pizza, anyone?". You'll also hear (name changed to protect the guilty) say, "I don't need a job anymore! My parents said I could live at home forever!". And finally, you'll hear (name changed to protect the guilty) say, "What's wrong with coming to work 40 minutes late and not doing anything once I get there?"
Under your plate this week, you'll find a help wanted sign. On your plate, look for Black & White Pizza, Ham & Provolone Pizza, and Salmon Tacos.
To summarize: a smoke free society is a healthier, happier society!; "Bartender, what's this oak tree doing in my beer?!"; "Dude! Where'd ya get that cool Jose Cuervo glass?"; get ready for wheat beers and get yourself some hippie clothes!; and as always, "We've got a fistfull of dollars, but no fists to put 'em in!"

See ya soon,

Doug
Fort Street Brewery
www.fortstreetbeer.com
www.facebook.com/fortstreetbrewery
www.twitter.com/fortstreetbeer
1660 Fort St.
Lincoln Park, MI
(313) 389-9620

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What's New At Fort Street

Among other things, a cask of dry-hopped IPA! Whoo!

Greetings and salutations!

Every Red Wing playoff game this year has attracted absolutely zero interest so far. Until Sunday. Which, oddly enough, was the first game since the smoking ban took effect. So, was it coincidence, or instead of hating the Red Wings, do people hate smoking? I guess we'll find out at the next game.
This Thursday, May 6th at 8ish p.m., we'll tap our 130th cask-conditioned ale. In honor of the new state law, we've named this beer, "Smoke Free!". The base of the cask is the ever popular, and as yet unreleased, "Piston Pale Ale" with fresh picked, and then frozen, grown in Lincoln Park, Cascade hops. If you like hops, citrus fruit, or sentences that begin with the words, "You're wealthy old uncle wanted you to have this...", you'll love this beer! As always, we'll have some fabulous prizes for a few lucky folks in attendance at the tapping.
For our drinks of the week, we say, "Tequila for my men (and women)!" We've got $3.50 Margaritaville Margaritas and $8 Don Eduardo Margaritas and $1 off shots of any Don Eduardo tequila (Silver, Reposado, or Anejo). We'll also be doing sort of a mini promo for Don Eduardo tequila on Thursday.
Have you ever said to yourself, "Fort Street Brewery is the best! I wonder if they can help me cut my electric bill?" Well, the answer is yes! Just go to http://energyefficientnow.com/tfli_signup.asp, fill out the form, and they'll send you two free energy efficient light bulbs! I'll tell ya, no one else loves ya like we do!
Just a little heads up so you can plan accordingly; May 17 - 22nd is American Craft Beer Week (AKA, the Mother of all Beer Weeks). We'll celebrate by holding our 4th annual Wheatstock Festival the 19th - 21st. We'll tap at least four new wheat beer styles and give prizes each night for the best hippie costumes!
Don't forget that Sunday is National Take Mom Out For A Beer Day, aka Mother's Day. Mom needs a beer!
This week on "Smoke My Meat!", look for Shrimp Alfredo Pizza, Oven Fried Perch, Taco Macaroni, Chicken Fried Chicken, Risotto Balls, Navy Bean Dip, Rocky Mountain Oysters, and Beer Can Chicken (Thursday-Sunday).
To summarize: "Ahhh! Fresh air!"; "Ahhhh! Fresh hops in a cask!"; "1 tequila, 2 tequila, 3 tequila, floor!"; "These new bulbs will save me enough money to buy a keg!"; "Time to dust off my tie-dye!"; and "Let's Go Red Wings!"

See ya soon,

Doug
Fort Street Brewery
www.fortstreetbeer.com
www.facebook.com/fortstreetbrewery
www.twitter.com/fortstreetbeer
1660 Fort St.
Lincoln Park, MI
(313) 389-9620

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Breakfast of champions

Stout. Irish style, brewed to perfection by Doug from Fort St Brewery. One quick pint this morning at 8AM, then off to work.

What I'm Doing (Drinking) Tomorrow Night

4x4 is back! Almost...

