When it comes to a craft brew, tipping it back and savoring the taste is usually the part that gets the attention — and with good reason. But one thing that sometimes gets forgotten is how to store craft beer. Sure, simply sticking it in the fridge or dropping it in a cooler will get the temperature down, but why stop there? If you’re a serious craft beer enthusiast, consider a couple of these helpful tips for achieving the proper temperature to store beer.

First, some of the more intense beer connoisseurs among us have gone so far as to invest in a separate refrigerator exclusively for cooling their brews. Since the proper temperature depends on the style of beer and the alcohol content, different beers require different temperatures. Having a refrigerator specifically for beer allows a wider range of control for this.

Second, as we mentioned above, being mindful of the type of beer you’re trying to cool is very important. Dark beers like Frankenmuth’s Red Sky Ale have a higher alcohol percentage and thus, require a slightly higher temperature than light beers. The 55-60 degree range is ideal for these. Lighter beers like Frankenmuth’s American Blonde call for a colder temperature of 45-50 degrees to highlight its crisp flavor.

If an additional refrigerator is out of your budget, there are simple alternatives like your home’s basement or garage. Storing your beer away from both heat and light is ideal, and these places in your home can often accommodate that. Unfortunately, precise temperature control is usually not an option, leaving you at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Regardless of which means you employ to find the ideal temperature to store beer, just being mindful of the why and the how to store craft beer can make all the difference in your beverage experience.

With their hats, mittens and cups all packed up, beer drinkers are headed in a great big convoy to Fifth Third Ballpark for the Michigan Winter Beer Festival on Saturday, February 25. Established by the Michigan Brewers Guild, the event celebrates all things beer from our mitten-shaped state and Frankenmuth Brewery is excited to be amongst the 50 Michigan breweries participating in the event.

Seeing as though this is the seventh annual MGB’s Winter Beer Festival, Frankenmuth is bringing out some heavy hitters like American Blonde, Batch 69 American IPA, Hefeweizen, Munich Style Dunkel, Pilsener, and Red Sky Irish Style Ale, Frankenmuth brewmaster Jeff Coon is also sending along some new seasonals to wow the crowd. From the rich and malty taste of the Winter Bock to the bold, Northern European taste of the Baltic Porter and the sweet, nutty Easy Brown Ale, these delightful selections will have patrons using most of their drink tokens up at the Frankenmuth tent.

While the MBG event is now sold out, this is still the week to be making a trip to the Grand Rapids if you are a hophead or beer enthusiast. After all, it’s officially Grand Rapids Beer Week and the festival will be highlighting beers from all over Michigan with special deals and beer-related events. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even be able to find a spare MBG Winter Beer Festival ticket if you hang around both events. If you do, or were wise enough to buy one far in advance, come find the Frankenmuth Brewery booth and let us serve you a quality Michigan beer.

While they might not have invented Mardi Gras, the celebration Germans traditionally call “Karneval” is as good a reason as any to imbibe and relish in the ultimate party. That’s where Frankenmuth Brewery — the capital of Mardi Gras Michigan — comes in. With a wild night of fun lined up for this Friday, February 17, the brewery will be packed to the brim with hot music, indulgent food and, of course, cold beer.

It’s never a party without some traditional German music. Piping in the music that will have patrons shaking the floor all night long will be none other than local Frankenmuth music legends, Da Frankenmuda Fratz’n. Since 1995, Da Frankenmuda Fratz’n has been regarded as the premier German traditionalist band in Michigan and this Friday’s show will be no different than any other. They will bring the party and ensure that it doesn’t stop until you guzzle down the last of your Frankenmuth Pilsener, Hefeweizen Ale or Munich Style Dunkel Lager.

Expect floods of beads and costumes from zealous party-goers, as the traditional pole is raised on the floor of the brewery and the Maibum dance is done over and over again. Perhaps it won’t be as big as the classic Bavarian model in the video below, but with Frankenmuth Brewery you can still expect ’round-the-clock Mardi Gras fun regardless.

Love is in the air in Frankenmuth. You can see it on the faces of couples walking hand-in-hand, up and down the snow-covered sidewalks of Main Street and making their way to Frankenmuth Brewery. Having been hit by cupid’s arrow, the brewery is feeling all lovey-dovey as well and is offering up some tantalizing Valentine’s dinner deals in honor of the saint of all things red, pink and white.

With the classic Virginia Wolfe quotation, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well,” in mind, Frankenmuth Brewery’s ace kitchen staff has prepared a menu that will stimulate the hearts of all the couples dining with us this year. Both diners will be treated to a three course meal, including salad, entree and desert, for a special price of $40 per couple.

With a choice of Caesar or house salad to open the meal, diners will then be thrilled by a delicious array of entree selections ranging from Alaskan Salmon, Chicken Parmesan, Grilled Portabello Sandwich, a Land and Sea combo and Fettuccine Alfredo with blackened shrimp. Then, we top it all off with delectable desert options like New York Cheesecake and more.

