Michigan Brewing Company - Celis White

"Authentic Belgian-Style Wheat Beer." Damn right it is. Pierre Celis's own branded version of the beloved Hoegaarden, which he created in 1966, single-handedly resurrected this style of beer, which has been propelled toward the palates of many beer drinkers by way of a solid, widely available, though less authentic, beer known as "Blue Moon" (which is actually brewed by Molson Coors, which is now MillerCoors, the result of the recent merger of SABMiller and Molson Coors to form the USA's second largest brewer—ah, corporate brewing conglomerates just love consolidation… look for more of this throughout the rest of the decade…)

The success of Miller's Blue Moon is an odd irony, considering that Miller had a major hand in burying Pierre Celis's Austin, Texas, brewing venture, where Celis White was debuted (look it up… another sad story). On to the beer review: the look and nose are spot on for the style, and we're thrilled that the brewers at MBC have stayed so faithfully true to this beer's recipe. Look for spicy phenolic notes, bubble-gummy clove and coriander notes being the most prominent, with hints of light, sourish tart orange rind and champagne, all backed by a light touch of caramel maltiness. Plenty of wheat on the nose (note the lightly sourish notes). The flavor profile is bolder than Hoegaarden, as that beer, too, has suffered from corporate conglomerate mergers (which led to the shut down of the original Hoegaarden brewery last year, a heartbreaking casualty of consolidation (look it up… yet another sad story)). The spicy, phenolic notes are quite bold, but balanced – sweet and spicy clove meets spiciness of coriander and white pepper, and a firm malty sweetness fades as the wheat and spelt tartness dries it out. This beer also has a more firm hop bitterness in the finish than its famous forebear. It's reassuring to know that Pierre Celis's efforts live on!

This beer pairs well with honey-glazed, clove-dotted ham. Another great application is using as part of a chicken or salmon marinade. Combine a full 12-ounce bottle of Celis White with ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup sesame oil, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp white peppercorns, ¼ cup raw honey, 1 Tbsp crushed bay leaves, ¼ tsp chili powder, and ¼ tsp ground cardamom, mix on high in a blender, then marinate meat at least 2 hours, grill and savor!

The Michigan Brewing Company is located about 20 minutes east of Lansing, Michigan, in the city of Webberville. It was once easy to miss this brewery due to its location: behind a gas station. When owner Bobby Mason opened the brewery, he did so on a shoestring budget, opting to start up in a family-owned garage/maintenance building located next to an expressway service station. Customers literally had to drive through the service station to visit the small pub at the brewery (Ding! Ding! "Fill me up Bobby!") The Michigan Brewing Company was designed as a brewery, not a restaurant, as there was a tavern and tasting room on the premises, but no kitchen. You could always find a barrel full of fresh peanuts; but if it was a meal you wanted, you had to pack it yourself or order a pizza! (Ding! Ding! "Pizza's here!") In late 2006 they expanded to new facility about seven times the size of their last brewery, conveniently located a mere 300 feet east of the old brewery. You can get a meal now (they have a kitchen) and, of course, their great brews at the appropriately named "Pub 122," their on-site tavern. Just take exit 122 off of I-96 to get there. They are in a continual state of growth; in July of this year they opened an outdoor patio. And Michigan state law is being revised right now to permit them to distill and sell spirits on site – so expect Michigan B.C.'s gin, vodka, etc., to follow soon! You won't hear the "ding! ding!" on your approach to their new tavern, but with all these options, we still consider it a full-service station. For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (517) 521-3600 or check out their web site at www.michiganbrewing.com .