Greetings and salutations!

If you weren't here for last week's cask tapping (and unfortunately, not many were), ya missed a hell of a show! Every time we think that it's not possible to make a bigger mess, someone proves us wrong! Gordie, Gordie, Gordie! I guess I just gotta be more serious about those pre-tapping instructions!
Now that most of the mess is cleaned up, we'll be tapping our 124th cask-conditioned ale this Thursday, March 11th, at 8ish p.m. "Roselle, Roselle" is a young beer's strange and erotic journey from fermenter to cask. The base beer is the soon to return, "4x4" (made with barley, wheat, rye, oats, and four hop varieties) with hibiscus flowers added to the cask. Flowers in beer?! Hell, yeah! These are some fabulously fine-flavored flowers! Fabulous flowers? Anyways, it's a must have. As always, we'll have some priceless prizes for a few lucky folks in attendance at the tapping.
I was just reminded today that St. Patrick's Day is next week! We'll be open at 7 a.m. for breakfast with "St. Pat's Nitro Stout" on tap and we'll stay open until the last leprechaun has left the building.
We have tentatively sold all the limited edition bottles of "Opus Amor", but if you're willing to pay more than $25, I'll gladly give you someone elses bottle. Just let me know ASAP, because I plan to start giving them out this week.
Our drinks of the week this week are Don Q Rum & Coke for just $2, and the exotic and refreshing Carribean Cooler (Don Q Silver Rum and Coconut Rum with pineapple and OJ) for just $2.50. That's a real deal. But you might be thinking to yourself, "If I spend $2.50 on a drink, I won't have enough money to buy a tube of toothpaste!" No problem, just go to www.burtsbees.com and click on the toothpaste icon, fill out the form, and get yourself a free tube of Burt's Bees Natural toothpaste!
If you don't know about all our other new specials, there's just far too many for me to list here, so check out our new and improved website, or check out our Facebook page everyday to see that day's specials.
This week on "Hammer For Hire", you'll hear Katie say, "Hey, Ricky, wanna come over to my house and split some wood?". You'll also hear Ricky say, "OUCH!". And finally, you'll hear Pete say, "This is precisely why I need more cooks!".
On your swollen plate this week, look for Picnic Party Pizza (cold pizza with cream cheese and veggies), Popped Chicken, Italian Sausage Saccotini, Stuffed Pizza (stuffed with chicken spinach, chicken, and 3 cheeses), Honey Baked Walleye, Chicken & Waffles, Stuffed Turkey Burgers, and Beer Can Chicken (Thursday - Sunday).
To summarize: cask-conditioned ale in your glass, and not on the floor or your face; "Flowers for me? You shouldn't have!"; "Does anyone mind if I brush my teeth at the table?"; "Maybe Ricky could work at I-HOP!"; and "yep, we're still short-handed".

See ya soon,

Doug
Fort Street Brewery
www.fortstreetbeer.com
www.facebook.com/fortstreetbrewery.com
www.twitter.com/fortstreetbeer
1660 Fort St.
Lincoln Park, MI
(313) 389-9620

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What's Up At Fort Street

There is still some Opus Amor left. Get some. Trust me.... We'll let Doug tell all about it, plus some other stuff going on at our local brewpub:

Greetings and salutations!

