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To celebrate the 2020 release of Hopslam, we’re hosting a unique tour experience and competition to celebrate our beloved Double IPA! This year’s hop-centric tour will again be limited to only 12 lucky winners who show their love for Hopslam in a creative way! Ten of our winners will be chosen at random and allowed to bring one guest. One runner up will be People’s Choice so tell your friends and family to vote for you. ONE lucky winner will be left to our Brewers’ Choice. We have selected a panel of three brewers from Bell’s to determine which entry is most creative. This person will be our 2020 Grand Prize Winner. This year’s Grand Prize Winner will be stay the night of the tour at the Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center in the Hopslam Suite Royale. What’s the Hopslam Suite Royale? Imagine a hoppy oasis of everything Hopslam (some items which are one-of-a-kind and custom designed just for our winner) - all of which you will take home with you after your stay! As for the tour, our 24 guests will: Hop on the Kalamazoo Brew Bus from Bell’s Eccentric Café and enjoy a Hopslam without having to worry about the drive to our Comstock Brewery. Taste the freshest Hopslam straight from the source! Engage in a hop sensory experience and learn about how we select our hops to make this special beer. Walk alongside dry hop fermenters each holding 3 stories worth of Hopslam! Watch 500 cans per minute whip through our can line with only a brief stop to grab one for you! Take home special Hopslam Swag. How do I get the chance to experience this one-of-a-kind tour? To enter for a chance to win, you must show your love of Hopslam in a creative way: write a song, compose a poem, paint a picture, take a photo, shoot a video, orchestrate a rock opera, whatever it is you do that is creative. Share your art on social media and tag us (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and use the hashtag #HopslamMe. Make sure your post and account is public so we can see it. You’ll also need to complete this form. Here are some guidelines for entries: Be sure to keep it clean — we’re thinking PG-13 here. While babies are cute, they can’t drink beer, so please refrain from including minors in your entry. This is about representing your love for Hopslam, not how many cans, mini kegs or cases you can fit into your photo. Deadline The deadline to enter is Sunday, December 15th at 11:59pm. All winners will be announced notified on Friday, December 20th. The Runner Up and Grand Prize Winners will be announced on Social Media that day as well. Travel to/from Kalamazoo is the responsibility of the individual.

What's better than holiday shopping for your loved ones? Shopping at the convenience of your own home, online. Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 28th through Monday, December 2nd because we have some awesome online deals through our online General Store that you won't want to pass up! Thursday 11/28: 25% off Wearables using the code WEAR19 Friday 11/29: 25% off Homebrew Ingredient Kits, Select Hops, & Imperial Yeast using the code HOMEBREW19 Saturday 11/30: 25% off Outdoor items using the code OUTDOOR19 Sunday 12/1: 25% off Bell's Merch (Non-Wearables) using the code BELLSMERCH19 Monday 12/2: 15% off Entire Store using the code CYBER19 DEALS VALID FROM 12AM TO 2AM EACH DAY

Temperatures are dropping, trees are bare and stouts are plentiful: Holiday Season is upon us. Here are the 2019 holiday hours for our Comstock Brewery and the Eccentric Café, downtown Kalamazoo. Thanksgiving November, 28 2019 All locations closed. Black Friday November, 29 2019 Opening at 10 a.m. for Black Friday Pop Up Shop with Vanilla Black Note Release (more info). Eccentric Day December 6 2019 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. (Come as you aren’t) Christmas Eve December 24 2019 Last call at the Eccentric Café is at 4 p.m. The Café and General Store are closed at 5 p.m. Christmas December 25 2019 All locations closed. Dec. 29 Tours will not be offered in Comstock. Downtown Kalamazoo tours will be offered.  New Years Eve December 31 2019 Eccentric Café: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. - celebrate with us and The Insiders: Tom Petty Tribute Band. General Store: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. New Years Day January 1 2020 All locations closed. Keep up to date with Bell’s and the Eccentric Café on social media: Facebook: Bell’s Brewery | Eccentric Café Twitter: @BellsBrewery | @EccentricCafe Instagram: @BellsBrewery | @BellsEccentricCafe

