If every time it rains this March, it rains pennies from heaven, then lovers of Michigan beer and Frankenmuth Brewery are all in luck. Because whenever a customer buys a case of Oktoberfest, they will be able to fill up one growler of their favorite Frankenmuth brew for only one penny. Talk about pennies from heaven!

The famed Frankenmuth Oktoberfest Lager may very well be a gift from the pearly gates. Brewed with four different malts, the lager offers a a slight, sweet taste and has light flavor notes of clove, caramel and freshly baked bread. A beautiful copper colored brew that weights in at 5.27% ABV and 27 IBU, the Oktoberfest is the perfect beer for a drinking session, and at $19.99 a case, it’s also an affordable buy.

From there, the choice is yours, feel free to pick any Frankenmuth beer currently on tap. Bring in an empty growler and enjoy the fruits of your beer buying labor with a penny refill. Might we suggest choosing something that will keep you warm throughout the waning days of winter. Whether it be the Munich Style Dunkel, Winter Bock, Red Sky Irish Style Ale or Batch 69 American IPA, they are all guaranteed to pick up your mood and warm your heart.

However, this special offer is only available for a little while, so be sure to take advantage before the end of March … or all the beers runs out. Just kidding – our staff will continue to crank out the beer for all you penny savers out there and make sure that there is a Frankenmuth brew waiting for you.

Some people give up drinking beer for lent, but in the case of Iowa beer blogger and microbrew beer enthusiast J. Wilson it was the exact opposite. For 46 days in the spring of 2011, Wilson only consumed craft beer and water while doing research about the history of beer.

While many might see the stunt as more typical of frat brothers rather than beer connoisseurs, Frankenmuth Brewery is glad to see an individual so enamored with craft beer and the brewing process. Wilson began by getting the go-ahead sign from his boss at The Adams County Free Press in Southwest Iowa and began to consume four beers during the week and five on weekends. “I knew that I could stretch four beers over the course of a day and function well,” Wilson says about his beer undertaking. “My body then switched gears, replaced hunger with focus.”

Wilson kept his mind off of food by focusing on his research project that revolved around the process of German monks brewing bock styled beers. Similar to Frankenmuth’s seasonal Winter Bock Lager, the monks brewed their beer while fasting and further studying their religion. “It left me with the realization that the monks must have been keenly aware of their own humanity and imperfections,” Wilson states. In addition to losing 25 pounds, Wilson gained insight into how the  fascinating lifestyle of the monks.

Recently, Wilson won the national title of “Beer Drinker of the Year” for his beer fasting efforts and subsequent book, Diary of a Part-Time Monk.“This will certainly help me with my writings and my beer blog,” Wilson enthused in a recent interview. “I want to continue spreading the gospel of great beer to those who’ve not been converted.” For those about to be converted, Frankenmuth Brewery salutes you.

As usual, Frankenmuth Brewery is keeping nice and occupied this winter with events, promotions and appearances throughout Michigan. Craft beer has never been so busy!

Last week, we celebrated the closest we get to Mardi Gras in Michigan with our annual Karneval festivites. A nice turnout, great atmosphere, lively entertainment and of course, plenty of Frankenmuth beer led to fun all around. Too bad Karneval only comes but once a year….

This weekend we have a pair of events certain to please hopheads and casual beer appreciators alike. First, tonight in Hastings we’ll be collaborating on a special dinner with our friends at Seasonal Grille (menu here). Join us at 7 pm for a fantastic five-course beer and food pairing experience!

Some selections include Frankenmuth’s Batch 69 IPA paired with pan-seared tuna with orange chili glaze and Frankenmuth’s American Blonde Ale coupled with an Artisan Blend with red onion, diced cranberry, gorgonzola crumbles, and sweet blonde cream! Cost is $25 or $40 for couples.

Then, of course tomorrow is the Michigan Brewers Guild’s 7th Annual Winter Beer Festival near Grand Rapids. We’ll be joined by over 50 of our fellow breweries in Michigan for an event that’s sure to be a blast!

And finally, early next month on March 10, Frankenmuth will journey to the Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs, Michigan for the 3rd Annual Brew-Ski Festival! At this awesome event we’ll be serving our famous Michigan craft beer alongside more than 30 other craft breweries. There will be live entertainment and beer tastings, among other festivities. Boyne Highlands are also offering special weekend packagesfor beer enthusiasts coming from out of town. Don’t miss this one…

All this fun packed into barely two weeks. Rest assured we’ve got more in store for the rest of this winter season. Stay tuned for all the Frankenmuth Brewery fun to come!

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.