Welcome to March! Can you believe that St. Patrick's Day is just a little more than two weeks away?! Before ya know it, we'll be drinkin' Irish stout, dancing a jig, and talking baloney about blarney!
This Thursday, March 4th at 8ish p.m., we'll tap our 123rd cask-conditioned ale. I'm sure you remember "Bootlegger's Porter". For that beer, I took oak spirals, soaked 'em in bourbon, and then lined the serving tank with 'em. After we ran out of "Bootlegger's", we had alot of used wood on our hands and I hated to waste it. So I took some of that oak, soaked it in Scotch this time, and added it to a cask filled with "Beernormous". We call it "2nd Hand Wood". For a big beer like this, maybe I should've called it "Big Wood". Either way, it'll be great! As always, we'll have some fabulous prizes for a few lucky folks in attendance for the tapping.
With a new month comes new specials! Monday's are now Meatball Mondays! You can get a delicous meatball sub for just $3.50. You can also get juicy knackwurst for only $3 and wash it down with $2 Lincoln Lagers. We also host Texas Hold 'Em tournaments at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m. on Mondays. On Tuesdays, Fan Club members can get any beer for just $2.25, and everyone can get $3 cheesy bread (basically a parmesan & mozzarella pizza cut into smaller pieces) or $5 Turkey Taco Pizza (seasoned ground turkey, refried beans, and cheese). On Wednesday we offer $2 Lincoln Lagers again, plus $3 turkey legs, and $3 Humpday Hamburgers (1/4 lb. burger with grilled onions). On Friday you can get a pint of beer for $5 in a logo glass and keep the glass. We also offer $6 Long Island Pitchers. On Saturday, we have happy hours until 6 p.m. and $4 pepperoni pizzas and $6 Long Island pitchers all day. Finally, on Sunday, Fan Club members can once again get any beer for just $2.25, and everyone can get $4 pepperoni pizzas and $3 knackwursts. There ya have it. I know that's alot to remember, so you can check it all out on our new website, or see each days special listed on our Facebook page.
Our first drink of the week for March is Milagro Tequila Margaritas. You can get one for the ridiculously low price of $3.75! That's a great deal, and ya know what else is a great deal? Free hot ceral! Just go to http://www.bgfoods.com/creamofwheat click on the free sample box and tell 'em where to send it.
I still have 5 bottles of Opus Amor left to sell. These are beautiful, limited edition, numbered and signed one-liter bottles. The profits go to Homes For Troops, which is a very worthy charity that build new, or retrofits existing homes, for disabled veterans. Minimum bid on a bottle is $25, which is a steal! I'd like to get at least five more high bids this week and get these bottles out of my way.
This week on, "The Popularly Priced Pepperoni Pizza", you'll hear Nicole say, "What's that ticking noise?". You'll also hear Doug say, "That's my head. It's gonna explode if we don't get some help here soon!"
On your crowded plate this week, look for Chicken Fried Chicken (with mashed potatoes, beer gravy, and stuffing), Parmesan Perch, Portabella Stroganoff, Buffalo Chicken Wraps, Meatatarian Pizza (just in time for lent), Salmon IPA Burgers (Friday-Sunday), Chicken & Waffles, Stuffed Turkey Burgers, and Beer Can Chicken (Thursday - Sunday).
To summarize: used wood in your beer might sound funny, but it's tasty!; Meatballs Mondays; Turkey Taco Tuesdays; Humpday Hamburgers; "Dude, did you steal that glass from Fort Street Brewery?"; there's just no knocking knackwurst!; "That Fan Club thing sure sounds like a hell of a deal!"; free Cream of Wheat!; "Come on! Buy a bottle of Opus for crying out loud!"; and "If you need money, we've got a job for you!".

See ya soon,

Doug
Fort Street Brewery
www.fortstreetbeer.com
www.facebook.com/fortstreetbrewery
www.twitter.com/fortstreetbeer
1660 Fort St.
Lincoln Park, MI
(313) 389-9620

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Happy Birthday Fort St

Fort Street Brewery was 5 years old yesterday.We celebrated along with Doug, his wife Tracy, owner Pete, and the other regulars who filled the bar. Doug's "Ring Around the Roselare", an aged Flemish-style red ale that was released at 7PM for the celebration, was wonderful. Lots of Brett character, some nice fruitiness, and a hint of sourness. Mmmmm. Even more fantastic was Opus Amor, Doug's strong wheat wine, on tap at the brewery, and now in our cellar. As part of the 5 day anniversary celebration, Doug released one large bottle per night to a lucky raffle winner. And, last night it was us! We'll leave that one down there, and bring it to the 6th birthday party.
Thanks Doug for 5 years of great beer!

