While we’d make the claim that Frankenmuth is the most German town in America, this weekend Cleveland will give us a run for our money as the annual Cleveland Oktoberfest starts tomorrow, August 31.

Frankenmuth Brewery will be bringing our Michigan beer down the Ohio turnpike this weekend for all the festivities, ranging from live music and tons of German food to wiener dog races and a beer holding contest. While holding a beer is usually quite the enjoyable experience, the contest at Cleveland Oktoberfest, dubbed “Masskrugstemen,” tests the endurance of beer lovers by forcing them to hold up a liter mug of beer. After testing your might, take in the arts and craft market and the awesome vintage car show.

As much as we are looking forward to all the aforementioned festivities at Cleveland Oktoberfest, the Frankenmuth Brewery team has our eyes on the prize. What prize? The Oktoberfest Microbrew Competition is the annual contest at Cleveland Oktoberfest that celebrates the best in German beer. Frankenmuth Brewery will be bringing beer from our Michigan brewery, including our 2012 Oktoberfest, Pilsener, Batch 69 American IPA and Munich Dunkel Lager to this year’s competition. Awards will be given out for Best Oktoberfest Beer, Best German Light Lager, Best German Ale, Best of Show, an open Bock category and a People’s Choice awarded after the weekend.

We know that Frankenmuth Brewery and our Michigan beer are still relatively new to the Ohio market, but we really hope to make a statement by picking up some awards against the hometown competition. If you’re in the Cleveland area, or even from Michigan, head to the Cleveland Oktoberfest, running all weekend long through September 3. Come show your support for some truly traditional German brews. We hope to see you at Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds this weekend and we’ll have a beer from our Michigan brewery waiting for you.

In case you’ve been living under a beer keg, Twitter has risen to the apex of the social media world and given worldwide users the chance to let everyone know what’s happening in their life, 140 characters at a time, that is. Frankenmuth Brewery is now getting involved in one of the Twittersphere’s latest crazes, the Competwition, and you may be the Michigan beer beneficiary.

Simply click the “Enter now!” button on the Competwition page and you’ll automatically entered into a giveaway for an awesome IPA Package from our Michigan brewery. In addition to some sweet Frankenmuth Brewery swag, including pint glasses and t-shirts, the IPA Package includes a full brewery tour and dinner for two Michigan beer lovers.

If you don’t already have a Twitter account, it’s easy to set one up. Head over to Twitter, create an account and start following Frankenmuth Brewery @FB1862. While the IPA Package will provide a delightful experience at Frankenmuth Brewery for one lucky tweeter, following our Twitter account makes everyone a winner as it’s updated daily with new Michigan beer news and event info. Don’t be left out on any Frankenmuth Brewery tweets and enter our Competwition today!

As we’ve covered before, President Barack Obama is a known beer drinker, but did you know that he has his own microbrewery in the White House? Well, surprise, surprise… when President Obama reaches for a beer it’s not one of those big box beers, the President’s beer is none-other than a limited craft brew created in the White House kitchen. What ingredients are included in the President’s beer? Well, that’s another story all together.

In a recently created petition on the White House website, over 22,000 American beer drinkers have signed a letter asking for the release of the recipe for the White House Honey Blonde Ale and Honey Porter. While it’s known that the President’s beer features honey from First Lady Michelle Obama’s garden, the rest of its ingredients remain unknown. One Reddit user even took the next step of filing a Freedom of Information Act request, which ensures that disclosed governmental information is readily available to the public. Pointing out that “Recipes are commonly shared among the home brewing community as a means of learning advanced or new techniques,” the Reddit user is correct in that many Michigan breweries will share their recipes with consumers.

We at Frankenmuth Brewery would frankly never put you through the trouble of having to file paper work to gain access to our recipes. However, you won’t even need a recipe for the President’s beer as we have two Michigan beers that likely fall in line with them. For the Honey Blonde Ale, our American Blonde Ale may come close to the President’s beer as we assume both are based on the strong tradition of pale beers that have fruity flavor notes. Additionally, our seasonal Baltic Style Porter likely resembles the White House Honey Porter what with its fantastic roasted malt flavor signature.

Whether you’re drinking the President’s beer or some of our Michigan beer that falls into the same flavor profile, it’s important to note that beer from microbreweries has hit the big time. So take advantage now and enjoy our beers similar to the President’s beer, in case they to go out of style come November. If that’s the case, politics aside, we’re kind of scared to see what the preferred drink will be for Mitt Romney. We’re guessing something not of the microbrewed persuasion.

