New Beer Friday, Doc's Sauble River Inn Edition (June 24)

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

If you’re traveling in northern Michigan in the vicinity of Mason County this summer you should make it a point to stop by Doc’s Sauble River Inn on Highway 31 about five miles south of Manistee. Located just a short cast from the Big Sauble River, this little bar and grill doesn’t look like much from the outside but its recently remodeled interior provides a comfortable setting for enjoying an eclectic array of well-made dishes at reasonable prices.

My wife Barb and I have visited Doc’s a number of times since Derek ‘Doc” Campbell purchased and revamped the restaurant three years ago and we have always been happy with the food and service. On our most recent visit Barb had Doc’s version of surf and turf — peel and eat shrimp and prime rib — while I opted for a Greek salad (pictured) followed up by an excellent burger. A couple glasses each of crisp Sauvignon Blanc went well with our meals. Doc’s also has a good assortment of liquor and a nice selection of craft beers. Visit their Facebook page for hours and daily specials.

New and Returning Beer

• Vivant Plein de Vie Angeline, $12.09/500ml (2 per) - "The mother of all Vivant’s sours, if you will, is finally offered in bottles—much to the delight of long time Brewery Vivant fans. The very first sour beer made at the pub, a barrel named Angelina produced something tasty, magical, and sparked the direction of Vivant’s future sour offerings. Inoculating other barrels from this mother to keep the culture going, this pleasant, wood-barrel aged sour retains its majesty for (hopefully) years to come" (source).
• Vivant Plein de Vie Harvest Breed, $9.99/500ml (2 per) - "A brand new brew, this stainless steel brettanomyces wild sour ale offers a big sour punch on the noise, with the bretta coming through as the beer warms to room temperature. Almost citrusy, this sour offers a bergamot, earl gray tea flavor with a hint of lemon pith or orange rind" (source).
• Vivant Plein de Vie Habanango, $12.09/500ml - $12.09 (2 per) - "Many of you may remember this from a previous Wood Aged Beer Fest, but don’t expect the exact same brew. Feeder fermented and barrel-aged, this sour is blended with habanero peppers and mango to give a little heat with the sweet. Strongly mango on the nose, the peppery sweet heat of the habanero creeps up on you, making you want to take that next sip" (source).
• Rockford Rhubarb Radler, $6.99/22oz - "Light, slightly tart & resfreshing – slight hint of tart rhubarb, lemon" (source).
• Rockford Paradigm, $6.99/22oz - $6.99 - "From farm to glass, this is the local flavor of Pure Michigan!! 100% of the grain and hops come from Michigan. Michigan grown barley and wheat, malted by Michigan Malt Company in Shepherd, Michigan, help to develop the beautiful amber body. Expect an underlying sweet, malty base with hints of cotton candy and toasted marshmallow. Mango, orange and piney are just some of the unique signature characteristics of our local hop varietals from Hopyards of Kent in Greenville, Michigan, which reveal West Michigan’s terroir! This beer is part of our Permaculture Series, showcasing the seasons in Michigan" (source).
• Hop Cat Beer Right Meow, $2.29/16oz - "Coming this summer in Michigan, Beer Right Meow is an American IPA that practically purrs in your mouth. Developed at HopCat's in-house brewery in Grand Rapids and brewed under our supervision for distribution by Brew Detroit, this delicious craft beer connects Beer City and the Motor City unlike any other. Look for Beer Right Meow on tap at HopCat locations in Michigan beginning June 29 at special release parties and in your favorite craft beer bar and at retailers throughout Michigan" (source).
• Odd Side Touch of Red, $9.69/500ml - "According to a post on the Grand Haven, Mich.-based brewery’s Facebook page, the new beer is Touch of Red, a sour red ale. The name of the beer and the tagline of “We will get by. We will get by. We will survive.” is inspired by the Grateful Dead’s song “Touch of Grey,” which was released in 1987 on the band’s “In the Dark” album. A Touch of Red will be packaged in 500ml bottles. An email sent to the brewery for additional info was not immediately returned" (source).
• Odd Side Funk Soul Brother, $9.69/500ml (1 per) - "Dry hopped sour ale" (source).
• Odd Side El Dankerino, $2.49/12oz - "West Coast IIPA" (source).
• Weyerbacher Last Chance Apricot, $2.29/12oz - "We started with our 5.9% ABV Last Chance IPA, a full-flavored IPA with pleasant citrus flavors of tangerine and grapefruit. To that delightful brew, we’ve added apricots. Not just a few, but over 15 pounds of them per barrel" (source).
• Right Brain Cake Walk Vanilla Cream Ale, $1.79/12oz - "Right Brain’s ’gateway beer’ to craft brewing, Cakewalk has the light body and effervescent mouth feel of a domestic, but with all the heart & soul of a hand made craft beer. A mild vanilla finish balances this easy drinker with just enough sweetness to keep your mouth watering and your right brain stimulated. Brewed with real Madagascar vanilla beans" (source).
• Right Brain Blue Magic, $1.79/12oz - "Blue Magic Lavender Wheat Ale is a uniquely different & refreshing brew. Did we mention it’s magical too? It’s brewed with local honey from Honey Pot Priory & fresh local lavender from Light Of Day Organics. This is a straight forward wheat with dried lavender.  This brew has a floral nose and a wheat finish" (source).
• Bells Poolside, $1.99/12oz - "A Belgian-style wheat ale, brewed with Montmorency cherry juice from Traverse City, Michigan" (source).
• Bells Q Falls, $1.99/12oz - "A dry-hopped lager that possesses a crisp, dry bitterness you would expect from a German pilsner, but the use of highly aromatic Simcoe hops from the Pacific Northwest, evoke the fragrant pine forests that inspired this beer" (source).

Video of the Week | Plein De Vie

A repost from a couple of weeks ago, but fitting now that these
exciting beers from Vivant are finally in stock at Siciliano's.

Cheers!