The spring season brings new brews from across the state. One special holiday that brewers from all over seem to celebrate is 4/20, a day when the special aroma and flavor from dank beers reflect the unique characteristics of marijuana, cannabis, the devils lettuce or the more common term, weed.
So just what constitutes a dank beer? According to Seth Rivard, co-owner of Rockford Brewing, “I like to think of dank as extra pungent, extra stanky, extra resinous, extra smells and flavors from the oils in the hop, going above and beyond your typical hop flavor.”
We compiled a list of some of the dankest beers in Michigan, as well as a few brews who’s names were inspired by something to do with the 4/20 holiday.
So what is it about beer that aligns so closely with cannabis?
“If you’re a hop fan, you already know that Humulus Lupulus (hops) and Cannabis Sativa (cannabis) are close cousins that reside in the Cannabaceae family,” said Brian Tennis, owner of Michigan Hop Alliance. “They share aromatic compounds called terpenes, which is why a lot of a resinous IPAs smell like good herb.”
To be clear, none of these beers contain any THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) or CBD (cannabidiol). They just derive these cannabis characteristics from the natural flavors of hops.
“Hops are generally considered non psychoactive, but during hop harvest, it is not uncommon to feel slightly baked working that closely with so much plant material,” Tennis said.
Tennis, who owns Michigan Hop Alliance, which not only grows and harvests Michigan hops, but also distributes hops from all over the U.S. and the world, explained which varietals are the most similar to cannabis in aroma and flavor. “Some of the hops that we grow in Michigan that closely resemble the aromatics of good old chronic include Columbus, Comet, Zeus, and an exclusive proprietary hop called Summit™,” he said. “Other hops that are not grown in Michigan, but that we carry and deserve honorable mention include Apollo™, Simcoe™, and Strata™.”
For many breweries, and especially now that marijuana is legal in Michigan, 4/20 is another reason to celebrate great Michigan beer.
“The 420 number is beyond just a modern day meme, it’s practically a culture of its own,” said Seth Rockwell, co-owner of Rockford Brewing Company. “I remember it in the mid 90′s as being synonymous with ‘getting away with fun’ and two decades later it still seems to be holding its own, even after weed has become mostly legal and less controversial.”
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There will be not one, but two special releases on 4/20 at Rockford Brewing.Photo provided by Rockford Brewing Company, used with permission.
Rockford Brewing Company-Fuzzy Nuggs, One Hitter Wonder
Our friends at Rockford Brewing will have two different beers to enjoy on 4/20.
Fuzzy Nuggs is a pale ale brewed with 100% Michigan grown Nugget hops, with notes of resin, grass, and herbs. It is on tap at the brewery now.
A secret, special release will happen on April 20. According to RBC co-owner Jeff Sheehan, they’ll have “One Hitter Wonder” on tap. “It will get kegged the morning of 4/20. It’s a 6% ABV IPA brewed with Simcoe and Strata hops.” Sheehan described the beer as “many layers of different fruit flavor, dried and fresh, anchored with a dried chili-cannabis-funk.”
The brewery, which is located just off the White Pine Trail north of Grand Rapids, is well known for their from scratch kitchen. For 4/20 they’ll also be offering some “dank food specials” all week long.
Rockford Brewing Company
12 E Bridge St NE
Rockford, MI 49341
More info: https://rockfordbrewing.com/ or Facebook
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Loaded Dice Brewery will have Dank Vegas on tap for 4/20. They'll also be doing a tap takeover at Steampunk Tap Room in Utica at the same time.Photo provided by Loaded Dice Brewery, used with permission.
Loaded Dice Brewery-Dank Vegas
Loaded Dice will be releasing their New England style IPA Dank Vegas on Tuesday April 20, at both their taproom in Troy, and during a special tap takeover at Steampunk Taproom the same day. According to owner Jef Smith, the beer is a New England Style IPA with Comet, Strata and Mosaic hops. Strata is the star with this beer. The flavor and aroma has been described as ‘passion fruit meets pot’ and will hit you with melon, mango and citrus along with dank herbal notes of cannabis.”
Loaded Dice Brewery
1725 Rochester Rd
Troy, MI 48083
More info: https://www.loadeddicebrewery.com/ and Facebook
Steampunk Taproom
7722 Auburn Rd
Utica, MI 48317
More info: https://www.steampunkcraftbeer.com/ or Facebook
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Short's Brewing Company's Treefer Madness is a pungent American IPA released on 4/20.Photo provided by Shorts Brewing Company, used with permission.
Short’s Brewing Company- Treefer Madness and Psychedelic Cat Grass
Short’s describes this American IPA as a “liquid light up”, and you’ll find it in bottles out in distribution. According to the brewery, “Treefer Madness is legal in all 50 states but you might not believe it upon first smell. Columbus, Amarillo, Mosaic, Calypso, and Idaho 7 hops give your nose all kinds of green wonder like pine, grapefruit, guava, and fresh cut flowers. This beer pours a touch hazy and orange with a big beautiful white head. Everything your nose experienced will find its way to your mouth, like liquid bud for your taste buds, no need for eye drops.”