Between crafting beer, catching a Tigers game or two and enjoying the nice weather in Frankenmuth, we’ve been thoroughly enjoying the time we’ve spent skimming through everyone’s favorite photo sharing app, Instagram. While it’s been fun looking at our all friends’ kids, cats and food creations, we felt there was a real lack of Michigan beer photos being shared. Thus, the Frankenmuth Brewery Instagram account, @fb1862, is now live.

Providing all the beer quotes, Michigan beer photos and behind-the-scenes shots that you can handle, the Frankenmuth Brewery Instagram will give an in-depth look into everything that makes our brewery so special. Additionally, we’ll be on the lookout for the best fan beer photos out there on Instagram, eventually sharing them through our account with our Featured Fan photo selections on Frankenmuth Fridays. Be sure to tag @fb1862 in your all of your Michigan beer photos and also use the hashtag #DasGoodBier.

If you’re looking for the best beer photos on Instagram, look no further than @fb1862 for the finest in Michigan beer. Frankenmuth Brewery hopes to see you following us today and we’ll return the favor by clicking away and liking all of the great Michigan beer photos that you post. So what are you waiting for? Find us on Instagram!

While warm beer may work on some levels for a few of our European friends, Frankenmuth Brewery has long extolled the virtues of making the most ice cold beer possible. With that signature crisp snap on the tongue, a cold Michigan beer just delivers something that a warm one is incapable of delivering. We’ve shown different products and techniques before, but we believe we’ve finally found the ultimate big chill.

Based out of Minnesota, Entropy Solutions works within the thermal technology field and attempts to create products for all kinds of temperature requirements. The food and beverage division of Entropy Solutions had been working on technology for creating ice cold beer and this month they are debuting their new product, Chillin’ Brew. Claiming it’s “colder than a mother-in-law’s kiss,” the Chillin’ Brew are panels that can fit into the bottom and top of coolers. The PureTemp technology is specifically crafted to reach the temperature right before beer freezes, so if you put any other kind of drink other than a Michigan beer in the cooler, it will freeze.

At $10 a pop, the Chillin’ Brew technology is affordable even when taking Entropy’s suggestion of lining your cooler with four panels. Simply line the bottom of the cooler with two panels, put in your beer, and cover it with two panels on top for the best possible results. In the studies done while testing the panels, Entropy found that the Chillin’ Brews would chill your beer to below 30 degrees for over 17 hours. Perfect for a day at the beach or in your backyard, Chillin’ Brews guarantee frosty ice cold beer with no ice necessary.

The folks at Entropy are so enthralled with keeping things cold that as a part of their product launch campaign they are donating a portion of each product sold to the World Wildlife Foundation. With the funds from Chillin’ Brews sold, the WWF will use this money to preserve polar bear habitats around the world. Why polar bears? Well, the Chillin’ Brew logo happens to feature an extremely chill polar bear donning a big smile and sunglasses. In addition to donating money to help the earth, Entropy has created their products by using agricultural feedstocks, which ensures that beer drinkers are being green by using recycled material when making ice cold beer.

While summer may be winding down, the need for a cold Michigan beer is still always abundant no matter the weather. Head over to the Chillin’ Brew website to pick up your cooler panels today and make your first test for ice cold beer happen with some suds from our Michigan brewery. If it isn’t the coldest damn Frankenmuth Brewery beer you’ve ever had, we’ll get back to the drawing board and keep searching for the ultimate chill. This one is a definite frontrunner though.

If you’re reading the Frankenmuth Brewery blog, face it: you love gaining knowledge about craft beer and, more specifically, breweries in Michigan. We admire the thirst for knowledge, just like we admire the thirst for a great Michigan beer. Paul Starr, a writer for the I’m a Beer Hound blog, also loves learning about beer and has started a new beer TV show focusing on Michigan beer.

The debut episode of the new beer TV show aired on My18 Lansing and Jackson this past Saturday and detailed Paul Starr’s trip to none other than Michigan’s oldest brewery, Frankenmuth Brewery. Shown around by Frankenmuth brewmaster Jeff Coon, Starr gets the entire Frankenmuth Brewery experience from the vintage boil kettle/gazebo on our patio, down to the current brewing equipment we use today. Once seated at the Frankenmuth Brewery bar, Jeff takes Paul on a journey through all of the Michigan beer we have currently on tap at the brewery and explains his brewing thoughts behind each.

If you haven’t experienced our brewery, check out this new Michigan beer TV show and get a sneak peak behind our facilities. CLICK HERE to catch all the action of the debut episode of I’m a Beer Hound, and keep watching to learn more about other breweries in Michigan.