Bell’s Winter White Ale is getting a new look and a new name for 2019. When our Belgian-inspired Wheat Ale returns this month, its look will be reminiscent of what fans have seen since 2003. This update speaks to the beer’s appeal beyond cold temperatures and snow. Nothing about the recipe has changed. Bright White Ale is the same bright alternative to stouts, porters and other darker beer styles fans have loved over the years. Stylish and refreshing, it is still fermented with a Belgian yeast strain, yielding a mix of clove and fruity aromas without the use of any spices. Bright White is inspired by the Belgian Wit (White) style of beer that has been brewed as far back as the Middle Ages. Unlike traditional Wit beers, Bright White includes no spices like coriander seed, orange peel, and sometimes grains of paradise. Bright White has several fruity aromas which all comes from the malt and yeast. This seasonal beer is enjoyable whether your view includes a snow man or a palm tree. “It is easy-drinking and lighter than the long list of stouts traditionally released in the winter months,” said Larry Bell, founder and president of Bell’s Brewery. “Stout should be enjoyed year-round but sometimes, you just need a break.” “We wanted to keep the new name simple and connect it back to the original. And since many of our fans use ‘bright’ to refer to this beer, it just made sense to play to those strengths,” said Bell. Availability At 5% ABV, Bright White Ale will be available on draft, in bottles (12 oz. bottles in 6-packs and 12-packs) and in cans (6-packs and 12-packs of 12 oz. cans and 4-packs of 16 oz. cans) beginning this month through the end of March, while supplies last. For help find this beer near you, visit the Bell’s Beer Finder and be sure to check out our Events Calendar. Coming in December Bell’s is teaming up with Untappd to offer a special Bright White badge celebrating its release. Available during the entire month of December, one (1) check-in will unlock it.

Thanksgiving is a day-long marathon of family, beer and food. As you put together your holiday shopping list, keep in mind that your selection can help make that Thanksgiving Day Parade your cousin wants to watch a little less painful, but can also complement your menu and even help take it to another level. Here are some pointers to pair our “family” of American craft beers with your family traditions. Amber Ale will compliment everything on your table. It offers a great balance between sweet caramel malts, moderate alcohol and a touch of hop bitterness. Greet everyone with a glass of Amber to ready their taste buds for the meal to come. You can pair our classic ale with a wide range of appetizers, main plates, side dishes and desserts. Plus, the low ABV will hopefully fend off any sleepiness. Lager of the Lakes: Sage and Onion stuffing will complement the traditional style of our Lager by offering a combination of firm malt and herbal hop bitterness and crisp drinkablity. Have it in your fridge for those that might not be familiar with craft beer. Start them on that journey with Lager or Amber Ale. Great with Brussel sprouts! Official Hazy IPA perfectly pairs with homemade cranberry relish with a zest of orange. Beautiful pungent American hops with stone fruit and tropical notes, Official is a refined beer for both those who love hops or prefer wheat beers. If you're frying a turkey, this is the beer for you! Bright White pairs with your Turkey and cranberry. Our seasonal beer’s fruity aromas, moderate body and alcohol will nicely compliment tart cranberries and turkey, especially for white meat lovers. Bright White also pairs well with lighter dishes like a salad or a shrimp cocktail. This is also a great beer to pair with fruit desserts like apple cobbler or blueberry trifle. Two Hearted Ale — Stuffing or dressing? How about our delicious IPA with a classic oyster dressing? It's the best way to showcase the singular and simple flavor of oysters in a great Thanksgiving pairing. Also great with garlic mashed potatoes and sublime with green bean casserole. Bell’s Porter pairs well with glazed ham. It will also pair well with anything on the chocolatey side of desserts as its slight bitterness, roast and coffee characteristics will complement the sweetness. Kalamazoo Stout — Pecan, sweet potato or pumpkin pie? Let Kalamazoo Stout pair amazingly with these desserts. The roasted malt flavors and bitter hop additions will counter and help balance these sweet treats nicely. Expedition Stout is a great as a compliment to rich, decadent dessert dishes. Its roasted malt character, sturdy hop bitterness, and high alcohol balances nicely and helps cut through the sweetness and heaviness that most desserts tend to have. Or, skip the dessert and indulge in one on its own. Bell’s Christmas Ale — End the meal with a selection of cheeses, especially with some Gruyere, an aged white cheddar or some Asiago. Allow our traditional Scotch Ale with its rich and malty body, notes of caramel and a warm finish settle you in for that after-dinner nap. Check out some of these great food pairing suggestions and recipes for your Thanksgiving. Cheers! Winter White with Turkey Craftbeer.com Two Hearted paired with cranberry sauce Outside Expedition Stout paired with Pumpkin Pie Craftbeer.com Thanksgiving Stuffing pairing suggestions Craftbeer.com Chocolate Stout Truffle recipe from The Beeroness Deep Dish Porter Pecan Pie recipe from The Beeroness

