The Week in Beer: The dog days of summer brew

Friday Detroit’s own Atwater Block Brewery will have its beers on tap at the biweekly Michigan Beer Tasting at Whole Foods Cranbrook, 990 W. Eisenhower. From 5-7 p.m. try Atwater Hefeweizen, Ur Pils Pilsner, and Double Down Imperial Amber Ale for $3 a glass or $1 a sample pour. Bottles of varied other styles and pricing are also available.

Saturday The second of the summer’s three German Park Picnics will be in full swing from 4-11 p.m. Sausage, spaetzle, bratwurst, oompah bands, and, of course, lots of good German beer await you. Visit germanpark.com for more details on this barrel of fun.

Tuesday Two for the price of one! Arbor Brewing, 114 E. Washington, is releasing two new beers this month, the Olde No. 33 Altbier and Super Snapper VSB. Come out to the pub from 6-9 p.m. to try these souped-up versions of Arbor favorites and munch on sandwich wraps, hummus, chips and salsa, and other appetizers. Free for Mug Club members; $10 for everyone else.

Down the block at Grizzly Peak, 120 W. Washington, it’s Brewer’s Night once again. From 6-9 p.m., you can take a tour of the brewery with head brewer Duncan Williams, enjoy discounted samplers, and try a special cask ale; this time around, it’s Hopricot Pale Ale, brewed with apricots and dry-hopped with Cascades.

Notes on the Napkin

• Congratulations to Matt and Rene Greff of Arbor Brewing and the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti! Tonight (Thursday) they will be honored, along with radio host Lucy Ann Lance and the University of Michigan Health System, with Ambassador Awards from the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. The awards will be presented at the bureau’s annual recognition dinner at UM’s Ross School of Business and are given to outstanding members of the local hospitality industry. The university’s director of athletics, Dave Brandon, will provide the keynote address.
• Speaking of the Corner Brewery, something to make a note of is its Second Annual Ratfest Tasting on Aug. 8. What’s Ratfest? It’s a sampling of 20 beers made by home brewers on the brewery’s small “Rat Pad” pilot system. Tickets are available in advance for $25. Call the brewery at 734-480-2739 for more details or to order.
• Another heads up: Aug. 9-13 is the Second Annual Ann Arbor Beer Week. Look forward to days of bar crawls, beer specials, cask ales, trivia, and more at participating establishments, which include Ashley's and Bar Louie for sure, with the Arena, Old Town, Good Time Charley's, and other bars also likely on board. More details to come as your intrepid correspondent discovers them.
• Now on tap at Grizzly Peak is Oasthouse Wheat Ale, named after the buildings where hops are dried. As one might imagine, the main star of this brew is that green, bitter flower, with U.S. Goldings, Styrian Goldings, and Sterling providing that hoppy taste and aroma to a grain bill of wheat and barley malt. The result is a hazy golden concoction of 4.5 percent ABV, nice for cooling down without falling down.
• Thanks to the Michigan Brewers Guild for another memorable Summer Beer Festival! Despite sometimes rather miserable weather, the 9,000 or so craft beer lovers seemed to enjoy every minute of it. Also thanks to those of you who followed me on Twitter and/or came up to say hi to me at the fest. Your readership and support of Michigan craft beer are both appreciated!
• I’ve posted some photos from the event online; check out “All the Brews Fit to Pint” on Facebook to have a gander.

David Bardallis is a freelance writer and editor, blogger, bon vivant, and man about town. Visit his website, DavidBardallis.com, to engage his services or read his latest. E-mail your beer-related thoughts to annarborbeer@gmail.com, follow @dbardallis on Twitter, or join the "All the Brews Fit to Pint" Facebook page.