Beer Releases on the Horizon

Happy early Thanksgiving! This is the time of year to give thanks for all of the good things in life.

Personally, I am very thankful for many things--my husband & dog, my parents, my wonderful friends, my awesome (most of the time) students, my decent health and the fact that I never have to worry about where my next meal (food and drink) is coming from. As a beer lover, I am thankful for the abundance of good, local beer that is available and affordable. (And while good, local beer is important to me, by no means am I equating it with the love of my family, my health, etc.)

Nowhere is this abundance more evident than in two upcoming beer releases. This Wednesday, Arbor Brewing Company releases this year's batch of the Terminator. I recall drinking this beer last year and getting the incredibly unoriginal idea of talking like, well, the dude in the Terminator movies. Beer sometimes does that to me. The release starts at 6pm and is free for mug club members, $15 for others. There is always yummy finger food (personally, I am hoping for their pierogies, which I love) and I heard something about the "boot" being passed around.

On December 1, the Corner Brewery has its release of Espresso Love. This is the coffee stout that warms the cockles of my liver every winter. They use coffee from the Ugly Mug, which makes me happy because that is a local business. This release is from 6-8 and will also include finger food, which usually includes their hummus which is yummus! See what I did there? Masterpiece, and I just made that up on the spot. Coincidentally, this is also my ninth wedding anniversary, so I'm thrilled that I get to go to my regular brewpub and, er, feel the love as it were.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, thanks for reading, and bottoms up!

Patti Smith is a beer brewer and lover who lives in Ann Arbor.