Celebrate a Love Affair with Michigan Beer!

Craft beer enthusiasts are passionate about Michigan brews…and February is the perfect time to fall in love with rich, chocolaty and fruity beers. As you head out with your sweetheart this year for Valentine’s Day, consider ordering up a pint of one of these deliciously romantic Michigan made libations.

51 NORTH BREWERY

Chocolate Covered Cherry (6.6% ABV | 20 IBUs). Adding tart dried cherries to the Velvet Moose chocolate oatmeal stout makes this beer that tastes like a chocolate covered cherry, and thus…the name.

ARBOR BREWING COMPANY

Espresso Love (7.5%ABV | 15 IBUs). Oatmeal and 20 pounds of fresh roasted 100% fair-trade coffee, from the nearby Ugly Mug Café Brewed, contribute to a mildly chalky espresso character balanced by a rich, sweet creamy maltiness. The coffee finish dissolves into chocolate, with a slight roasty bitterness. Pairs well with desserts, especially dark chocolate, raspberries, and cheesecake.

ARCADIA ALES

Cocoa Loco Triple Chocolate Stout (7% ABV | 39 IBUs). This award-winning beer gets its rich flavor from Simpson Chocolate, Weyerman Chocolate and Crisp Chocolate malts. The addition of lactose lends the beer a creamy quality- not unlike a milkshake- while the Blackstrap Molasses adds rich, burnt, syrupy flavors. Flavors of baker’s chocolate and espresso dominate, while rich malty flavors and a subtle kiss of hops add nice balance, making this a truly one-of-a-kind BIG beer.

ATWATER BREWING

Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale (5.2% ABV | 11 IBU). Holding true to the Northern English tradition, this beer has at its foundation a nutty profile with a round mouthfeel. Added is a chocolate extract consisting of three blended chocolates of varied depth. The result is a rich, but not overtly sweet, experience for both the beer and the chocolate enthusiast.

BELL’S BREWERY

Smitten Golden Rye Ale (6.0% ABV | 42 IBUs). This spring seasonal offers rustic flavors from rye malt combined with citrusy, resinous hop aroma from Pacific Northwest varieties to create a crisp, refreshing take on the classic pale ale.

BREWERY TERRA FIRMA

Ancho Chili Dutch Double Chocolate Porter (5.5% ABV). There's a special magic that happens between chilis and chocolate that was discovered by early foodies in ancient Latin America and never forgotten. This beer honors their innovation and showcases the beauty between chocolate and the perfect balance of chili flavor and warmth. Chocolate malt and Dutch chocolate add richness and body while whole Ancho Chilis add depth, warmth and complexity to this unique beer. Savor some with sweet desserts but don't be afraid to break it out for the firecracker shrimp either.

FORT STREET BREWERY

The Honeymoon is Over (7% ABV | 30 IBUs). The honeymoon may be over, but the party is just getting started. Help Fort Street celebrate its 10th birthday this weekend with special tapings and releases. This wheat stout is made with 71% wheat, including roasted wheat, plus honey malt and actual honey and Michigan-grown Chinnok hops making it a creamy, chocolaty delight that will set your heart aflutter.

FOUNDERS BREWING COMPANY

Founders Porter (6.5% ABV | 45 IBUs). Described as “Dark, Rich and Sexy,” this beer pours silk black with a creamy tan head. The nose is sweet with a strong chocolate and caramel malt presence and no absence of hops gives this beer the full flavor you deserve and expect…it’s cozy like velvet. This 2010 World Beer Cup silver medalist is described as “a lover, not a fighter.”

HARMONY BREWING

Aphrodisiale (7.2% ABV | 29.2 IBUs). This honey chocolate porter is brewed with honey and cocoa nibs, making it the perfect Valentine’s date beer!

JOLLY PUMPKIN

iO Saison (6.8% ABV). Part of the Baudelaire series, this beer will capture the hearts of art and artisan beer lovers alike. Drawn in by the historic elegance of the label design and then held tight by the rapture of flavors, it will be released in limited quantities. iO Saison is brewed in a lovely fashion, with rose hips, rose petals and hibiscus. Yet, don’t be easily deceived by her looks, for like love – she can be oh so dangerous. Available in late February.

