Atwater Block Brewery - Atwater Rost

The German word for Rost (pronounced "roast", meaning 'rust' or 'red') suggests a rich, amber brew with a balance between the roasted barley and select German hops. We found it to be notably creamy (similar to their Dunkel) with floral notes and an herbal, tea-like nuance in the background. Expect slightly sweet, toffee-toned malts. The sweet start is followed by a firm malt & grain backbone with some citrusy hop notes. The bitterness is fairly late-breaking as it sneaks in and holds the palate quite firmly. Look for citrus hop impressions to resurface as the hop bitterness fades. This is a great beer to enjoy with mild-to-moderately-spiced chicken wings, spritzed with just a bit of lemon.

The Atwater Block Brewery is located in the heart of Detroit's Rivertown district near the banks of the Detroit River (in other words, at the water, or, as they say, 'at-water'). Housed in a reconditioned 1916 warehouse, the 18,000 square foot brewery features a state-of-the-art Kasper-Schulz German brewhouse. However, having a German brewing facility doesn't necessarily mean that authentic German-style brews are magically going to bubble forth. Using traditional German brewing methods is an obvious necessity, and Atwater does just this, enabling them to deservedly boast their traditionalist nature and authenticity. Notable among their genuine Bavarian techniques is the practice of Kräusening, the Old Bavarian practice of blending in fresh wort (the unfermented concentrated liquid created early in beer production) at the end of fermentation to give the beer a secondary fermentation in the conditioning tanks and the bottle (incidentally, our 2nd featured brewery, the Tuckerman Brewing Company, employs this technique as well). This process not only allows carbon dioxide levels to build up slowly in the beer, but also smoothes out the flavor over weeks of conditioning. The largest brewers in the United States moved away from this practice years ago, opting instead to adopt 'more efficient,' 'faster' processing methods. Thankfully, our featured breweries this month still practice this important step. Also in accordance with tradition, all of the Atwater beers are produced exclusively with German malts and the finest hops available. In addition to the brewery, the location has a 170 seat restaurant featuring a 60 foot bar with two-story glass walls that give patrons a direct view of the brewhouse, enabling guests to see where the magic happens—getting an inside look at where their Great American Beer Festival medal-winning beers are born. Today, the Atwater Block Brewery is one of only three breweries in Michigan's largest city of Detroit—a surprisingly low number for a state that has more than 60 breweries! What's more, they make their own wines as well. Along with tasty meals that complement their own home-made brewings, they provide the total package to lucky visitors. For more information about the brewery & brewpub—and scheduled tours—call (313) 877-9205 or check out their web site at www.atwaterbeer.com.