We're honoring veterans, active service military members and their families with a special beer release on Veterans Day. “Goin’ Dark” (6.3% ABV) is a Coffee Milk Stout brewed with bourbon barrel-aged coffee beans. The beer was conceived, written, brewed and packaged by a committee of more than 20 Bell’s employees who either served in the military, are currently enlisted or are military family members. “Celebrating Diversity has always been core to our company,” said Larry Bell, founder and president of Bell’s Brewery. “It’s an honor to recognize the men and women in our military as well as their families and extend that celebration to those who make that sacrifice.” Bell’s Celebration Series Goin’ Dark is the third release in the Bell's Celebration Series that highlights different groups within the company that make Bell’s Brewery what it is. Earlier this year, our employees brewed Unite Hibiscus Saison as part of International Women's Collaboration Brew Day and Alliance Lemon Lager to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. More Celebration brews are being planned for 2020. There will be a special beer release (Tappening) for Goin’ Dark at Bell’s Eccentric Café, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave. in downtown Kalamazoo, at 4 p.m. on Nov. 11. The beer will be available to enjoy on draft at the Café and to purchase in 12 oz bottles, packaged in 6-packs, exclusively from the Bell’s General Store. The group wanted to bottle the beer so it could be shared with family members when they return from deployment. As part of the event, Bell’s is working with Section Collection, a local nonprofit that provides direct support to veterans in need. Section Collection will be at the Tappening event. Goin’ Dark merchandise will also be available to purchase at Bell’s General Store located adjacent to the Cafe. Keep an eye out for a special announcement at the event related to veterans and hiring. We hope to see you on Veterans Day at the Cafe!

Homebrewing is our roots. Larry Bell began brewing in the early 80’s on a 15-gallon soup pot, and ran a homebrew supply store before opening the brewery. Today it’s still an important part of who we are. Here’s our collection of tips, clone recipes and advice. Homebrew tips: How to culture Bell’s house yeast from a bottle or can of our beer (link) How To Pick The Right Juice For Cider (link) Clone recipes: Oberon (link) Two Hearted (link) Expedition Stout (link) Hopslam (link) Roundhouse (link) Smitten (link) Quinannan Falls (link) Brew with our ingredients We sell homewbrew clone kits of our recipes, see them all here. If you don't feel like culturing our yeast yourself, we're selling it at our General Store. When we brew, we use the highest quality hops with the best aromas, oils and flavors for our beers.  We have now brought these hops to you with our Bell's Select brand -- these are the same hand-selected hops we use to make our own beers in the brewery. Homebrew Q&A How To Brew Consistent Batches (link) How To Split a Brew Day (link) Why Your Bubbler Isn't Bubbling (link) Stouts Q&A (link) Specialty Beers Q&A (link) More about homebrewing and Bell’s Our General Store has everything you need to start homebrewing or develop your next recipe. Check us out in person (355 E Kalamazoo Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49007) or online. If you have any questions about homebrewing or a specific brew, give us a call at (269) 382-5712 or drop us a note.