In order to really enjoy the meal, one should also consider what Frankenmuth beer to drink throughout dinner. Loosen up with Frankenmuth’s Batch 69 American-Style India Pale Ale as a perfect companion for a Caesar salad and then move onto your hearty entree with help from the Munich Style Dunkel Lager. Cap off the whole experience with the clove and banana taste appeal of Hefeweizen Ale in order to compliment the beautiful deserts.

Come experience love via food with your significant other tomorrow, February 14, and take advantage of the special dining deal menu. After all, the only way straight to a lover’s heart is with food and brew from Frankenmuth Brewery.

While the winter months might not be the most popular season for drinking cold beer, the Traverse City Winter Microbrew and Music Festival knows that brew enthusiasts from both of the state’s coasts will turn out regardless of the elements. Thus, the third incarnation of this fantastic festival is taking place this Saturday, February 11, in The Village at GT Commons in downtown Traverse City. The eclectic event brings together live music acts, local food and a bevy of heavy hitters when it comes to the best beers in Michigan.

The Frankenmuth Brewery team is packing up the van, flying their Frankenmuth flag high and making the 170 mile trek to Traverse City to showcase just how good a Michigan beer can be. Ticket holders for the event will be able to partake in a plethora of Frankenmuth goodies as each 30 dollar ticket guarantees five pours, a souvenir tasting cup and free shuttle service. In addition to the five pours that come with your ticket, drink tokens will be available for purchase and are only one dollar each. Frankenmuth will be bringing fine representatives of its line of beer including the Pilsner, Munich Style Dunkel, Winter Bock, Red Sky Irish Style Ale and Batch 69 American IPA.

The craft beer is only half of the festival’s namesake as event organizers have painstakingly assembled a lineup of local musical acts that can only add fire to the beer-fueled mayhem. Ranging from the traditional polka sounds of the Kielbasa Kings, the country-meets-tear-stained-beer rock of Whitey Morgan and the 78′s and the electronic music area dubbed Silent Disco, there is a literally a music act for every tastebud.

Tickets for the Winter Traverse City Microbrew and Music Festival are currently available over at  the festival’s page on Brown Paper Tickets or at local ticket outlets Oryana, Blue Tractor and Left Foot Charley. Come meet up with the Frankenmuth crew, grab a few choice brews and enjoy some live music in the beautiful Michigan wintertime.

As we have one of the oldest (and greatest) brewing traditions around, Michigan craft beer enthusiasts have a lot to celebrate every year. With close to 100 microbreweries in Michigan (Frankenmuth Brewery being the oldest), it’s no wonder our great beer state is known as one of the best to visit for craft beer.

Here are some interesting facts about the craft beer industry in the US:

1. Craft brewers are the reason why approximately 100,000 people currently have jobs in the US.
2. As of 2011, there are 1,927 breweries operating in the US, which is the highest number of breweries since the late 1800s.
3. Most Americans live within ten miles of a craft brewer! Cool, right?
4. Craft brewer dollar sales increased by 15% in the first half of 2011.
5. The US is the 2nd largest producer of hops in the world.
6. Craft brewers are often very active in their communities, donating millions of dollars to local causes.

According to those stats, the craft beer industry has done pretty well for itself these past few years, and we’re pretty sure Michigan microbreweries had something to do with this!

And now, a message from our friends at the Michigan Brewer's Guild.

175 years ago today, Michigan became the 26th state in the union! Since then, the Mitten State has accrued a pretty interesting history. As native Michiganders, we often hear the big facts that everyone knows, like Michigan being the birth place of the automobile, an early home to Thomas Edison, and the state with the most fresh water shorline. But did you know that Michigan can also claim the oldest university in the country (University of Michigan, established 1817)? Or that Michigan is home to the second oldest brewery in the U.S. (Frankenmuth Brewery, established 1862)? Yeah, if you’re reading this blog, you probably did know that one! But here are ten more fun facts about Michigan in celebration of the big 1-7-5:

1. A person can stand anywhere in the great state of Michigan and be within 85 miles of one of the Great Lakes.
2. In fact, Michigan has the second most shoreline in the United States, second only to Alaska.
3. Michigan is responsible for more than 75% of the cherries grown in the U.S.
4. Vernors ginger ale became the first soda pop in the U.S. when a drugstore clerk in Detroit made it “by accident” in the 1860s.
5. In 1879, telephone customers in Detroit were the first in the country to receive assigned phone numbers for incoming/outgoing calls.
6. In 1929, Michigan State Police established the first police radio system in the entire world.
7. Ten years later, in 1939, Detroit’s Packard Motor Car Company rolled out the first air-conditioned cars.
8. The Detroit Zoo was the first zoological park in the country to feature cageless, open exhibits that allowed animals to live more freely.
9. The world’s largest crucifix resides in Indian River, Michigan.
10. For more than 125 years, Michigan has operated the world’s only floating Post Office, delivering mail to ships as they sail.

Michigan sure has a lot to celebrate!