LIBERTY STREET BREWING COMPANY

Steamy Windows (4.7% ABV). This "steam" style beer is made with a lager yeast and fermented at ale temperatures and then aged at lager temperatures for a smooth, clean finish. Very much like a pale ale, this California Common is fermented with a lager yeast to create a crisp taste with fruity notes.

Chocolate Covered Chery (7% ABV | 22 IBUs). A blend of two of our most popular flavors with the chocolate character of our Liberty One Porter, blended heavily with our Cherry Cider, making this a dessert like drink.

Red Velvet (5.4% ABV | 32 IBUs). This is a smooth ale that has a beautiful red rose color with the aroma and flavor of chocolate, named after the classic rich cake.

MOUNTAIN TOWN STATION

Doctor Love (8% ABV | 18 IBUs). This imperial red ale with ale brewed with eight different invigorating herbs and a touch of flavor hops

Love Potion #7 (7.5% ABV | 32 IBUs). This double chocolate stout is brewed with four different invigorating herbs, to get the blood flowing

Chocolate Cherry Porter (5.2% ABV | 28 IBUs). This full-bodied porter is brewed with cocoa nibs and Ludington Black Cherries.

Sacred Gruit (5.8% ABV | 4 IBUs). The flagship gruit brewed with 3 different herbs that stimulate the mind, create euphoria and enhance sexual drive. For a little added fun, try the Peach Fruit, with peace juice added.

NEW HOLLAND BREWING COMPANY

The Poet (5.2% ABV | 37 IBUs). This is a romantic offering for Valentine’s Day. This beer reveals a rich, smooth malt character enveloped in tones of roast and chocolate. A soft mouth-feel brings luxurious flavors and a soothing aroma. The Poet is as versatile as it is delicious – the perfect accent to any chocolate dessert.

NORTH PEAK BEER

Dubious Black Chocolate Stout (5.3% ABV | 50 IBUs). Sporting its “giant man-eating beaver” icon, this beer pays homage to Northern Michigan’s Beaver Island. This beer has the perfect combination of chocolate with roast and black malts, resulting in a smooth and rich beer. Judicious use of hops brings out a complex, yet subtle bittering, finished off with a big Goldings nose. This swirl of aroma, flavor and body is underscored by the rich, dark chocolate that is added at the end of the boil.

REDWOOD LODGE

Chocolate, Cherry, Vanilla Porter (5.5% ABV | 28 IBUs). Organic cocoa nibs, dried Michigan tart cherries and bourbon-soaked vanilla beans are added to the traditional Brown Porter, for this sweet Valentine’s beer. Available in Cask Ale only.

RIGHT BRAIN BREWERY

Lips Like Sugar (9.8% ABV). This Belgian Tripple is made with 300 pounds of Michigan sugar beets, boiled down to three gallons of syrup. What results is a caramel color beer, with a hint of sweetness. Available in the tap room only.

ROCHESTER MILLS BEER CO

Milkshake Stout (5.3% ABV | 20 IBUs). The combination of four different malts, along with a low hop level creates a deep dark beer featuring rich, roasted, malt flavors. The addition of lactose (milk sugar) adds complexity, body, and a residual sweetness lending a smooth creamy texture to this full-flavored brew. Once a seasonal offering in the pub, now prominently featured due to popular demand.

Paint Creek Porter (6.0% ABV | 21 IBUs). This pub-only offering is a robust beer that features a rich, velvety chocolate malt flavor that will compliment any chocolate dessert.

ROCKFORD BREWING

Hoplust IPA (7.1% ABV | 70 IBUs). A profoundly hoppy hand-crafted American IPA!! An intense bouquet of fresh hops will greet you on the nose followed by the bursting tropical, citrus and piney flavors on your palette. Our approach to this IPA is to focus more toward satisfying the craving for hop flavor than bitterness. We use a proprietary blend of 6 different American grown hop varieties for a unique hoppy flavor experience – it is Valentine’s Dayesque!

THE LIVERY

St. Valentine's Day Massacre (6% ABV | 40 IBUs). This sour Belgian dark wit is aged on blood oranges, giving off a citrus aroma with hints of peppercorn. Considered a wild/sour ale, the flavor comes from orange juice and orange peel, with peppercorn and spice, balanced by bread notes and a sour finish.


Of course, there are countless other beers to LOVE…and the best is the one in your hand. Hopefully, that’s locally-crafted here in Michigan!

