Here are 8 Michigan craft beers to crush this winter, in time for your Super Bowl party

Dry January's over. It's time to explore some Michigan beers to enjoy the rest of this winter.

Whether you're loading up for a Super Bowl party this weekend, getting ready for Fat Tuesday or just looking to stay warm as we inch closer to spring, here are a few new and returning beers you can find on store shelves across Michigan, from pilsners to IPAs to saisons to wheat ales.

Next month: Bell's Brewery sets Oberon Day for March 25

(Also consider supporting your local brewery, which may not be distributing to local stores and taps, by perusing their can and growler fill selection; that's a good way to go if you want to enjoy good local beer, avoid the grocery store and help local establishments during a slow time of year.)

Riverbend 10° Czech-style Pilsner

4% ABV, Transient Artisan Ales

Usually when I'm highlighting Transient, I'm raving about a barrel-aged stout, hazy IPA or succulent sour the Bridgman brewery just released. Let's mix it up a bit with Riverbend 10°, a Czech-style pilsner brewed with Riverbend Pilsner malt from Asheville, North Carolina, (an outstanding beer town in its own right) that manages to have great flavor for its lightness at 4% ABV. Expect herbal, grassy notes with a touch of bitterness and a clean finish.

IPA

7% ABV, Odd Side Ales

Through all the years of pushing boundaries and experimenting with barrel-aged stouts, hard seltzers and canned cocktails, Odd Side goes back to the basics with IPA, a West Coast-style India Pale Ale that doesn't fuss around with adjuncts or offbeat flavors; it's just a simple, clear, refreshing IPA with citrus and pine notes, a little resin and a pleasantly bitter finish. The Grand Haven brewery added IPA to its core lineup of year-round offerings, so expect this on shelves all throughout the year.

Mr. Bluesky Michigan Cherry Wheat Ale

5% ABV, Griffin Claw Brewing Co.

Griffin Claw, out of Birmingham, took its flagship Mr. Bluesky wheat ale and gave it a Michigan cherry kick, which always makes a beer in this state worth trying. The sweet, tart cherry does come through with a soft wheat body, so if you're not into sweeter beers, you may opt for the original Mr. Bluesky instead. Otherwise, skip the Sam Adams Cherry Wheat and opt for this one instead.

Terroir Saison

6.7% ABV, Barrel + Beam

Barrel + Beam, based in Marquette, is one of those breweries I've been itching to get back to since my first visit, which was two and a half years ago. Thankfully, some of its best work — farmhouse ales and barrel-aged wild oak ales — can be found on shelves throughout the state, including this Michigan-sourced saison, Terroir. It's a single-hop, single-malt saison that's aromatic, crisp and dry, with wild, fruity, grassy notes and a touch of clove.

Mishe-Mokwa Brown Ale

6.3% ABV, Wax Wings Brewing Co.

I first tried Mishe-Mokwa — a soft, light-bodied brown ale with roasty chocolate and sweet caramel notes — last March, just as the calendar flipped to spring, and was very happy to see it back in rotation last week while shopping for beers at Holiday Market in Royal Oak. It's further proof that Wax Wings, one of Michigan's fastest rising breweries out of Kalamazoo, can do more than juicy IPAs and sours.

Alpenglow Double New England IPA

8% ABV, Big Lake Brewing Co.

This one goes out to the hazy IPA fans out there, of which there are many. Alpenglow, from Holland-based Big Lake, is bursting with complex tropical flavors; you'll pick up citrus, pineapple and stone fruits such as coconut and mango on each sip, and it's juicy yet soft and refreshing enough to be crushable for an 8%. It's brewed with Sabro and Rakau hops, as well as malted oats, wheat and milk sugar.

Lemon Paczki

5% ABV, Eastern Market Brewing Co.

Fat Tuesday coming up means Paczki Day is almost here, which means paczki-inspired beers out in the wild. Eastern Market Brewing Co., based in Detroit, debuted its paczki beer a few years ago using raspberry pastry flavors. This year, it launched cherry- and lemon-inspired blonde ales, the latter "brewed with real lemon and a generous helping of vanilla cream." As you can imagine, it's got strong, tarty lemon flavor and aroma, akin to a sour. You can find Lemon Paczki in a mixed four-pack with Cherry Paczki on store shelves in southeast Michigan.

Goodnight Bodacious

11.2% ABV, Short's Brewing Co.

One of the best double-black IPAs in Michigan is back on store shelves. Originally known to be part of the Short's Hoppy Holidays pack of years past, Goodnight Bodacious is well deserving of its own six-pack, with malty, toasty flavors to go along with the hoppy bitterness of an IPA. It comes in quite strong at 11.2% ABV, nearly as strong as most wines, but it's worth savoring a glass.

Brian Manzullo covers craft alcohol for the Free Press. Contact him: bmanzullo@freepress.com and on Untappd, bmanzullo and Twitter, @BrianManzullo.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Top 8 Michigan craft beers to crush this winter 2024