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With Michigan State being in the East Division we don’t see them as often as we used to. In fact, four of the last five games with them have been in East Lansing, and they have only come to West Lafayette just once since 2009, and that was in 2014. That means there are still a lot of breweries to explore there, unlike in the West where I am running out of places.
And if it can be described as “artisanal”, it has to be good.
218 Albert St
East Lansing, MI 48823
Located roughly half a mile from Spartan Stadium, Jolly Pumpkin has one location in East Lansing with several others around the state of Michigan and even in Chicago. They began brewing in 2004 and pride themselves on a slower, more meticulous brewing process. It pays off in high quality beer. Most of their beers are aged in oak barrels, so you often get a higher ABV as a result.
Oro – 8% ABV, 30 IBU – This golden ale is aged in large oak casks and refermented in the bottle. It is more of a Belgian Gold, which sounds absolutely delicious. They describe it as “spicy and peppery”.
Blanca – 4.8% ABV, 15 OBU – If you’re something not quite as heavy this white ale sounds very good. It is a lower calorie farmhouse style with orange peel and coriander. Along with their Oro, it is a year-round beer.
Bam Bierie – 4.5% ABV, 24 IBU – This is more of a straight up farmhouse and more of a lighter option. God bless these people for not concentrating on IPAs. It is naturally cloudy and is can conditioned. It also spends two months in oak casks.
Noel – 9% ABV, 22 IBU – Their seasonal winter ale, this has some stank on it at a 9%. It takes six months in oak to finalize this beer, and has a wealth of flavors thanks to the caramel malts and more.