Tri-City Brewing Company

New Loons' brew coming to Dow Diamond this summer

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

By Josh Grosteffon

While watching a new roster on play at Dow Diamond this summer, Loons fans will have a new brew to drink.

Tri-City Brewing Company has created Loons' Summer Ale for sale at Dow Diamond.

"From a style standpoint, it's what called a blonde ale," said Kevin Peil, company president. The beer is meant for enjoying outdoors, such as during a baseball game.

"It's the perfect beer for drinking when you're outside," he said.

Peil and Paul Popa, who has taken over brewing at the brewery, came up with the idea for recipe for the brew after the company and the Loons reached an agreement for sales of a new concoction at the stadium

After a few test batches and tweaks, Loons' Summer Ale was born.

"We wanted a light, clean refreshing beer, but we wanted it to have some flavor," Popa said. "The hops and the yeast combination give it a hint of a citrus finish.

"It has a lot more flavor than your standard lager."

As the smell of steeped barley fills Tri-City Brewing Company, Mike Ferritto, left, and brewmaster Paul Popa check on a batch of Loons’ beer as it swirls in the mash tun. “I’m really happy with the way it came out,” Popa said of the new beer. (Daily News/BRETT MARSHALL)

Tri-City drinkers will also have more places to buy their favorite beverage this season during a game. Before, Phoenix was just available on one tap. Now the brewer will be represented with two taps each for Phoenix and the summer mix.

Despite being on one tap (of fifty total) last season, Tri-City was able to hang with the big beer makers. Phoenix was the third best selling beer in 2007 at Dow Diamond.

"It's wonderful," Peil said of the drink's success. "It just validates everything we're doing here and it just really excites us for the upcoming season."

Nick Kavalauskas, director of food and beverage, at the diamond said people came in to the stadium and went straight for the micro brew cart and there was a lot of positive feedback about the locally brewed product.

"We were changing the kegs quite often," he said.

Aside from success at the stadium, Tri-City Brewing Company's first two beers, Phoenix and Phelan Irish Red, were a hit. The company purchased bottling equipment and their drinks are available at several Midland party stores.

"We had a lot of bottle sales around the holidays, right around Christmas," Peil said. Plus, with the weather warming up, sales are increasing steadily, he said.

Two new beers will be available soon, an English brown ale and a dry, Irish stout. The two will first be available at the brewery on public sale days (10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday) and then it will be kegged for sale in area bars and bottled. Peil is hoping to get the beers in to more area bars and restaurants.

"In May, we will have five different beers on the market," Peil said.

But beer aficionados only have a limited time to try the new mix. Summer Ale will disappear when baseball season does.

"It's a beer that will go away come Labor Day," Peil said.

Quick taste test

Here are some impressions of the Loons' new Summer Ale.

* "It has a unique, citrus aftertaste. Very refreshing," Josh Grosteffon, assistant Accent editor.

* "It's lighter than most ales," said Dave Dauer, display advertising representative. It reminded him of Red Stripe, but lighter.

* Reporter Angela E. Lackey said it reminded her of a summer day.

* Marty McGuire, Michigan Baseball Foundation board member and Dow Gardens executive director, thinks it's going to be a great ballpark beer. "It's lighter, but it still has a hoppy taste."

* Rich Gillis, Dow Gardens horticulturist, said he would probably take a trip to Dow Diamond just for Loons' Summer Ale.

* Brad Golder, voice of the Loons and director of broadcasting and media relations, said it was a great ballpark beer. "It seems like a beer that anyone would like," he said. "It's light, but flavorful."

* Nick Kavalauskas, director of food or beverage at Dow Diamond, said it was "well balanced" and would be good with a piece of fruit in it (a lemon?)

Mike Ferritto of Midland empties a bag of barley into a small hopper so the grain can be cracked before it goes into the mash tun. (Daily News/BRETT MARSHALL)