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5 Years On Fort Street

How time flies when you're drinking beer! Here's the lowdown on the anniversary celebration, from Doug:

Greetings and salutations!

The big week is finally upon us! The event that unites nations. The event that gives courage in the face of fear; hope in the face of despair; warmth in the dead of winter; a feeling of prosperity during economic hardship; a light at the end of the tunnel. An event that makes an entire nation believe that if one man can work virtually around the clock to pull off something this big, maybe we can land a man a moon! Yes, Virginia, there is a Fort Street Brewery; and this week it turns five!
Of course I'm talking about our 5th birthday celebration! Five years! We're so excited about it, we've decided to celebrate for five straight days! The fun begins this Wednesday, February 10th at 8 ish p.m. We'll release "Extra Strength Pils" (a 95 IBU 8.25% imperial pilsner style) and "Brown Bomber" (an American-style brown ale and the first beer ever brewed here). On Thursday at 8 ish p.m., we'll have "Veizen Vine (the third part of the big wheat trilogy) and "5x5" ( a lager made with 5 different grains and 5 hop varieties). Also on Thursday, we'll be hosting a promo for Evan Williams Honey Bourbon. That means free samples! On Friday, look for our 4th version of the ever popular "Grapes & Grains of Wrath" (a porter fermented with sangiovese grapes) and a promo for Pama Liquer (free samples again). On Saturday we'll have "Les Houblon d'en Aval" (French for "hops from Downriver". This is an IPA made with yeast from France and hops from Dave's Lincoln Park hop farm). Finally, on Sunday at 7 ish p.m., we'll close with a bang with "Aleodisiac" (made with orange blossom honey, hibiscus flowers, and lovage root. If you've never had lovage root, you really must try it.) and "Ring Around the Roselare" (an aged Flemish-style red ale).
Now if you were just skimming, and didn't really let all that sink in, that's eight new beers! Ya know what, we don't have room for eight beers! So please come and help us make room for the ones later in the week by drinking the ones early in the week! Otherwise, we'll just dump 'em down the drain and scale back any future plans of global beer dominance!
In addition to all the new beers and the liquor promos, we'll be offering $5 mini pitchers all week long! And of course, we'll have some fabulous prizes every night, including one grand prize each night that will be all the talk around the water cooler the next day ( if you've never been in the corporate world, aside from texting and searching the internet for porn, that what corporate types do all day. Or so my sources tell me.)!
Hey, ya know someplace that's alot of fun after drinking alot of beers? Denny's! Tuesday they're giving away free Grand Slams from 6 a.m. - 2 p.m.!
This week on, "Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake, Baker's Man, Bake Me a Birthday Cake As Fast As You Can!", you'll hear Nicole say, "Hey, I'm busy! Make your own damn cake!" You'll also hear John say, "I can't keep up these grueling 25 hour weeks for ever ya know!" And finally, you'll hear Pete say, "When I was your age, I used to walk to work in six feet of snow! Uphill both ways!"
On your birthday plate this week, look for Pale Ale Ribeyes (Thursday - Sunday), Pasties, Cordon Bleu Strombolis, Chicken & Waffles, Stuffed Turkey Burgers, Bourbon Glazed Salmon, Spinach Feta Triangles, Portabella Burritos, Pizza Quesadillas, and Tiramisu. This week's Waffle Wednesday Special is Waffles Benedict. Yours for only $3!
To summarize: hope instead of despair and a lot of other rah, rah kind of stuff; birthday beers galore!; free liquor samples!; "Oh my God, look what I won at the brewery last night!"; "hurry up and drink that beer, we've gotta make room for more beer!"; free breakfast at Denny's! Too bad it's not free Moons Over My Hammy!; and "who need's Denny's when I can get $3 Waffles Benedict and a beer?!"

See ya soon,

Doug
Fort Street Brewery
www.fortstreetbeer.com
www.facebook.com/fortstreetbrewery
www.twitter.com/fortstreetbeer
1660 Fort St.
Lincoln Park, MI
(313) 389-9620

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