While the rule that many have always gone by clearly states that “beer before liquor, never been sicker / liquor before beer, you’re in the clear,” Frankenmuth Brewery has been experimenting with mixing Michigan spirits into the occasional cocktail. The obvious key to beer and liquor success is not overdoing it and we feel that we have created some competent cocktails that will please your palate.

Bringing together spirits from Michigan’s own Grand Traverse Distillery, Valentine Vodka and Artesian Distillers, these beer and liquor drinks will tantalize your tastebuds with Michigan infused flavor. Whether traveling to the distilleries themselves or purchasing them from your local store, take some time this weekend to enjoy these drinks made with beer from our Michigan brewery.

Bootneck

1 shot Artesian Distillers Rum
1 bottle Frankenmuth Brewery Munich Style Dunkel Lager
Preparation: Pour the rum slowly into the glass of Michigan beer

While we don’t know where the name of the Bootneck came from, we like to think of it as the perfect drink for Friday after your boss has taken his “boot” off your “neck.” Free to do whatever you want for the weekend, grab some rum from Artesian Distillers in Grand Rapids and relax with a smooth mix of Michigan beer and liquor. It’s as simple as mixing the rum with our Dunkel Lager and kicking back for a big Lions or Tigers game.

Dead Dog

1 Part Grand Traverse Distillery Whiskey
1 Part Frankenmuth Brewery Munich Style Dunkel Lager
3 Splashes Tabasco sauce
Preparation: Serve in shot glass

This drink, albeit oddly named, has a delightful taste despite the claims that it could make a dead dog rise. For the liquor portion, Grand Traverse Distillery makes fine whiskey, bottled at 93 proof, that will blend well with our own German styled Dunkel Lager. The GTD whiskey has a spicy taste to begin with and, when mixed with the Tabasco sauce, will create a beer and liquor cocktail to rise from the dead for.

Summer Beer

12 ounces Valentine Vodka
1 bottle Frankenmuth Brewery American Blonde Ale
1 can of frozen lemonade concentrate
12 ounces water

Preparation: Combine in large pitcher, serve in glass with ice.

While summer seems to be quickly escaping us, there are still some hot days that lie ahead before the fall chill rolls in. Celebrate all the heat you can by cooling down with the Frankenmuth Brewery version of a summer beer and liquor drink. Pick up some gold medal winning vodka from Valentine Vodka in Ferndale, mix it with our American Blonde Ale, water and lemonade concentrate, and then simply savor the flavor and all the good things that life has to offer.

The world is starting to take notice of Michigan breweries and distilleries. Absorb all of the brilliant beer and liquor that the Mitten State has to offer by making the recipes above and using Michigan spirits and beer from Frankenmuth Brewery.

The polar bear and kangaroo exhibits at the Detroit Zoo are must-sees with every trip to the park, but doing so while enjoying a beer from one of the best Michigan breweries definitely sounded too good to be true. That is, until the Detroit Zoo Brew came around. Packing the park with as many beers as there are animals, the Detroit Zoo is bringing together Frankenmuth Brewery and other Michigan breweries for a beer tasting that could get, well, a little wild.

On September 28, a flock of Michigan breweries will descend upon the Detroit Zoo and for $30, visitors will receive admission to the zoo and 12 beer tasting tickets. Frankenmuth Brewery will be out in full force with our Pilsener and Oktoberfest brews. Our Michigan beer is perfect for walking around and experiencing all that the Detroit Zoo has to offer.

The second annual Detroit Zoo Brew will not only give visitors an exclusive chance to try beers from Michigan breweries, but the park will offer an exclusive after-hours look at the zoo and all of it’s beautiful creatures. From access to exhibits, an opportunity to take the tram tour of the zoo and interesting lectures from zookeepers, Detroit Zoo Brew attendees will be able to see the animals in a way many don’t ever get to experience.

Need some advice about what to take in at the park? Well, we suggest you head over to the American Grasslands section of the zoo and check out the star of the Frankenmuth Brewery label, the bald eagle. Otherwise, the polar bear, kangaroo and big cat experiences are unlike anything else.