According to Short’s, Psychedelic Cat Grass “is a triple dry-hopped American India Pale Ale originally brewed for our favorite beer bar. Aromas of pineapple, mango, and grapefruit accompany the brews slightly hazy, pale orange color and lasting white head. A dry finish is preceded by balanced flavors of tropical fruit and bitter hops. Most notably associated with our #WithoutDelayIPA project, where the beer is packaged, delivered, and served within 24 hours. Due to the awesomeness of this product—Psychedelic Cat Grass has been promoted to seasonal release where it will be available in bottles, cans, and on draft throughout the spring.”
Short’s Brewing Company
121 N Bridge St
Bellaire, MI 49615
211 Industrial Park Drive
Elk Rapids, MI 49629
More info: https://www.shortsbrewing.com/ or Facebook
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Stormcloud Brewing Company will be kegging their 31 Planes on 4/20, and tapping the beer at the taproom the same day.Photo provided by Stormcloud Brewing, used with permission.
Stormcloud Brewing-31 Planes
Named after a Buddhist idea that there are thirty one planes or realms that one can reborn to, 31 Planes is a seasonal favorite at Stormcloud. This imperial IPA is big, bold, and delicious. Stormcloud Brewing was our pick for Michigan’s Best New Brewery back in 2016. You can read more about Stormcloud Brewing here.
Stormcloud Brewing
303 Main St
Frankfort, MI 49635
More info: https://www.stormcloudbrewing.com/ or Facebook
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Presidential Brewing will have I Did Not Inhale, an IPA available on 4/20.Photo provided by Presidential Brewing, used with permission.
Presidential Brewing Company-I Did Not Inhale
According to Presidential Brewing: Sitting at 7.4% ABV, I Did Not Inhale is a double IPA that boasts a pile of hops including a custom blend called Sticky Fingers, Galaxy, Cascade, and MI Chinook. The combination results in an apricot-forward bouquet of stone fruit, with just a hint of dank to remind you that presidents also know how to party.
Presidential Brewing Company
8302 Portage Rd
Portage, MI 49002
Right Brain Brewing-Concrete Dinosaur
Check out Right Brain owner Russell Springsteen in the video above discussing his beer Concrete Dinosaur. The beer is a brown rye IPA, and Springsteen says he isn’t quite sure why it’s got such a dank profile, but in his words, “for some reason, this is a fun beer. It smells like weed, and tastes like fresh green bud.”
Concrete Dinosaur won a Silver Medal for Best Rye Beer at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival.
Right Brain Brewing
225 E Sixteenth St
Traverse City, MI 49684
More info: https://www.rightbrainbrewery.com/ or Facebook
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Asleep in the Trees from Batch Brewing features four hops, hop hash, and hemp protein in it.Photo provided by Batch Brewing, used with permission.
Batch Brewing Company-Asleep in the Trees
Asleep in the Trees is an IPA from Batch Brewing that will be released on April 20. This one is truly a dank little monster, with four different hop varietals showcased, including Amarillo, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Ecuanot. The beer is also brewed with hop hash, and hemp protein, for flavor and aroma, but no THC.
We’ve been fans of Batch for a while now, ever since we named them one of Michigan’s Best New Breweries back in 2016. The brewery, located in the Corktown neighborhood in Detroit, won the Hatch Detroit contest in 2013, receiving a $50,000 grant to open a brick and mortar business in the city of Detroit, which they did in 2015. They now have a full kitchen that serves scratch made food, a large outdoor pavilion known as Fauci Field, and beers available on draft and in cans.
Batch Brewing Company
1400 Porter St
Detroit, MI 48216
More info: https://www.batchbrewingcompany.com/ or Facebook
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The Kushy Punch beer from Rare Bird in Traverse City.Photo provided by Rare Bird, used with permission.
Rare Bird- Kushy Punch
Rare Bird, a fun little pub located in Traverse City, offers both their own brews and beers from lots of other places as well. They typically have about six of their own brews, and over 30 taps featuring beers from Michigan, and elsewhere.
Their signature brew is Kushy Punch, which according to the brewery “is a delicious brew with a huge hop finish that will punch your taste buds. Equinox, Citra, Galaxy and Mosaic hops give it some dank flavors.”
Rare Bird Brewpub
229 Lake Ave
Traverse City, MI 49684
More info: https://rarebirdbrewpub.com/ or Facebook
Latitude 42 makes a double IPA known as Party at the Moon Tower.MLive.com
Latitude 42-Party at the Moon Tower
Inspired by a quote from the stoner friendly movie “Dazed and Confused”, Party at the Moon Tower comes in big and bold. A double IPA, with a warming 8.4% ABV.
We’ll leave you with the best thing to say about this beer: alright, alright, alright.
Latitude 42
7842 Portage Rd
Portage, MI 49002
6101 W Main St
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
More info: https://latitude42brewingco.com/ or Facebook
Short's Brewing releases Psychedelic Catgrass each spring.Photo provided by Shorts Brewing Company, used with permission.
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(From left) Amy Sherman, Larry Bell and John Gonzalez cheers as they announce that Two Hearted Ale by Bell's Brewery is Michigan's Best 'Beer of the Year' at Bell's Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. Joel Bissell | MLive.comJoel Bissell | MLive.com
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In addition:
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