Present are Downey brothers Dan & John and EMBC brewers Jesse Ho-On and Alex Sebastian.
In addition to the several great beers they’re bringing to Bookfest, the Downey-EMBC team is co-brewing a special, exclusive beer for Detroit Bookfest called Et Tu Brute, which is a Brut IPA, a dry champagne-like beer.
“Et Tu, Brute?” is the line “Even you, Brutus?” from Shakespeare’s 1599 play, ‘Julius Caesar’.
Brut IPA is a new beer style which started in San Francisco a few months ago. Nicknamed “Hop Champagne,” the Brut IPA has a ‘pale color, light body, highly carbonated, champagne taste.’
Jesse Ho-on, head brewer @ Eastern Market Brewing Company in Detroit
Jesse Ho-On, the head brewer at Eastern Market Brewing Company, says “We’re using Galaxy hops and an enzyme that will dry it out even more, for a nice dry, champagne-like taste. It’s really interesting!”
In between being a hanger-on’er and vulture observing the brewing process, I’m drinking a delicious Detroit Black IPA (6.5%) and a nifty Blueberry Hefeweizen, where the beer color itself is blue.
EMBC Blueberry Hefeweizen,
Jesse tells me his path to EMBC, “I’m from Chicago, then started brewing in Traverse City at Right Brain, then Terra Firma, then did some baking at 9 Bean Rows Bakery where they have some killer croissants. I moved down to Detroit and was working at Avalon Bakery as a baker, then I transferred here to the Eastern Market Brewery.”
Meanwhile, the Downey Brothers are keenly observing and inquiring.
Downey is a family brewery located in their grandfather’s old warehouse in East Dearborn. Father Dean and sons Dan (marketing) and John (head brewer) crank out some tasty brews.
Dan and John
“I’m really excited for Bookfest,” says Dan who is looking at the beer and smiling, “it’s going to be a great day and we’re gonna have some great beers there.”
Jesse, our beer guide for the day, explains more about the Brut IPA, “this dry champagne IPA has an enzyme that’ll drop it lower, but it’s hopped up on the backside with floral tones from the Galaxy Hops and very carbonated. By adding an enzyme, it takes the sweetness out, so it’s dry and tastes like champagne.”
Galaxy Hops from New Zealand
“For this Brut IPA, we’re using Southern Hemisphere hops and wine. The Galaxy Hops are from New Zealand. The wine is in the form of grape must flavors Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. Grape must just means crushed grapes.”
John tells us about his path to the beer kettles, “My dad Dean started homebrewing in the 1990’s. I picked it up in college when I worked in a homebrew store. For the most part, I’m self-taught, like most brewers, although several aspiring brewers will typically shadow a Master Brewer as an apprentice until they learn the ropes.”
Alex, the assistant brewer, is carrying massive 55-lb. bags of grain up a ladder and pouring them into the mash tun, which is a large stainless-steel vat. Alex explains, “We got pre-milled grain from Germany and we’re pouring it in here to mix it with hot water in order to pull out the enzymes.”
“It converts the starches into sugars for fermentation,” adds Jesse, who is now holding a clear plastic pitcher and mixing around salts and water with a silver ladle.
Alex Sebastian & Jesse Ho-On
He sees me looking weirdly at it and elaborates, “I’m stirring the calcium chloride and gypsum. Detroit water is ‘soft’, which means it’s low in minerals. Every type of water has its own profile and might need to be treated depending on the beer. Water chemistry is critical.”
Both Downey and EMBC brew about two times per week.
EMBC has a 5-barrel system and Downey has a 3-barrel system. Conversely, John says “MillerCoors in Milwaukee has a 3,000-barrel system. They brew more in one day than we do in five years! In terms of craft breweries, Sierra Nevada has a 300-barrel system, which is a huge system for craft beer.”
We’re all staring intensely at the Brew Home Controls box Jesse just opened. This is a wall-mounted box from Brewmation in Memphis, it’s full of circuitry and gizmos, and includes a touchscreen panel for temperature control, timers, all types of monitoring and adjusting.
“Mash temperature and the length of mashing determines the sweetness or bitterness of beer,” says Dan.
“After 60-90 minutes in the mash tun, we’ll transfer the wort to the boil kettle,” exclaims Jesse, “That’s where we start to balance it with hops. Hops give beer aroma and Galaxy is ‘high alpha’ which means it has some bitterness. Hops are like the spice of beer, they help balance the sweetness.”
“In 3-4 weeks, we’ll have a finished product. There’s 31 gallons in a barrel. We’ll have 4 barrels of finished product, so 124 gallons of Et Tu Brute, the Brut IPA Detroit style.”
Definitely be sure to try this amazing new beer at Detroit Bookfest! Thank you Downey and EMBC for the brew-a-thon.
Detroit Festival of Books (aka Detroit Bookfest) logo by Rachel Quinlan!
Professional illustrator and fantasy artist, Rachel Quinlan, lives in Detroit and has been honing her natural artistic abilities for years.
Her first order of business as the newly appointed Creative Director here at Detroit Festival of Books was to craft an incredible new logo for us. She did a terrific job!