The Michigan Brewers Guild was formed in 1997 and held its first festival in July 1998. Today, the Guild hosts four festivals dedicated exclusively to Michigan craft beer produced by its nearly 150 member breweries.

Michigan’s thriving brewing industry conservatively contributes more than $144 million in wages with a total economic contribution of more than $277 million. In terms of overall number breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks #5 in the nation – thus supporting its claim as “The Great Beer State.”

The Guild exists to unify the community of brewers, to increase the sale of Michigan Craft Beer, to contribute culturally and economically throughout the state, and to monitor and assure a healthy brewing industry. By working collaboratively with proponents of craft beer, we strive to achieve a 10% share of all beer sold in Michigan by producing world-class events, increasing public awareness, educating consumers, and encouraging responsible consumption.

A Love Affair with Michigan Beer - Which Ignites Your Passion?

Craft beer enthusiasts are passionate about Michigan brews…and February is the perfect time to fall in love with rich, chocolately and fruity beers. As you head out with your sweetheart this year for Valentine’s Day, consider ordering up a pint of one of these deliciously romantic Michigan made libations.

 ARBOR BREWING COMPANY, ANN ARBOR
Espresso Love is made with cold-brewed locally roasted coffee and oatmeal for a smooth and creamy texture and rich coffee and chocolate flavor without the coffee bitterness. Espresso Love is currently available around the state from February through May, on draft – in limited qualities. Also look for Milestone Cask Porter – a rich, dark, complex, full-bodied porter with hints of dark chocolate, raisins, black licorice, and currents on the palate, and a smoky, sour finish.

 ARCADIA ALES, BATTLE CREEK
The award-winning Cocoa Loco Triple Chocolate Stout gets its rich flavor from Simpson Chocolate, Weyerman Chocolate and Crisp Chocolate malts. The addition of lactose lends the beer a creamy quality- not unlike a milkshake- while the Blackstrap Molasses adds rich, burnt, syrupy flavors. Flavors of baker’s chocolate and espresso dominate, while rich malty flavors and a subtle kiss of hops add nice balance, making this a truly one-of-a-kind BIG beer.

 ATWATER BREWING, DETROIT
Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale – Craft Beer Lovers and chocoholics unite! This newest offering hits the taps, just in time for Valentine’s Day to compliment the Vanilla Java Porter. A decadent ale that ends with a Dark Chocolate Kiss! Vanilla Java Porter is the featured beer for Valentine’s Day. Vanilla and coffee with chocolate malt is sure to please during anyone’s Valentine’s dinner. Combine this with the sweet taste of a Michigan Cherry salad and the night is almost complete! Or, try Cherry Stout featuring juicy red Michigan grown Montmorency cherries.

 BAD BEAR BREWERY (located in Sleeping Bear Winery), ALBION
Honey Wheat – a classic wheat beer with the nuances of Michigan Honey, Orange Peel, and Spices. It was originally developed as a gift by Brewmaster Red Tackett for the love of his life! She inspired him to make a beer that a non-beer-drinking woman would enjoy. And the love affair continues…

 BELL’S BREWERY, KALAMAZOO
Two Hearted Ale is a 100% Centennial hop IPA, grapefruit & pine aromas, solid malt balance. Bursting with hop aromas ranging from pine resins to grapefruit notes, Two Hearted Ale remains one of the defining American-style India Pale Ales. The Cherry Stout is rich and smooth, matching malty dark chocolate flavors with the tartness of 100% Montmorency cherries grown in Michigan’s Traverse City region.

 BLUE TRACTOR BREWERY, ANN ARBOR
The award winning Schakolad Weizen is a wheat beer made with real chocolate from our neighbors at the Schakolad Chocolate Factory. Also, Chocolate Covered Cherry Stout is a rich stout brewed with chocolate and cherries, purchased from Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor, Michigan!

 BREWERY VIVANT, GRAND RAPIDS
Kludde is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, brewed with star anise, green raisins and dark Belgian candi-sugars, and is best enjoyed under cover of night. This mythological beast is dark, complex, and a big 8.5% ABV. Now available for the first time in cans at finer retailers everywhere. Embrace the darkness!

