Eleven breweries in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area are all offering up their take on one of our fall favorites starting this week; a pumpkin beer.
But this isn’t just any pumpkin beer – it’s a Grand Pumpkin – part of a collaboration series celebrating the city’s “Beer City USA” title, which it shares with Asheville, North Carolina.
The first collaboration beer saw the brewers try their hand at a pale ale.
This time, according to MLive, brewers will have more flexibility in crafting their Grand Pumpkin than they did their Beer City Pale Ale, which was a shared recipe.
“It’s kind of everyone looking at one ingredient like you would with an ‘Iron Chef’ competition,” said [Wob] Wanhatalo, who, until this month was brewing at The Hideout Brewing Co.
“What can I do with the beer that best represents that ingredient, but also trying to be different from everyone else?” he said.
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“The brewing culture is very collaborative in West Michigan,” said Barry VanDyke, co-owner of Harmony Brewing Co. “We enjoy each other’s company and we enjoy testing our skills against one another in a fun way. We’re hopeful that beer lovers will test out a few different versions and let us know what they think of them.”
The breweries taking part include:
- The Hideout Brewing Company – Grand Rapids
- The Mitten Brewing Company – Grand Rapids
- Harmony Brewing Company – Grand Rapids
- White Flame Brewing Company – Hudsonville
- Jaden James Brewing Company at Cascade Winery – Kentwood
- Pike 51 Brewing Company – Hudsonville
- The Michigan Beer Cellar – Sparta
- The B.O.B.’s Brewery – Grand Rapids
- HopCat – Grand Rapids
- Brewery Vivant – Grand Rapids
- Schmohz Brewing – Grand Rapids