I am extremely excited and proud to announce that West Side Beer has entered into a distribution agreement with the Right Brain Brewery.

Right Brain Brewery opened its doors on December 1st, 2007, in Traverse City, MI. Within the last four years, RBB has become northern Michigan's premier brewery and a destination for thousands, traveling and vacationing in beautiful northern Michigan.

They continue to create works of fermented art on their 7 barrel system and have created a loyal following of those who reside in and outside of the Great Lakes State.

What was the inspiration for the name? I will let Russ Springsteen, owner and founder, explain:

"I got the name during my senior year in high school.  Miss Carter, the creative writing class teacher, strolled in to announce to everyone that we would be taking a test.  Mind you, Miss Carter did not really like me that well, for whatever reason.

Anyway, she goes on about this test we will be taking to determine who is right brained.  'Don't worry, no one can take it wrong. There is no right or wrong answers'. So, she also drones on about how only three or four people will be Right Brained.

Sooooo..... I end up being the only person in the class who is Right Brained and she tells me that I took it wrong.  She inspired me.  But just to bug the heck out of her, I would walk in each day and greet her with, 'I'm Right Brained, ya know'."

Cheers, Miss Carter!

People who are determined to be "Right Brained" generally deal with more spatial activities (music, math, art, etc.)

Right-brained individuals are thought to be more creative than left-brained people and the use of imagination plays a key role.

This ability to use creativity and imagination in their work has been the catalyst for Russ and the crew at RBB. The brewery offers at least 12 different draft beers, at one time, as well as 3 cask ales... with new styles waiting to rotate in. There is no room for common here as styles are always changing and evolving. If you wait too long to come in and sample a "new" creation.... you'll miss out.

I should also mention the fact that the Head Brewer, Corey Wentworth, is also an accomplished chef for over 20 years (Talk about flavor knowledge). He along with his fearless assistants, Andy and Tina, has brought new flavor components into beer very rarely, if ever, tasted and experienced.

Some of their creations include: Magnalista Pig Porter (2011 Gold Medal Winner at the Great American Beer Festival), Cherry Pie Whole, CEO Espresso Stout, their "infamous" Grilled Asparagus Beer, and the list goes on............

But, aside from making these artfully limited creations, this brewery's ability to make wonderfully created "core styles" is what will give this brewery long term success and has helped to create a following of passionate craft beer enthusiasts. These core brands include Will Power Pale Ale, Dead Kettle IPA, Black Eye PA, Northern Hawk Owl Amber, and Shadow Watcher Stout.

Right Brain will launch in the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids market place on Saturday, January 14th. Distribution will be very limited, due to current brewing capacities. Distribution will be draft only, so be on the lookout at some great local watering holes for your opportunity to taste "right brain" inspiration.

Welcome to West Michigan RBB! We've been "anxiously" waiting for you.  

I want to send out a heartfelt "Congratulations" to the following brewery partners, for medaling at this Year's Great American Beer Festival (GABF):

Boston Beer received 4 Medals.
A Bronze medal was earned in the German-Style Marzen category with Samuel Adams Octoberfest. 
They received two more medals in the Chocolate Beer Category with Chocolate Chili Bock (Silver) and Chocolate Bock (Bronze).  
and a GOLD Medal for LATITUDE 48 IPA in the English Style IPA category.

Flying Dog earned a GOLD in the Barley Wine-Style Ale category with Horn Dog Barley Wine.

Goose Island earned two Bronze medals.
Harvest Ale (Fall Seasonal) got third place in the Extra Special Bitter Category and Sofie won Bronze in the French and Belgian Style Saison category.

This past Monday, Brooklyn's Brewmaster Garrett Oliver (Editor and Chief) and the Oxford University Press threw a party at the Brooklyn Brewery to celebrate the publication of The Oxford Companion to Beer.

The Oxford Companion to Beer will be the first manual reference to fully investigate the history and vast scope of beer. It discusses the agricultural influences of various beers to the technical elements of the brewing process, the local effects of brewing in regions around the world, and the social and political implications of sharing a beer.

This book gives fascinating details about how brewing ingredients affect a beer's taste, texture, and popularity. Cultural entries on such topics as drinking songs or beer gardens offer vivid accounts of how our drinking traditions have shifted through history, and how these traditions vary in different parts of the world.

Beer-making pioneers are the subjects of biographical entries, as well as the legacies they left behind.

The Companion has over 1,100 entries--written by 150 of the world's most prominent beer experts.

This is the perfect "companion" for those involved in the beer industry, as distributors, home brewers, restaurateurs, journalists, culinary students, retailers, and the general audience of beer fanatics.

It will be a required reading for our sales force here at West Side Beer Distributing.

My copy is supposed to arrive today. I cannot wait!

And just an FYI...... The Brooklyn Brewery has created a beer called "The Companion" (Wheat Wine) and will be released in limited amounts, as part of the brewery's "Brewmaster's Reserve" series. Look for it soon at our local and loyal Brooklyn Beer on-premise accounts. But get it quick, because it's extremely limited.

Our mission is and always will be to be very selective in the brands that we pursue and add to our growing High End portfolio. As you opened up the West Side Beer Distributing home page, you surely noticed the upcoming addition to our craft portfolio.

Blue Point Brewing Co. is Long Island's sole brewery and is currently the fastest growing craft brewery on the East Coast. Nationally, they are the 37th largest selling craft brewer in America, through 2010. Their distribution currently covers only 11 States. So, their growth potential is tremendous.

The brewery was founded in 1998 by two long time friends, Mark Burford and Pete Cotter. The brewery was inspired by their life-long dream and built from a rare assemblage of equipment collected from breweries around the country. The brewery's unique direct-fire brew kettle, dismantled brick by brick from a brewery in Maryland and rebuilt in Patchogue, imparts a lightly toasted, complex taste to produce a line of ultra premium microbrews. Building the brewery has truly been a "Labor of Love".

In mid-August, we will launch with three signature brands in the West Michigan Market: Toasted Lager, Hoptical Illusion, and RastafaRye Ale. All three selections will be available, only in draft, for the first 90 days. After that, consumers will be able to take six packs home with them.

Also.... we are proud to announce that the brewery will be investing in local events starting as the signature beer sponsor for this year's East Town Street Fair in early September.

For the past two months, we have had the distinct pleasure of selling Palm Ale on tap in the greater Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo markets.

Now, I am pleased to announce that, on JULY 1st, consumers will be able to take Belgium's best selling Amber Ale home with them. For those of you that have not had the pleasure of experiencing Palm "Speciale Belge", I can honestly tell you that you are missing out on a great "beer experience". Palm contains a honey-like mellowness, suble hop aroma, and fruity yeast aroma. These combined make Palm a great accompaniment to most any meal or all on its own.
Cheers to Great Beer!