It’s officially fall and arguably the tastiest season of them all, harvest! Not only are our gardens ripe for the picking, but the hop bines of Northern Michigan are too. Which can only mean one thing; it’s finally time to imbibe some super dank, wet-hopped ales.
This year, we’ve bottled our beloved Kind Ale, which was first brewed as a single batch at our Elk Rapids production facility in September of 2009. The label art for Kind Ale is a picture of our head brewer, Tony Hansen, holding up some of the first ever usable mature hops grown in Northern Michigan. This year we brewed Kind Ale using fresh Chinook and Cascade hops from our neighbors at MI Local Hops located in Williamsburg, MI.
Kind Ale (5.5% ABV – 116 IBU) is a beer brewed each fall to celebrate a successful growing season. True to tradition, we commemorate the year’s agricultural achievements by using only wet hops in the boil, straight from the fields of Northern Michigan’s local hop farms. Local hops impart a dank intensity to this ale. The beer’s finish is immensely grassy, bitter, and fresh thanks to a healthy dry hop addition.
We took an unofficial and admittedly biased poll to determine the best way to enjoy a pint of Kind Ale and the decision was unanimous! Kind Ale is best enjoyed while wearing a cozy sweater, outside, and eating tasty harvest time treats while laughing with friends and family. So be kind and share this ale with those you love! Kind Ale is very limited and only available in six-packs and on tap in the mitten state.