Detroit artist Rachel Quinlan
Rachel’s logo is a tribute to Detroit, Eastern Market, Books (ie: note the open book atop the shed) and the piece beautifully exudes her own brilliant sense of design.
Rachel is the founder of the Changeling Art Collective, a group of 40+ international fantasy artists and she is also a web designer at WambaTech.
Changeling are not currently recruiting new members, but for future consideration, please send a portfolio link to:
changelingartistcollective at gmail.com
Detroit Festival of Books (aka Detroit Bookfest) logo by Rachel Quinlan!
Inspired by the Golden Age of Illustration, which lasted from the 1880’s-1920’s, Rachel crafts unique and memorable pieces. Many of her prints are for sale, be sure to explore her online store.
Check out her work below. Thank you Rachel, you are amazing and your work is incredible!
*Special thanks to Jamie Jones & the crew at WSU Press for this*
*3 winners will be selected at random. Enter now for your chance to win!*
The raffle will run from Monday, May 14th to Sunday, May 20th.
Michigan is one of the USA’s great craft beer states.
The Michigan beer industry is enormous, internationally well-known, growing rapidly and generates billions of dollars and creates thousands of jobs annually.
According to the Michigan Brewers Guild, the great State of Michigan has over 260 craft breweries!
Michigan’s Great Lakes water helps make great beer. The State of Michigan is also ranked # 2 nationally in hops production, just behind Oregon.
Brewing started in Michigan around 1829 and started in Detroit in 1831 with the Farmer’s Brewery of Owen & Scott.
About 160 years later, in 1989, Ben Edwards inadvertently kicked off the craft beer revolution in Michigan when he wanted to make his own beer at Detroit’s Traffic Jam & Snug which shortly thereafter became Michigan’s first brewpub.
Bill Rapai (Photo by Jodi Westrick, Michigan Radio)
Local author William “Bill” Rapai, a Grosse Pointe resident and University of Michigan grad, decided to compile an overview of the Michigan craft beer industry by visiting over 100 of Michigan’s craft breweries.
Bill was an award winning reporter & editor for the Detroit Free Press, Boston Globe, Grand Forks Herald, and his journalism talents are evident throughout the book.
Founded in 1941, Wayne State University Press publishes a wide variety of great books. They also host an excellent book sale every Noel Night at their warehouse in Detroit.
Bill’s book was published by WSU Press imprint Painted Turtle, which “publishes books on regional topics of cultural and historical interest.”
The raffle will run from Monday, April 23 to Sunday, April 29.
We are raffling off 3 personalized autographed copies of Dr. Murray Howe’s book ‘Nine Lessons I Learned From My Father‘.
Murray is the son of Gordie Howe and his book is a fun, humorous and thoughtful reflection on the life of his father and the multitude of lessons he’s learned from Gordie.
Dr. Murray Howe
Gordie Howe: Mr. Hockey
Gordie Howe
Anyone familiar with the great sport of hockey, invariably knows the name Gordie Howe. The name Gordie Howe is synonymous with hockey. He is after all called “Mr. Hockey.”
Gordie Howe was even honored by being featured on The Simpsons (executive producer Al Jean is from Farmington Hills and a big Howe fan).
And Cameron Frye wore a Gordie Howe # 9 jersey in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (director John Hughes was from Lansing and Grosse Pointe and a big Howe fan).
Gordie Howe on The Simpsons!
Gordie, # 9, played professional hockey from 1946-1980. He was a right wing forward with the Detroit Red Wings until 1971. He took a few years off due to arthritis in his wrists, then played for the Houston Aeros and Hartford Whalers.
2,400 games. 975 goals. Mr. Hockey is indeed an apt moniker.
Helmet-less, ambidextrous and known for game-winning goals, Gordie Howe was “discovered” by Jack Adams in 1947.
1950, 52, 54 & 55, the Red Wings were Stanley Cup champions thanks to Gordie Howe and the Production Line of Gordie, Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay.
Howe also played alongside Alex Delvecchio, Terry Sawchuk, Marcel Pronovost, Red Kelly, and inspired not only his teammates but entire generations of hockey enthusiasts.
Gordie Howe
“Fans mailed letters to Mr. Hockey c/o Red Wings and the postman would deliver them to my father,” says Murray, “So essentially it was the postman who nicknamed Gordie “Mr. Hockey!“
“In the early 1950’s he lived at Ma Shaw’s boarding house, I don’t know the location. After he married, my parents moved to a home at 8556 Stawell Avenue, near Joy and Wyoming, in Detroit. They met at the Lucky Strike bowling alley. My mom went to Mackenzie High. My parents have written many books and I’m sure most of the specific details are on Wikipedia or in those books.“
Gordie Howe
On June 10th, 2016, 88-year-old Gordie Howe passed away at his son Murray’s house in Sylvania, Ohio.
A few days later they had a Public Visitation at Joe Louis Arena for Gordie where thousands of people came from all over the world to pay their respects and say their goodbyes to the hockey legend.
The next day, Gordie’s funeral was at Detroit’s Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. 900 people were there, including Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Gary Bettman, Steve Yzerman and other hockey luminaries.
