Michigan Brewing Company - Peninsula Porter

Michigan's Peninsula Porter is a complex beer indeed; from the color to the aroma all the way through to the finish. Bobby brews it with a combination of 2-row pale, chocolate, and crystal malts as well as flaked barley malts and Nugget and Northern Brewer hops to balance this tasty brew. We found this deep ruby-red ale to be quite full-bodied. You'll note an aroma of chocolate and a slight spicy hop bitterness in the nose. Look for a strong chocolate malt start with a pleasant hop spiciness coming through near the finish. This porter would go best with your favorite spicy meal or try it with the recipe in this newsletter.

The Michigan Brewing Company is located about 20 minutes east of Lansing, Michigan in the city of Webberville. It's very easy to miss this brewery because it's located behind a gas station. When owner Bobby Mason opened the brewery, he decided he wanted to carry a theme throughout the company, starting from the building design to the product names all the way through to the labels on the beers. To reflect Michigan's logging history, the front façade of the brewery was designed to look like a log cabin. The front, double-glass doors are etched with the image of the Mackinac Bridge, which happens to be one of Michigan's most recognizable landmarks. It connects Michigan's Lower and Upper Peninsulas.

The Michigan Brewing Company was designed as a brewery, not a restaurant. There is a tavern and tasting room on the premises, but no kitchen. You'll always be able to find a barrel full of fresh peanuts and they even let you throw the shells on the floor, but if it's a meal you're looking for, you'd best be packing it yourself or ordering a pizza! Inside the tavern, there are no televisions, no video games, no juke boxes; the Michigan Brewing Company was designed to be a social hall, where guests can come in and listen to a mix of blues and jazz music and enjoy some good beer with friends.

Brewer Dan Rogers keeps a wide selection of beer on tap, including their Sunset Amber Ale, Golden Ale, Nut Brown Ale, Mackinac Pale Ale, Petoskey Pilsner, Superior Stout, Wheatland Wheat Beer, Hamtramck Beer, Big Mac, and two we are featuring this month - Peninsula Porter and High Seas IPA. They also feature several seasonal beers throughout the year.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (517) 521-3600 or check out their web site at www.michiganbrewing.com.