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This post is part of an occasional series looking at the beers we develop at our original brewery, or B1.  Tasting notes: Resinous & tangerine hop notes w/ lemon verbena Boon Companion is a beer unlike any other and doesn't fit any single style. The beer was developed by our Vice President and co-owner, Laura Bell to explore the use of lemon verbena, a lemon-scented herb originally from South America, in beer. It is dry hopped with the herb, as well as lemon zest and Sorachi Ace hops.  It's ABV, color and IBU level are similar to an American Pale Ale, but doesn't fit the style because of spices and zest. It's unique blend of ingredients creates a pale, medium bodied, moderate but noticeable bitterness, dry hopped aromas, as well as complex integrated herbal and citrus notes from the dry hop, zest and verbena. All of this clocks in to a 5.9% ABV. Boon Companion was brewed in downtown Kalamazoo at our original brewery and is going to see some limited distribution. Keep an eye on our Events Calendar and Beer Finder to see if it's coming to a bar or restaurant near you. What is a B1 beer?  B1 is how we affectionately refer to our original brewery in downtown Kalamazoo, located adjacent to our pub, the Eccentric Cafe. This is where we got our start and where we still develop new recipes, experiment with new varieties of hops and brew small batches of specialty beers like The Wild One and Mango Habanero Oberon today. Most of the beers brewed there are typically only available on draught at the Cafe, but from time to time they do make their way to special events. 

We are again proud to work with Pints for Prostates. Craft breweries across the U.S. are using special Pints for Prostates crowns to help encourage men to talk with their doctors about scheduling health screenings.  This nationwide effort coincides with National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September.  “The craft beer community has been incredibly supportive of the Pints for Prostates mission and generously assisted us in getting our message to millions of men,” said Rick Lyke.  Lyke is a prostate cancer survivor who started Pints for Prostates in 2008 after successful treatment for the disease. “If Pints for Prostates Crowns for as Cure reaches just one guy who benefits from a prostate health screening, then the effort will be a huge success," he continued. We will be spreading our supply of crowns across as many brands and bottling runs as possible in order to help reach as many people as we can.  If you spot one of these special crowns, help us continue the conversation by sharing a photo on social media and use the hashtag #CrownsforaCure and tag @pints4prostates. Include the brewery name too (we are @bellsbrewery on Twitter and Instagram) along with the location where you found it. Below is a video from Larry Bell, a prostate cancer survivor.

Our fall seasonal and specialty beers have started shipping! For the first time in 5 years, Octoberfest will be bottled. Twelve-packs are also debuting this year.  Along with Octoberfest, Best Brown and Special Double Cream Stout are also heading out to your local stores, restaurants and bars.  All three will feature our refreshed Bell's logo and new packaging look.  For help locating these and your other favorite Bell's beers, please take a look at our Beer Finder (remember to call ahead before you head out). 

We hosted a special tapping of the 2015 Bell’s Homebrew Competition on Aug. 13 at the Eccentric Cafe. Bale So Hard is dry-hopped farmhouse ale developed by David Hellen. It beat out 131 other entries that were submitted and judged by Bell's employees during our sixth annual competition.  Hellen and our Pub Brewing Operations Manager, Zeke Bogan, brewed Bale So Hard at our original brewery in downtown Kalamazoo. Bale So Hard has pungent hop aromatics, mild yeast spice and fruity Brett notes. The beer was brewed with HBC 438 and Mosaic hops. HBC 438 is an experimental hop, available exclusively to homebrewers. All proceeds from the sale of this variety go toward finding a cure for ALS via the Ales for ALS program that Bell’s has been a part of since it started in 2013. The yeast blend mixes a saison yeast and brettanomyces which in conjunction with the hops, creates a unique pungent, fruity, tropical, spicy aroma and flavor.  The Annual Bell's Homebrew Compeition kicks off annually in Sept. 10 with a wort giveaway and homebrew expo. (More details here). Homebrewers are given 5 gallons of wort to take home and add their own malts, hops, spices and yeast. Samples of the resulting beers are turned in and judged by a panel of Bell’s employees and other brewing industry members.