As for the beer, we can’t help but recommend the Michigan beer from Frankenmuth Brewery. Offering the best in German-styled microbrewed beer, our Pilsener and Oktoberfest will be the perfect drink for checking out all the lions, tigers and beers… uh, bears. We mean bears. Anyway, we hope to see you at the Detroit Zoo Brew with a beer from one of the best Michigan breweries in hand!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

While Frankenmuth Brewery has a long German tradition, we embrace beers from all over the world and try to put our German spin on all kinds of brews. Just in time for the 2012 Summer Games, we thought it would be fun to break down the countries of origin for each of our Michigan brews and celebrate with an Olympic beer or two.

Red Sky Ale | Ireland

While Ireland has yet to win any medals at the London games, expect big things from Belfast-born boxer Paddy Barnes. Just like his Frankenmuth Olympic beer counterpart, the Red Sky Ale, Barnes packs a robust punch in a small frame (Barnes fights in the Light Fly Division and the Red Sky Ale comes in 7 inch bottle).

Pilsener | Germany

While we plead ignorance on what exactly the Men’s Quadruple Sculls are, we were proud to see the German team trounce Croatia and Australia on their way to Gold. We think they would’ve been proud to drink our German-styled Pilsener. This true-to-form, real deal Olympic beer is what Deutschland dreams are made of.

Batch 69 American-Style India Pale Ale | Great Britain

As the host country of the 2012 Summer Games, Great Britain has seen fantastic results so far in cycling, tennis and shooting. While Frankenmuth Brewery’s Batch 69 IPA incorporates American hops into the Michigan beer, the brew is still extremely influenced by the beer that was created in Great Britain and exported to India in the 18th century.

Hefeweizen Ale | Germany

Racking up two of the 21 German gold medals so far, the women’s cycling team has been pummeling the competition with a few events still remaining. While Frankenmuth beer is Michigan beer through and through, it’s hard to deny our German heritage, especially when it comes to our Hefeweizen Ale. Light and breezy like the rush of wind as a German cyclist passes you on the track, the Hefeweizen is definitely your all-time Summer Olympic beer.

American Blonde Ale | United States

Between Gabby Douglas, Serena Williams and Michael Phelps, the United States has faced no shortage when it comes to medals at the 2012 games. While you could chose any Frankenmuth Brewery’s Michigan beers to be your Olympic beer, our Blonde Ale was distinctly made to replicate the classic ale style that has become synonymous with American beer. USA! USA! USA!

Munich Style Dunkel Lager | Germany

Germans are world-renowned for their acumen in the Equestrian world, as they have already won three gold medals at the London 2012 games. Just like a horse running on the track, Frankenmuth Brewery’s Dunkel Lager is smooth, balanced and steady. Pick up a six-pack of this Olympic beer today and cheer on the Germans as they continue to try and surpass China and the USA in the total medal count.

With just a few days left for summer games glory, come by Frankenmuth Brewery, pick up some Olympic beer with origins from the country of your choice and watch history as is made.

If you’re like us, you like to surround yourself with beer in every possible way. Of course, this extends to our fashion sense, which is based around a steady flow of craft beer shirts. To celebrate our fashionable style (or lack thereof, depending on who you ask), we put together a list of the best craft beer shirts. Don’t just drink Michigan beer, live it, breath and, now, wear it.

Frankenmuth Brewery

Call us homers, partial, prejudiced or whatever else you want, but we couldn’t talk about craft beer shirts without showing of one of our own designs. Say what you will, but we’ll always proudly rep the home team!

Mitten Wear

Say it loud, say it proud, you “Drink Michigan Beer” and love it. This Mitten Wear t-shirt puts any other state’s craft beer shirts to shame!

I’m A Beer Hound

While dogs can’t drink beer, we sure love reading the latest and greatest Michigan beer news from the I’m A Beer Hound blog. With a punch drunk pooch holding a pint, the I’m A Beer Hound logo was a must have on our list of craft beer shirts.

Michigan Brewers Guild

The Michigan Brewers Guild is the authority on all things Michigan beer. With their famed mitten logo surrounded by a banner reading “The Great Beer State,” this craft beer shirt will show that you’re a knowledgeable craft beer connoisseur who knows the difference between your lager and ales.

Frankenmuth Oktoberfest

With Oktoberfest coming up soon, we recently found this eBay treasure and think it’s the perfect accessory for the festival. Offered up at the not-so-steep price tag of $6.98, pick up this vintage gem, come grab some beer from Frakenmuth Brewery and let us snap a pic of you in this Frankenmuth classic.

Whether your craft beer shirts are all from Michigan breweries or even if you let a few national craft breweries slip in, show everyone that craft beer is the only beer that matters. Frankenmuth Brewery is proud to be amongst the pantheon of great Michigan breweries and will always wear our craft beer shirts with pride.