Ashton’s Blog – 03.18.15
Beer and brewing has been my universe for almost 30 years. I love what I do, like sharing with the beer world and really dig this new forum! My blog will pop up now and then with the not so obscure title “Ashton’s Blog” (that’s me) followed by the not so cryptic blog number (date). Much easier than the Stardate system used by Captain Kirk on Star Trek. My hand has been revealed. I am a geek.
Today I traveled from Springfield, Missouri to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Somehow my friend Alec Mull at Founders Brewing Company suckered me into giving two, yes two, lectures at the District Michigan MBAA (Master Brewers Association of the Americas) meeting being held tomorrow in Marshall, MI at Dark Horse Brewing Company. Honestly, this has me totally keyed up and I am looking forward to talking about stainless steel at the meeting tomorrow. Yippee yay! Oh yeah, stainless steel has been part of my life for the past 18 years. And yeah, stainless steel is some pretty cool stuff.
Founders is my blog topic of the day. This brewery is located just up the hill from downtown Grand Rapids and brews a fine assortment of beers. OK, that’s an understatement … they brew killer beers with some very high profile brews like Kentucky Breakfast Stout, commonly known as KBS. The thing about this brewery that is a bit different from others is that they have posted growth numbers that are truly meteoric. They have grown from about 40,000 barrels (BBLs in beer speak) in 2007 to about 260,000 BBLs in 2015. I look at a brewery like Founders and am reminded by how dynamic craft beer is and continues to be. Cheers to beers!