It’s no slushee pull, but it is juicy and delicious. Wheezin’ the Juice from Grand Armory Brewing is a fresh and fun version of an IPA, and it just might be your gateway into this style of beer.
The key to Wheezin’ the Juice, in addition to it’s totally approachable, mellow hops flavor, is the inspiration behind the name. After hearing the story, we dare you not to use a totally Cali surfer accent to say the name.
Beers at Grand Armory run the gamut from classic styles, to some pretty crazy flavors dreamed up, and sometimes combined to create even more tastes in your glass. The brewery is celebrating five years in the business in 2020.
“We have a wide variety of traditional brews, and then we have a lot of experimental brews that are a lot of fun for us as well,” Tabor said.
Check out our interview with co-owner Ben Tabor and regional market manager Buck Dubro from Grand Armory. We discuss Grand Armory’s growth over the last five years, the fact that our Beer of the Week was named after a Pauly Shore reference, and we discus blending beers for some crazy flavor combinations. You can watch it below.
Wheezin' the Juice from Grand Armory gets it name from a Pauly Shore character, Stoney, from the movie Encino Man.Courtesy Photo, used with permission.
Grand Armory Brewing is located in Grand Haven, in the old historic Armory Building. The building houses several different businesses, for a multi-use spot that is bustling all through the day, with coffee from Aldea Coffee to enjoy before the brewery opens, and a large space to work from at all hours. “The building came with all the branding wrapped up with it,” Tabor said. “We became Grand Armory Brewing,” the moment that he and co-owner Ryan Andrews laid eyes on it.
Grand Armory opened in 2015, and quickly established itself as a fun spot to visit when in town, with over 20 different taps usually flowing, and smoked meats from neighboring business Righteous BBQ to balance out all that beer. You can even test out your artistic skills at the Armory Art Center, which offers both classes and ‘brush and brew’ social painting parties. “Some of our patrons literally hang out here all day,” Tabor said with a laugh.
Ben Tabor and Ryan Andrews got together to start the brewery, Tabor referred to them as “aggressive homebrewers” prior to deciding to brew professionally. The duo were brewing every single weekend. “It got to the point that my entire basement was filled with carboys and beer,” Tabor said. “My wife said you boys have got to stop this, or get a license. We figured that was carte blanche to start looking for buildings and make this happen.”
“That was on a Friday, and by Sunday we were peeking into every building in Grand Haven trying to see what might work for us here,” Tabor said.
Now, according to Buck Dubro, brand manager for Grand Armory, the brewery is in statewide distribution, with their four core brands, as well as seasonal specialties, gracing shelves all over Michigan. He said that they like to “keep it fresh, keep it clean.”
Wheezin’ the Juice is a funny reference to the classic California based movie, Encino Man, starring Pauly Shore. Shore’s character Stoney likes to suck frozen slushees direct from the tap, referring to it as “wheezin’ the juice”.
The beer is not marketed as a New England style IPA, according to Dubro, rather, it’s a solid juicy IPA. “Ours actually pours pretty crystal clear,” he said. “The reason it’s a juicy IPA is because it has a very low bitterness, it’s a very tropical drink. This was one of those beers that was created before it was named. Sometimes we have a great name, and we have to brew a beer that will fit that style. This beer was quite the opposite. We brewed a very juicy IPA, and our partner Ryan took a drink of it, and said “Wheezin’ the Juice buuudddddyyyy” and everyone knew right away that was going to be the name of it.”
It’s quite a delicious beer, pouring up clear, with a lovely golden hue to it. It’s nice and mellow, with no big bitter notes, just a smooth ride down your gullet, with notes of citrus, tropical, a bit of pineapple. Very nice, and a great introduction into the world of IPA’s.
There are plenty of other great beers from Grand Armory to try, including the decidedly crazy combo of their peanut butter based Nutter Your Business, paired up with the raspberry flavored Mother Schmucker, for Michigan beer take on a PB&J. Dubro encourages patrons to “be your own brewer” when combining beers.
Currently, you can find Grand Armory beers across the state in distribution, and on tap in Grand Haven. The tap room is open at reduced capacity, and the brewery has expanded outside onto a patio behind the Armory, for more outdoor drinking options.
What can we expect over the next five years from Grand Armory? “We hope for continued growth,” Tabor said. “We are kind of one day at a time, and things like the pandemic have put things into perspective, that we just have to keep chugging along at the rate we are.”
“It’s been quite a ride,” Tabor said, reflecting back on five years in the business. “We just keep counting our blessings, and we are so fortunate to be a part of this awesome, fun industry.”
Mother Schmucker is a raspberry ale from Grand Armory Brewing in Grand Haven.Courtesy Photo, used with permission.
If you go:
17 S 2nd St
Grand Haven, MI 49417
(616) 414-7822
Wheezin' the Juice is our pick for Beer of the Week.
More Beer of the Week coverage:
Berserker-a hazy brew from Ore Dock (July 17)
Tropical Saison - A tasty summer beer from Brewery Vivant with pineapple and mango (July 9)
Cherry Bomb - A perfect beer for any outdoor party from Austin Brothers Beer Co. in Alpena. (July 2)
Citra Pale Ale - There’s nothing odd about this juicy ale from Oddside Ales (June 26)
Cerveza Delray - A Mexican style lager from Brew Detroit (June 19)
Swing Juice - This beer from Big Lake Brewery might, make that might, help your golf swing (June 12)
Defloured - Embrace the haze craze with this one from Witch’s Hat (June 5)
Honey Lav - A spring time favorite with honey and lavender from Blackrocks (May 29)
Professional Pilsner - Drink like a pro with this beer from Drafting Table (May 22)
Mango Gold - A tart refresher from Mitten Brewing Company (May 15)
Refreshin’ Session Pack - A new low cal, low ABV variety pack from Short’s Brewing Company (May 8)
Tree Love - A new low cal offering from Cheboygan Brewing (May 1)
Crescent Fresh IPA - A fresh and fun IPA straight out of East Lansing’s Ellison Brewery (April 24)
Monkey Mouth IPA - A tasty, balanced beer from Grand River Brewery in Jackson. (April 17)
"juice" - Google News
August 07, 2020 at 11:04PM
https://ift.tt/3iiAOBj
Beer of the Week: Wheezin’ the Juice - MLive.com
"juice" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2yYYfhU
https://ift.tt/3aVawBg
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Beer of the Week: Wheezin’ the Juice - MLive.com"
Post a Comment