Our 7th Annual Bell’s Homebrew Competition Kick-off & Expo is coming up on Sept. 10 at Bell’s Eccentric Café in downtown Kalamazoo. The homebrewer who takes first place from this year's competition will get to brew their recipe at our original brewery to then go on tap at the Café next door. The first place winner will also attend the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado as our guest. They'll team up with us for the 2017 Pro-Am Competition and attend both the awards ceremony and member’s only session. We'll cover the cost of airfare to Denver and back (must be within the continental U.S.) and provide lodging for two nights. “Homebrewing is how we got our start and this competition is one of the ways we honor that heritage. To be able to offer this kind of opportunity to a community that has given us so much is incredible and we are very happy to do it,” said Laura Bell, Vice President of Bell’s Brewery, Inc. As in previous years, there is no cost to enter the competition and the only requirement is that you use our (Bell’s) wort, which will be available for free at the kick-off - while supplies last. The Expo will run from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and feature Blichmann Engineering, Briess Malt, Pilot Malt House, Stir Starters, Whirlpool, Kalamazoo Libation Organization of Brewers (KLOB) and others. Sign-up times for wort pickup will begin at 11 a.m. Wort will be distributed beginning around 1 p.m., first come, first served. In past years, more than 200 homebrewers have been able to receive wort. Competition entries (four 12 oz. bottles) are due to the Bell’s General Store by 7 p.m., Sunday, October 30. Check out What you need to know for our 2016 Homebrew Competition The 2015 winning recipe, from David Hellen of New Hudson, MI, will be tapped for the first time at 2 p.m. on Aug. 13 at the Café. Bale So Hard is a Farmhouse Ale brewed with HBC 438 and Mosaic hops. Check out the gallery below from last year's Expo and competition judging and from brewing Bale so Hard.  Previous winners 2014: Coffee Mustache, a California Common style beer brewed with coffee from Matt VanNatter. 2013: Proud Mitten, a dry hopped IPA/Pale Ale made with Centennial, Citra and Simcoe hops from David Lyman. 2012: Manden Med Leen, a black IPA brewed with Belgian yeast from Nick Rodammer. 2011: A Bit of Heat from Geoff Groff, brewed with paradise seeds, rose hips and habaneros. 2010: Oscar’s Folly, a collaborative IPA from Jarrett Cupp, Bailey Cupp and Paul Gentz.

Earlier this year, we announced a new chapter in our family-owned brewery with a first look at our refreshed logo and packaging.  We've evaluated each beer's branding to make sure we maintained the heritage and vision of each while highlighting what makes each unique. We also made some other changes to our packaging: Highlighted each beer's style more prominently - on labels, six-pack carriers, mother or case cartons, cans and can wraps. Clarified shelf life: No more A, B and C. Going forward, each beer will clearly indicate whether it has a six month shelf life, a 12-month shelf life or whether its ideal for unlimited cellaring.  More room to shine: We've moved the (refreshed) Bell's logo to the neck label Updated beer descriptions on back labels. Given each beer its own unique crown or cap (more on those to come). The gallery below is just the beginning and you will start to see this new look at your local stores, in restaurants and elsewhere soon. Come back here for more updates - we're very excited to share our new look with you! 

Thank you to everyone who came out and braved the heat to join us for this year's Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival in Ypsilanti this past weekend. More than 12,000 people were expected to attended the festival over Friday and Saturday to try offerings from breweries all across Michigan --including some specialties we brought, such as Double Two Hearted and Mango Habanero Oberon. We're already looking forward to the next Michigan Brewers Guild festivals in Detroit and Marquette!        

One of our fall favorites is returning to the bottling line for the first time in five years. Bell’s Octoberfest Beer (5.5% ABV) will also debut in 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles when it starts shipping in August. Bottles, six-packs and 12-packs will all feature our refreshed Bell’s logo and packaging. This limited, sessionable lager will ship to all states we distribute to. “Octoberfest is a brewery and a fan favorite, one that we get a lot of questions about,” said Bell’s Vice President Laura Bell. "This is the year we can finally say yes, Octoberfest is coming back in bottles. It has been too long, it’s a perfect way to welcome cooler weather,” she said. Smooth and highly drinkable, Octoberfest opens the door to the coming autumn with a light, dry toasted malt note without too much sweetness. Additional details will be shared at here and on our social media as it becomes available.

We are proud to announce another addition to this year's specialty packaging lineup. Previously only available on draught, Roundhouse India Red Ale (7.5% ABV) will debut in 12 oz. cans packaged in 6-packs. It will start shipping in September. This limited specialty beer will ship to all states we distribute to. “Roundhouse has been a favorite for so many since we started brewing it in 2009,” said Bell’s Vice President Laura Bell. “It has a distinctive place in our beer portfolio and frankly, it was time to put this amazing beer into cans,” she added. Brewed with Michigan honey, Roundhouse  is distinctly hop forward. Substantial amounts of late-kettle hop additions and dry hopping yield a wonderful blend aromas – everything from pineapple to peach and citrus. Hop intensity is kept in check with a balanced and judicious amount of toasted and caramel specialty malts. This is the third new addition to our packaging lineup this year. Just like Hopslam, Roundhouse is best enjoyed as fresh as possible. Stay tuned for updates!

Zymurgy, a publication from the American Homebrewers Association, annually asks its readers to share their 20 favorite beers that are commercially available in the U.S. And once again, Two Hearted has ranked in the Top 10. This is actually the seventh year in a row Two Hearted has claimed the No. 2 spot on this list. Hopslam was also part of that same list, ranking this year at 8th. Among brewery rankings, we came in at No. 3 and tied for second with Sierra Nevada for Best Portfolio. We are incredibly proud and humbled to be ranked amongst so many other great brewers by those who share in the very same passion that set us on this path more than 30 years ago. Thank you, homebrewing community! Check out the complete list here.