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(Bell’s Brewery Comstock: Absolute Beer)
Last week American Craft Beer had the opportunity to visit the Bell’s Brewery crew in Kalamazoo Michigan, and sample their historic summer ale.
Of course, we’d been writing about Bell’s for years, but had never made the trek until now, and we’ve gotta admit that it was as interesting, as it was almost too much fun.
Every promotional invite comes with a reason and Bell’s Brewery wanted to celebrate its upcoming Oberon release, the iconic wheat ale that the brewery has been crafting since 1992, and we were psyched to get a “first taste.”
Based in Western, Michigan, Bell’s was founded by Larry Bell who turned his love of beer into a homebrewing store that evolved into Kalamazoo Brewing and became Bell’s Brewery in 1985.
(Bell’s Eccentric Café in Kalamazoo)
The brewery currently runs two operations, its Eccentric Café, a vibrant taproom, restaurant and music venue that grew out of its original brewery in Downtown Kalamazoo and a much larger production facility just up the road in Comstock, Michigan.
And by “much larger” we mean enormous.
The Comstock complex, which opened in 2002, spans 200,000 square feet. It serves as the heart of Bell’s national beer production and is more than capable of supporting the brewery’s impressive 50 state reach. Fun fact: Even though the new brewery is 7 miles away from Bell’s original location, it is able to tap into the same water aquifer as in Kalamazoo, ensuring that the beers produced in Comstock stay remarkably consistent.
The Kalamazoo location continues to brew experimental and exclusive beers for the Eccentric Café, and as with Comstock, is open for tours.
Bell’s is most famous for its Two Hearted Ale and its annual Oberon release, a 5.8% ABV summertime beer brewed with wheat malt, hops and spices, and fermented with the brewery’s signature house yeast.
Larry Bell originally named the beer Solsun but changed its name to Oberon as a result of possible legal action by Mexican brewing company Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, the Mexican brewer of a beer with a similar name, Sol.
And this beer is so beloved in Michigan that it has its own “official day,” an annual gathering which draws thousands to Kalamazoo to celebrate spring’s arrival, warmer weather, and a one-of-a-kind beer.
It’s an anomaly in the brewing biz, a seasonal beer with a “core” identity, but Oberon is that rare beer which captures a season, as well as the spirit of the entire Bell’s team, and the city where it was it was born.
Oberon Ale will be released on Monday, March 25 in all 50 states, and it truly is a beer worth celebrating, wherever you are.