 DRAGONMEAD MICROBREWERY, WARREN
Redwing Raspberry Wheat Beer is a light wheat beer brewed with natural Raspberry extract and puree. This beer starts with a subtle sweetness and moderate tartness, and finishes with a palate-cleansing raspberry flavor that will leave you begging for more. Honey Porter is a porter with a difference. Dark in color but light in taste. Twenty-five pounds of honey and dark chocolate wheat malt are used to give this beer a refreshingly smooth taste. Give this beer a try even if you don't like dark beers. Or, try Willy's Oompa-Loompa Chocolate Stout. Little more can be said about this beer than these two words: Chocolate and Stout. This brew fills the palate with slightly sweet, super chocolate, malty flavor.

 FORT STREET BREWERY, LINCOLN PARK
Celebrating its 7th birthday on Valentine's Day, and like every other year, they'll spend a week celebrating it, February 13-17. Among other things, expect the release of at least eight new beers – including 7x7 (made with 7 grains and 7 hop varieties), Spite (a 450 IBU IPA), Super Hoppy Sake (a 200 IBU sake) and Of Course I Love You, Now Get Naked! (a chocolate raspberry stout).

 FOUNDERS BREWING COMPANY, GRAND RAPIDS
Curmudgeon's Better Half is the latest release in Founders “Backstage Series,” available February 13. Curmudgeon’s Better Half is a re-branding of the beer formerly known as Kaiser’s Curmudgeon, which has only been served at Founders’ taproom and in extremely limited draft distribution. Curmudgeon is an old ale brewed with molasses and aged on oak; it becomes Better Half after aging—for 254 days—in bourbon barrels that have more recently been aging Michigan maple syrup. As a result, Curmudgeon’s Better Half is a bit sweeter than her miserly counterpart. Appropriately, the beer label depicts her holding a pitcher of syrup for the Curmudgeon’s breakfast, and is released at the perfect time of year for you to buy one for the Better Half in your life. Also check out Founders Porter, described as “Dark, Rich and Sexy,” this beer pours silk black with a creamy tan head. The nose is sweet with a strong chocolate and caramel malt presence and no absence of hops gives this beer the full flavor you deserve and expect…it’s cozy like velvet. This 2010 World Beer Cup silver medalist is described as “a lover, not a fighter.”

 GREENBUSH BREWING, SAWYER
As February is Harbor Country’s “Chocolate Month” Greenbush is participating in its own, special little way. On February 18, Chocolate takes over Greenbush, with three special experimental chocolate beers, chocolate themed food and chocolate drizzled bacon. The beers include: Cracker Chocolate Stout – with white chocolate, honey graham crackers and a few other treats for a whole different kind of breakfast stout; Hechizo Dolor – a mix of cinnamon, dark malts, and a lot of Terra Spice red cocoa powder, creates a beer that emulates a Mexican hot chocolate, in the best possible way (making you all warm and fuzzy, just like a good Valentine should); and The Velvet Valentine – an English brown, best described as smooth, velvety, with just a hint of chocolate in the background.

 HARMONY BREWING, GRAND RAPIDS
Aphrodisiale - A honey chocolate porter with 8% alcohol. Brewed with honey and cocoa nibs, this porter is the perfect Valentine’s date beer!

 JOLLY PUMPKIN, DEXTER / ANN ARBOR / TRAVERSE CITY
iO Saison is the latest release to capture the hearts of art and artisan beer lovers alike. Drawn in by the historic elegance of the label design and then held tight by the rapture of flavors, it will be released in limited quantities, appropriately just in time for Valentine’s Day. iO Saison is brewed in a lovely fashion, with rose hips, rose petals and hibiscus. Yet, don’t be easily deceived by her looks, for like love – she can be oh so dangerous.

 JOLLY PUMPKIN, NORTH PEAK BEER & RIGHT BRAIN BREWERY, TRAVERSE CITY
A collaborative labor of love, the Passion Brew special Valentine’s beer is crafted to benefit local food banks. Each brewery is using the same recipe to create a Warm Winter Brown Ale. This year, the style is more diverse – resulting in dark Belgian style ales with 5.2% ABV and brewed with roasted wheat malt for a robust, well-rounded character. Also brewed into the mix: Old Mission Chinook hops and US Saaz, while three kinds of crystal malt give a hint of candy sugar. Participating breweries will start offering this “Brew with Benefits” on tap Friday, February 10 and it will also be prominently featured that evening at the 3rd Annual Traverse City Winter Microbrew & Music Festival at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons.

