New Holland's new Head Pub Brewer is Steve Berthel, formerly of The Livery.

A while back, I noticed that Steve Berthel no longer was brewing at The Livery, so I decided to investigate ... got very busy and kept forgetting ... and now much later, the answer is clear:

New Holland Welcomes New Head Pub Brewer, Steve Berthel!

Better late than never to a story. Given that New Holland is a personal favorite as brewery, business model and place to enjoy life, this is a wonderful combination, indeed. I've met Steve because of Jared Williamson, who bonded with him many years ago, and he's a class act and one helluva brewer. When I finally made it up to Benton Harbor in 2011, Steve couldn't be there, but he left a couple of growlers for me, and cheers to that.

Following are other historical episodes:

It's simple: Steve and Jared brew a collaborative batch, and then I drink beer with them. 

Jared Williamson on "Michigan: Passion, Pints, and Pride." 

Scenes from The Livery's 5th Anniversary Ale brew day (Part One). 

Scenes from The Livery's 5th Anniversary Ale brew day (Part Two). 

Scenes from The Livery's 5th Anniversary Ale brew day (Part Two).

Above: "The Livery cellar -- p.s. it's time to start the barrel program ... "

Below: "Steve Berthel and an open top fermenter at Arcadia Brewing."

Above: From left to right, Thom Phillips, Jared Williamson, Steve Berthel, Josh Davies, Jim Towers. See Jared's preceding Michigan report for further details. Photo credits: Thom and Leslie.

Scenes from The Livery's 5th Anniversary Ale brew day (Part One).

Above: "10 lbs of hops in a 6BBL mash."
Below: "Cleaning time."

Below: "Hop decisions."

See Jared's preceding Michigan report for further details. Photo credits: Thom and Leslie.

Jared Williamson on "Michigan: Passion, Pints, and Pride."

I knew he could brew, and I knew he could play music, but Jared's been concealing his skill at writing. Here's the report on his trip to Michigan last weekend, and in my opinion, it wonderfully encapsulates the ethos of craft brewing and the reasons why we all cherish being a part of it. There'll be photos in two posts following.

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Michigan: Passion, Pints, and Pride

Until this past weekend, I had previously spent a total of 12 hours in Michigan back in 2002, and that was for a gig with my band in my previous life before brewing. We played that gig in Battle Creek, and luckily stumbled upon Arcadia Brewing Company just a few blocks from the venue. Little did I know that evening the future connection that I would have with craft beer in Michigan.

Fast forward to Great Taste of the Midwest 2009; while looking for something interesting to try among thousands of choices, someone told me to check out The Livery from Benton Harbor, MI. They had me at the words “sour” and “barrel” and I was off to explore. After a few minutes and several samples, I was a big fan and then serendipity stepped in. Brewmaster Steve Berthel arrived at his table right when I was about to head back to my station. We proceeded to yell at each other to be heard above the roar of the crowd for the next ten minutes and quickly it was evident that we had a connection, and that Steve would be traveling through New Albanian country the next month. Without hesitation I asked if he wanted to brew some beer while in town, and Steve was enthusiastic about making it happen. We exchanged cards and went on our way.

In mid-September, Steve arrived in New Albany after spending a week biking and living it up in the mountains of western North Carolina. We spent the next 2 days hanging out, enjoying NABC beers, talking about life and music and beer, and yes, we squeezed in a batch that became the legendary Le Douche Mental Imperial Belgian IPA. Steve returned for its release in mid-November with long time Livery friends and supporters Jim and Megan Towers. We spent the weekend exploring all the Louisville area breweries and had a blast, to put it mildly.

Next up was this return trip to Michigan to brew with Steve, and when he told me about his 55th birthday bash weekend, it seemed the perfect time to brew The Livery’s 5th Anniversary Ale as well. Plans were laid out. Brewmaster Josh Davies from Arcadia Brewing Company, and Steve’s good friend, was added to the mix. Thom Phillips, Michigan home brewing savant, and Jim Towers joined the ranks for the brew day.

5th Anniversary, 5 brewers, Steve’s 55th birthday, 5 malts….hops, hops, and more hops. And then some more hops. We used 10 lbs of whole hop flowers in the mash alone, which is divisible by 5. Call it a Triple Dark IPA.

What we brewed this past Friday will go down in brewing lore. It was excessive, ridiculous, and as Steve says “it won’t suck”. While I won’t divulge the calculated IBUs at this time, Steve is planning on sending a sample to be tested for actual numbers. The beer will be racked into barrels and aged until its release at Great Tastes of the Midwest 2010, along side of a 10 month scotch aged pin of Le Douche Mentale.

We followed our brew day with a trip to Arcadia for pints and dinner. Brewmaster Josh Davies is brewing great beer in Battle Creek, and after a couple of samples I was really wishing that Arcadia would return to distribution in Indiana. Thom, Steve and I parted ways with Josh and headed back to Kalamazoo, finishing the evening with a stop at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe.

