I’m going to go on record and call out my family who lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Knowing full well my passion for beer, they had me visiting the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, Grand Rapids Museum of Art and various Frank Lloyd Wright houses—with Founders Brewing’s pub a few scant miles down the street. I do recall drinking copious amounts of Bell’s Oberon paired with homemade venison nachos just after hunting season, so I guess I’ll forgive and forget.
To most beer geeks in California, Founders Brewing is the creator of KBS, aka Kentucky Bourbon Stout, a surprising sipper with layers of fresh dark chocolate, bourbon and roasted coffee … to reference another Kentucky-ism, it is finger-lickin’ good. Canadian Breakfast Stout, the maple version, should also be on your beer geek radar.
But how are the regular offerings? Grand Rapids, being a place of hot, humid summers and sludgy-snowy winters, shines with darker beers. Porter, Dirty Bastard Ale, and Breakfast Stout showcase a mellow malt complexity that makes me want to sit in a pub with a tall mug next to a roaring fire. The hoppy beers, All Day and Centennial IPA, are good in regards to being well-crafted beers, but pale in comparison to our west coast wealth of aggressive fad-hop beers. If you think socal IPA’s are too hoppy, give these a try.
Founders Brewing Release Party’s in O.C. this week:
- Tuesday: Stadium Brewing, Aliso Viejo
- Wednesday: Beachwood BBQ, Seal Beach
- Thursday: Slater’s 50/50, Huntington Beach
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