 LIBERTY STREET BREWING COMPANY, PLYMOUTH
Don’t miss the release of Red Velvet on Valentine’s Day, based on the delicious chocolate cake with the rich, red color. Also try Chocolate Covered Cherry, a tap blended mix of our chocolaty Liberty One Porter and Cherry Hard Cider. A very limited release of our award winning Tart Cherry Porter will also be available.

 NEW HOLLAND BREWING COMPANY, HOLLAND
The Poet is a romantic offering for Valentine’s Day. This beer reveals a rich, smooth malt character enveloped in tones of roast and chocolate. A soft mouth-feel brings luxurious flavors and a soothing aroma. The Poet is as versatile as it is delicious – the perfect accent to any chocolate dessert.

 NORTH PEAK BEER, TRAVERSE CITY
Darkangel Cherry Porter is the antithesis of Archangel – the concept that it simply describes the dark side of you that succumbs to temptation. It is your shadow side that insists on not being connected to the light. Darkangel is robust and dry with a finishing touch of tart cherry. The roast barley quickly gives way to subtle chocolate malt and rich Crystal 30. Chinook and Centennial hops put forth a sharp clean bitterness that is followed by a medium-malt body balance with Challenger hops, ending with a smooth-dry, tart finish and strong Galena nose. It is brewed on Old Mission Peninsula, incorporating locally-grown hops.

 REDWOOD LODGE, FLINT
Chocolate, Cherry, Vanilla Porter. Organic cocoa nibs, dried Michigan cherries and bourbon-soaked vanilla beans are added to the traditional Brown Porter, for this sweet Valentine’s beer. Available in Cask Ale only.

 ROCHESTER MILLS BEER CO, ROCHESTER
Paint Creek Porter is a robust beer that features a rich, velvety chocolate malt flavor that will compliment any chocolate dessert.

 SAUGATUCK BREWING, SAUGATUCK
Vanilla Nutmeg Oatmeal Stout is brewed with fresh ground nutmeg and pure vanilla extract. The vanilla, nutmeg, and oatmeal flavors play off of each other to make this a very surprisingly drinkable beer…perfect for sharing with your sweetie.

 SHORT’S BREWING COMPANY, BELLAIRE
Aorta Ale - Originally a part of our Imperial Beer Series, this is the first time that we have brewed and bottled this epic Imperial Red Ale since the inaugural release of the series in 2007. Aside it being a delicious ruby red masterpiece of luscious caramel and toasted malts, balanced with tons of classic American cascade hops, this beer was also a tribute to a good friend and avid Short's supporter who had open heart surgery back in 2006. An active member of "Team Huma" cycling and overall outdoor enthusiast, we nearly lost someone close to us who seemed incredibly healthy, and the last person we would have expected to require something as serious as this. Aorta Ale should be a reminder to all humans who occupy the earth. It represents the beauty and awesome power of the human body and mind, and their abilities. Aorta Ale is also a symbol of life and goodness. It’s a beverage for the people around us who enhance our lives and add value to it. Appropriately released in February, Aorta Ale is the perfect way to honor and thank those who love us, and show them that they are loved in return. "Modest Essential Benevolence of Humanity"

 WALLDORFF BREWPUB, HASTINGS
This year, serving up Cobain’s Double Dark IPA – a Gold Medal winner and Best of Show at the 2010 World Expo of Beer – this beer is a nicely balanced black IPA for the hop-head love birds. Java Brown is a nice winter-time treat combining coffee and beer. A malty, brown ale infused with Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut Coffee, this local winter favorite pairs greatly with chocolate desserts on Valentine’s Day!

The MBG board oversees the organization’s administrative and promotional affairs, including four annual public events: Winter Beer Festival in February in Grand Rapids, Summer Beer Festival in July in Ypsilanti, UP Fall Beer Festival in September in Marquette, and Detroit Fall Beer Festival in Detroit in October, as well as its annual Winter Conference in January. Currently, the Guild represents 92 member breweries – the highest number since the organizations inception in 1998.

Michigan’s thriving brewing industry conservatively contributes more than $24 million in wages with a total economic contribution of more than $133 million. In terms of overall number of breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks #5 in the nation – thus supporting its claim as “The Great Beer State.”

The Michigan Brewers Guild exists to unify the Michigan brewing community; to increase sales of Michigan-brewed beer through promotions, marketing, public awareness and consumer education; and to monitor and assure a healthy beer industry within the state.

For more information, including a list of Michigan breweries, log on to www.MiBeer.com.