And while we’re on the subject of celebrating, Frankenmuth Brewery is proud to share our 150th anniversary with Michigan’s 175th! We’ve got a BIG celebration in store for craft brew enthusiasts across the Mitten State. Because let’s face it, the craft beer industry in Michigan is one of the best in the country. While we busy ourselves preparing for our anniversary festivities, take a look at this great infographic on the Great Beer State.

Happy birthday, Michigan!

Our great state turns 175 this Thursday! On January 26, 1837, Michigan was admitted to the Union as the nation’s 26th state. Why not celebrate with a glass of your favorite Michigan beer? After all, it’s also a good way to support Michigan products and local businesses!

Frankenmuth Brewery is also celebrating a milestone of its own this year — turning 150! So we’re proud to share this celebration with a state known for crafting some of the best beer in the country.

For those of you who can’t make the trip to Frankenmuth, you can still enjoy great Michigan beer thanks to many local restaurants, bars and stores. Here’s a list of the most recent places serving Frankenmuth beer:

• Max and Erma’s in Farmington Hills, Birmingham, Auburn Hills, Rochester, Partridge Creek and Sterling Heights

• Buffalo Wild Wings in Sterling Heights

• Luxe Bar and Grill in Birmingham

• Hamlin Pub in Rochester

• Kruse and Muer in Lake Orion, Rochester and Troy

• Pine Knob Ski Resort Bar in Clarkston

• Max & Erma’s in Lansing

• Big Ten Party Stores – Tastings at all 4 Lansing stores this Friday, January 27!

• Brookshire Inn Restaurant & Lounge in Williamston
  

• Bonnie’s Place in Lansing
  

• Brothers Express Convenience Store in Olivet
  

• C & H Marketplace in East Lansing
  

• Causeway Bay in Lansing

• Charlie’s Bar and Grill in Potterville, Perry and Westphalia
  

• Darrell’s Super Market in Lansing
  

• E.L Food Co-operative in East Lansing
  

• Fortino’s City Food & Beverage in Grand Ledge
  

• Horrock’s Farm Market in Lansing
  

• Quality Dairy Co. – (13 locations)

When buying beer from a local market, it’s important to remember the proper way to store beer at just the right temperature. Get our Michigan-brewed craft beer from one of these fine local businesses, or use our beer locator tool at the upper right-hand corner of the homepage to find a location near you!

The history of brewing beer is intertwined with many different people and locations, making it extremely hard to pinpoint an exact date and place of where it officially began. Historians say there was beer on Noah’s Ark and that the Egyptians prescribed beer for medicinal purposes, but the modern brewing process as beer enthusiasts know it today was established in Germany around 1420. Michigan breweries have been following the lessons of the Germans ever since when creating beer recipes in our own modern facilities.

One of the most popular Frankenmuth Brewery beers, the Munich Style Dunkel Lager, falls in line with the tradition of the best lagers from Bavaria’s capital, Munich. The Dunkel, which means “dark” in German, is known as a beer that uses darker roasted malts and often has a nutty, chocolate flavor that sometimes veers toward the edge of coffee-like delight. Frankenmuth’s spin on the Dunkel is a captivating beer that features flavor notes that brings to mind raisins, pumpernickel bread and nuts, but with an underlying hint of smokiness. It packs only a slight punch with a 5.1% ABV, but this makes it easier to tip back a few glasses in one sitting.

Despite the light lager, or pilsner, being born in the Czech Republic, it gained world notoriety when the Germans began brewing it afterwards. The Frankenmuth Pilsner follows the classic German plan, down to the very specific brewing process and the traditional purity method. The only ingredients that Frankenmuth uses are malted barley, water, German hops and German lager yeast. The beer that results from our brewery vats is one that is crisp and airy, with a light yeast flavor and a bit of spice.

Unlike many other microbreweries, Frankenmuth Brewery is concerned with following the age-perfected tradition created by their German forefathers, while still allowing Brewmaster Jeff Coon weave in his modern magic. With one eye on old school tradition and the other looking at the future of craft brewing, Frankenmuth is focused on making tasty, German beer.

Despite the harsh economic times that have hit Michigan, some industries, such as local breweries, are in the midst of booming success stories. Yet, state laws regulating just how much beer Michigan breweries could produce had stifled the growth of some in the brewing industry. Seeing the need for deregulation, Governor Snyder signed an act into legislation last month that lifted the cap on the amount of beer breweries could produce in a year.

The advancement of the state’s brewing industry is a sign of changing economic tides. The Brewers Association states that “craft brewers currently provide an estimated 100,000 jobs in the U.S.” And with Michigan ranking number 14 of breweries per capita, it’s possible that the increased amounts of brew can mean an increased number of jobs for the state.

Frankenmuth Brewery President Haithem Sarafa is excited about the possibilities that the law has opened up for his brewhouse. “We welcome changes to any antiquated regulations which stifle Michigan’s breweries or other businesses to grow and expand their market shares.”