Saturday was the real party and what a great celebration it was. You see The Livery is a very unique situation in the craft brewing world. Being a successful brewery/restaurant/concert venue/yoga studio is quite an achievement. Doing it in a small, some would say forgotten lakeside town is brilliant. The level of community pride, craft knowledge, and genuine joy from the people and what they have collectively created is truly inspiring. As one who travels and visits many wonderful brewpubs each year, I urge everyone who loves to seek out great craft beer to make the trip to Benton Harbor and to enjoy the unique scene and beers hand forged by Steve. Well over 300 hundred people crammed into the 3 levels of The Livery to enjoy 12 special release beers, a wonderful concert from Robbie Fulks of Chicago, and great eats from the café. The Livery’s staff is top notch, and they rocked out one of their best business days ever.

I have been a fan of Michigan beers from afar for a long time. After the experiences of this weekend, I cannot wait till my next voyage north. To the craft brewing community of southwest Michigan: bravo my friends, bravo.

Jared Williamson, Brewer
New Albanian Brewing Company

Jared drives to Michigan to tap a firkin.

There's more to it than just that, but as we await his report, here's a clip: "Steve Berthel - Birthday Bash with Jared from New Albanian Brewing."

More adventures with Jared and Steve.

This coming weekend, NABC's Jared Williamson will make the return trip to Benton Harbor, Michigan, and a date to brew with Steve Berthel at The Livery.

We are brewing the 5th Anniversary Ale, 12% 100+ IBU, that will debut at Great Taste of the Midwest alongside a 10-month-aged pin of Le Douche Mentale. We will brew on Friday, and then Saturday is Steve's birthday bash at The Livery.

There's my reason to return for this year's GTMW, which takes place on Saturday, August 14. That, and a couple hundred others.

For background on Jared's and Steve's collaborative batches, hit the archives: It's simple: Steve and Jared brew a collaborative batch, and then I drink beer with them.

It's simple: Steve and Jared brew a collaborative batch, and then I drink beer with them.

The Livery's Steve Berthel and NABC's Jared Williamson are shown brewng a collaborative batch of Belgian IPA at the Grant Line garage brewhouse on Tuesday, September 15. Different portions of it will be aged and served in different ways, and you'll hear more about that later. For now, look to November for a release date.

After the brewing and clean-up was finished, Steve and Jared adjourned to the Bank Street Brewhouse for an evening of merriment on the patio. Kelsey joined Jared, Diana met me there, and Chef Josh Lehman actually permitted the kitchen crew to serve him. We feasted on frites, bouillabaisse, pork chops and a Capriole goat cheese plate (among other delectables) and washed them down with Wet Knob ... and Hoptimus with the Mont St. Francis cheese.

It was an absolute pleasure to meet Steve and chat with him about his experiences in Benton Harbor, and a return engagement in this home-and-home collaborative series was discussed.

In short: More proof that craft beer is the best business going, and I love meeting the people who are part of it -- and drinking beer with them.

Belgian IPA
Malts: Castle Pale, Castle Biscuit, Simpson Medium Crystal
Hops: wet Fuggles in the mash that Steve brought, Nugget (Bittering); Nugget, Fuggle, Cascade (Flavor); Fuggle, Cascade (Aroma)
Yeast: Saison
O.G. 1077
IBU 72
ABV circa 8% (waiting on final gravity to know for sure)

Notes: 120 minute boil (first to my knowledge for NABC). Hop additions started
at 90 minutes).

Collaboration brew with NABC and The Livery is Tuesday, Sept. 15. Then we all drink Wet Knobs.

Collaboration brew with NABC and The Livery is Tuesday, Sept. 15. Then we all drink Wet Knobs.

While wandering the grounds during the prelude to the 2009 Great Taste of the Midwest, I happened upon one of my casual acquaintances. Lamenting the presence of so many choices and so little time, I asked for a recommendation. My contact, knowing my preference for sourness and barrel-aging, told me to visit The Livery’s booth. I did, and was impressed with the Benton Harbor, Michigan brewery's “Hand-Forged Microbrews.”

Ironically, at just about the same time, NABC’s Grant Line brewer of record, Jared Williamson, was reaching the same conclusion. I’ll let Jared take it from here (e-mail from roughly two weeks ago).

At GTMW I met Steve Berthel, The Livery's brewmaster, and after trying his brews I was quite impressed. He's into lots of sour barrel aging and blending. Through our conversation, he realized he would be traveling right past us in a return trip from a wedding in the Southeast in mid-September. I told him we should collaborate and brew something, and we exchanged cards and went on our merry ways.

Then he e-mailed me and said he is still up to it, if we are still willing. I asked what he might want to do, and his response was a Belgian IPA, and sour barrel-aging some of it. That’s funny, because I was planning on doing a BIPA in mid-September, and thinking of aging some of it as well. So, is it cool to move forward?

Of course, the answer was an immediate “yes,” and the day for the collaboration arrives on Tuesday, September 15. Jared and Steve will be concocting during the day at Grant Line, and then decamping for dinner at Bank Street Brewhouse afterwards. I can’t put an exact time on it, but if readers are out and about circa 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, feel free to drop in and dine in proximity. In any event, visit The Livery's web site and survey the range of brews crafted there. A field trip to Benton Harbor seems highly likely, doesn't it?

Also, remember that Tuesday is Wet Knobs release day: NABC Wet Knob Hop Harvest Ale: Early release date is Tuesday, September 15.