Since the title gives it away, you already know the beer of the week is from Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids Michigan, and it is the Sumatra Mountain Brown. A fantastic beer, perhaps one of the best coffee beers we’ve ever experienced. But what you don’t know is why we chose this beer, and how it was a very difficult choice this week considering we spent two days in Chicago with many great breweries and to-drool-for craft beers.
Chicago Brew Tour
We shall call them runners-up, which truly they are not. These Chicago breweries are in the forefront of the craft beer industry, with brewers using locally sourced ingredients, handcrafted food, and the ambiance to keep any local and tourist coming back for more. While Forbidden Root, On Tour, and Piece breweries each have their unique qualities both with food and beer, all of them are winners when it comes to fantastic beer, mouth-watering dishes, and the atmosphere to bring it all together.
If you are ever in the Chicago area, make it a tour, and call it a trifecta, a hat trick, or whatever you want, but do it. And if you are up for exercise before, during, and after, why not take the tour on a bicycle. We did, and while cyclists and drivers alike seem to be oblivious to pedestrians and cyclists, as long as you have given equality to both great food and fantastic beers, your excellent riding skills will bring you back to your home base with a full belly and a Stout Life!
Drum roll, please…
Beer of the Week!
Founders Brewing Company – Sumatra Mountain Brown
This imperial brown ale, while a bit on the higher side of alcohol at 9%, is also a bit on the higher side of coffee, Sumatra coffee to be exact, and that is what makes it a phenomenal beer. The caramel, chocolate, and Munich malts play well with the German and Perle hops giving it a balanced, yet decadent flavor. Not only does this beer have exceptional taste, but it pairs well with some dark chocolate after a great meal while sitting around a campfire with the cicadas serenading you into paradise. This combination of flavor combined with nature’s ambiance after two days in the bustling city is what bumped this beer to the winner’s podium this week.
Sneak Peak
We recently visited a very unique brewery in Bryan, Ohio, so keep your eyes open, or should I say closed, because you’ll be “praying” for more about this brewery. It’s devilishly good!
Right around the corner is Brew Dog’s annual Equity for Punk’s party, AGM, at which we will be in attendance, so while we still treasure your suggestions for Beer of the Week, Brew Dog has the market cornered for at least a week or two. We bought stock in the company, so we know they are good!
To check out more Stout Life Approved brews and breweries, click here.
Oh, and obviously, we’re beer people, so we definitely take suggestions of beer that you think could be the next Stout Life Recommended Beer of the Week. Send us a note by completing the form below. Looking forward to hearing from you.
