Longing for Kalamazoo summers and Oberon
Written: Jun 16 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great Beer, Great Atmosphere, Great People
Cons: Can't get a "fix" in California
The Bottom Line: Oberon beckons you to this Midwest brewery. The beer will satisfy you, the locals will welcome and entertain you. This is an experience.
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| kalamazoograd's Full Review: Kalamazoo Brewing Company |
It's a wonder that anyone graduates in this college town that boasts Kalamazoo College (GO HORNETS) and Western Michigan University. With a local pub/micro brewery like Bell's around, it's hard not to justify an all-night study break.
Summers are the best time to enjoy Kalamazoo/Bell's. The beer garden is open and their summer seasonal treat is on tap *and* in the local grocery stores. Oberon a fine Weizen-like gem is a tasty treat on a hot summer Michigan night, or Chicago night or anywhere you can get it night! :) This beer was once called Sol-Sun, but a lawsuit from a lesser beer somewhere forced the name change. Not too worry; the Shakespearean fairy has blessed us with a beer that had come to be part of the definition of summer in Kalamazoo. When the fall leaves turn and the trees retire for the winter, so does Oberon. You are saddened, but look forward to next year when you will appreciate it just a bit more. My only complaint is that I have since moved three time zones away and have no way to get my Oberon summer, winter, spring or fall.
As they cannot ship beer, I visit home every summer - coincidence...maybe! I meet some new friends and meet up with some old friends. This a MUST STOP when I'm in The 'Zoo! :)
Kalamazoo is the midway stop between Detroit and Chicago (it's two hours from each), most people that work and frequent the brewery are familiar with both cities and can be a great resource for you, if you are headed in either direction.
I recommend trying every beer at Bell's (aka The Kalamazoo Brewing Company). I am not a fan of the stout, not just their stout, but stouts in general. If you tend to only drink the beers of the masses (Bud, Miller, Coors) then prepare yourself for something different. These beers actually have flavor, which might surprise you at first. Stick with it and you'll soon become a fan, a connoisseur, maybe even a beer snob!
Larry Bell, the owner is also a Kalamazoo College graduate and rooted in the community. You'll enjoy local music and a great local atmosphere. Stop in at the right time during the summer and I might just buy you one...
Recommended:
Yes
Date Visited: Many Fridays During College
Brewery Rating: Plan your trip around this!
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Epinions.com ID:
kalamazoograd
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Member: Jeff Daly
Location: West Hollywood, CA, USA
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 15 members
About Me:
After a month of inactivity, I'm back and catching up in my reading/rating/writing.
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