Fall is upon us, and it’s time for hayrides, apple orchards, Best Brown Ale and, who can forget, pumpkin carving. Need some inspiration about what carve? How about something related to one of your favorite breweries or Best Brown Ale. First and foremost: Safety first! Make sure you are using tools you are comfortable with are always safe. Here are some tips from Consumer Reports. Stencils: Bell’s logo stencil Best Brown Ale stencil (throwback) Oberon stencil Two Hearted stencil Official (large, small) Hopsoulution A couple of things to note with each stencil: Bell's logo: Cut out the letters and the bells only. Best Brown: Cut out all darkened portions except for the eye inside the outline.  Oberon: Remove only the portions marked with an "X." Official: Start with the more detailed letters in the center, then work your way out! Hopsoulution: Only carve the hop leaves themselves! Poke holes around each individual leaf, and those are what you will cut out. Work your way from the center out and it will be easier and more stable to carve. Ok, time for the pumpkin carving. Download the Bell’s pattern and print it off. Cut open the top of the pumpkin Remove all the insides. You can separate the seeds and roast later. Make sure to compost what you don’t use! Cut and tape the stencil on the pumpkin so it fits closely Poke around the areas you want to carve Remove stencil and start cutting. Refine the edges, insert a candle, light and display. Crack open a Best Brown Ale and admire your handiwork! This year, we cut a hole in one of our pumpkins up top, and the other at the base. Our verdict? Cutting the pumpkin out from the base is great! Why? Safety – you can place your pumpkin onto the candle avoiding any potential burns. Also, it’s easier to clean out, and it just looks good! Share your jack-o'-lanterns with us on social media, we’re on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. [[{"fid":"5286","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"default"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"1"}}]]  

A special beer celebrating women in craft beer will soon go on tap as part of International Women's Collaboration Brew Day, which brought together breweries from across the world. Unite Hibiscus Saison was brewed by Bell’s and Upper Hand’s women brewers to commemorate International Women’s Day. Bell’s and Upper Hand were part of the 82 breweries, 25 homebrewers, 14 non-profit organizations, 30 brewpubs and 3 suppliers for the special brew day. “To me, it’s more of a symbol of us coming together and recognizing that we are a vast minority of the brewing industry,” said Whitney Maloney, a brewer for Upper Hand Brewery. “Just to have a moment in time and a symbol of something that represents us in the industry for me is really awesome.” The beer is a hibiscus saison, developed by Bell’s Brewer Shawn Paczkowski, and won a recent recipe competition among Bell’s brewers. A classic Saison with fruity and spicy yeast notes, this beer is complimented by the floral and mildly tart notes of hibiscus. The beer uses Michigan hops — Chinook & Copper from Hop Head Farms. “I think it’s really cool that we work for a great company like Bell's that celebrates diversity and brings us together so that we can brew this beer together,” said Karli Small, Bell’s Brewing Manager. Unite Hibiscus Saison is a draft-only batch that will go on tap exclusively at the Eccentric Café.  “Bell’s is truly greater than the sum of its parts,” said Carrie Kramer Yunker, HR Director at Bell’s. “This brew helps us illuminate one group that make us great. We look forward celebrating the diversity of our Bell’s family with more specialty beers in the future.” The beer will go on tap Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Keep an eye on our social media and our Tap Cam for more information.

Oberon season is always an exciting time for us at the brewery, and we love seeing people take our American Wheat Ale and do creative things with it. Jeni at Thyme & Love has this recipe for vegan, Oberon orange cupcakes: Oberon is often served with an orange slice, which inspired me to add fresh orange juice and orange extract to the cupcake batter. Oberon has citrus notes from the hops and the addition of the orange juice and zest highlights the flavor profile of the beer. Check out her recipe here. Let us know if you try the recipe or have other ways of using our beer in your cooking.