A little over a year after that, Joe Louis Arena was replaced by the newly built Little Caesar’s Arena.
“I love the new Little Caesar’s Hockey Arena,” says Murray, “The Ilitch family did an outstanding job. I also think my dad would have loved it. He still has his Howe #9 stall in the locker room. It’s home for him.”
The raffle will run from Monday, April 23 to Sunday, April 29.
Biography of Dr. Murray Howe
Gordie Howe
Murray grew up in the Howe family household at 28780 Sunset Boulevard West, Lathrup Village, Michigan.
“After completing my radiology training at University of Michigan, a friend of mine wooed me down to Toledo, Ohio, just a half-mile across from border from Michigan. Many of my friends and family remain in the Detroit area, which we also consider home. We visit Detroit at least every other week.”
Gordie Howe and Murray
Dr. MURRAY HOWE is Gordie Howe’s youngest son.
He is head of Sports Medicine Imaging for Toledo Radiological Associates and Promedica Health System’s Sports Care program.
An associate clinical professor at the University of Toledo Medical Center, he also serves on the University of Michigan Medical School Admissions Committee.
He has four decades of experience as a keynote speaker across Canada and the US covering various topics including sports medicine, health and wellness, and hockey.
The author lives in Sylvania, Ohio.
Gordie Howe and Murray
Gordie Howe may have been the greatest player in the history of hockey, but greatness was never defined by goals or assists in the Howe household.
Greatness meant being the best person you could be, not the best player on the ice.
Unlike his two brother, Murray Howe failed in his attempt to follow in his father’s footsteps to become a professional athlete. Yet his failure brought him to the realization that his dream wasn’t really to be a pro hockey player. His dream was to be his father.
To be amazing at something, but humble and gracious. To be courageous, and stand up for the little guy. To be a hero. You don’t need to be a hockey player to do that. What he learned was that it was a waste of time wishing you were like someone else.
The Nine Lessons from #9
Dr. Murray Howe
Murray has learned far more than these 9 core lessons from his father. But this is a good sampling of what to expect in his amazing book.
1. Live honourably
2. Live generously
3. Play hard but have fun
4. Patience, patience, patience
5. Live selflessly
6. Be humble
7. Be tough
8. Stay positive
9. Friends and family are live gold – treasure them
The Gordie Howe International Bridge
Gordie Howe International Bridge (photo by WDIV Click on Detroit)
Few people are honored enough to have a bridge named after them. Gordie Howe is one of those rarities.
Gordie is a native Canadian who spent a considerable amount of time in Detroit and thus, many feel he best represents the mutual friendship of USA and Canada and that is why the new bridge is called the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
Later this year, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority is starting construction on a $2 billion dollar bridge, which may be completed as early as 2022. The bridge will go from Windsor, Ontario, Canada to the Delray neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan.
“The Bridge project is moving forward. They are also planning to have a bike path on it, which I’m very excited to try out!”
Gordie Howe International Bridge
*3 winners will be selected at random. Enter now for your chance to win!*
When you download an MP3 audio file, the music gets compressed and you lose the fullness of sound that you get on vinyl records. The sound on vinyl is more expansive, nuanced and loaded with delicious sonic subtleties that are lost on all other formats. You can feel the music when listening to LP’s.
Plus, vinyl record listening, collecting and appreciation is a wonderful culture. Buying records at a store and listening to it is a fun and meaningful experience. You develop great relationships with record store owners and come to enjoy the variety of eclectic tastes out there.
If you’re just starting out, make sure you:
Buy a good, quality turntable
Buy at least 2-4 good, quality speakers
Buy some record crates to store your records in
Buy some record sleeves to protect your records
Get some good chairs for you and your friends to sit in
You don’t need to worry about cork mats, titanium tone arms, 180-gram vinyl, etc, when starting out. Just enjoy digging in crates and listening to good music that you like.
Audiophiles are vinyl connoisseurs whom appreciate hi-fi records and the sport & hobby of amassing an incredible collection of high grade records. Audiophiles are very knowledgeable and have years of experience. But you do not need to be an audiophile to appreciate good records.
We also want to thank Third Man Records Detroit and Archer Record Pressing Plant for making vinyl records in Detroit!
FUNK MUSIC
DJ Zig-Zag will be bringing the funk, the whole funk and nothing but the funk to Detroit Festival of Books (aka: Detroit Bookfest).
Why do we love funk music?
Because it’s fun, upbeat, and there’s a certain Detroitness to funk music and a certain funk music vibe to the city of Detroit.
Going strong since 2001, they are held the last Friday of every month at a different spot in Detroit. Frank spins funk records and they have live funk bands. We highly recommend you check them out!
MC5, Wayne Kramer & 50 Years of Kickin’ Out the Jams!
The rock band MC5 formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan in 1964.
On Devils Night and Halloween 1968, they recorded their famous ‘Kick Out the Jams’ album live at Detroit’s legendary Grande Ballroom. This album propelled them to international acclaim.
2018 marks the 50th anniversary of MC5 and leader Wayne Kramer is leading MC5 on a historic 50th Anniversary concert tour that will culminate in an October live show at the Fillmore Detroit.
Recent Comments