A brand new beer will be tapped this weekend at the Bavarian Festival in Frankenmuth.
The Frankenmuth Brewery will unveil a German-inspired Michigan craft beer – the Bavarian Brunette Dunkelweizen.
This year marks the 57th annual Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival, which has become Michigan's largest celebration of Bavarian heritage. The festival will be held on June 11th through the 14th at Heritage Park and features delicious German food, beer, two parades, live music, rides and games, dancing, and more.
Just a few weeks ago The World Expo of Beer awarded Frankenmuth Brewery's Batch 69 IPA the 2015 Gold Medal in the IPA category, beating out Bell's Two-Hearted!
Since joining the Frankenmuth Brewery last November, Brewmaster Steve Buszka has made a few changes to the Batch 69 recipe which immediately reaped dividends among consumers. Most notably, the Batch 69 American IPA is now dry-hopped to trap in aromatics during fermentation and to create a more balanced drinking experience.
"I decided to tweak the recipe by using a couple different hop varieties and also dry-hopping it, which wasn't done before," said Buszka. "The IBUs are exactly the same and it still holds up to the 69 IBUs. But now, the hops are put in the boil at a different point in time, so it has more of a balanced flavor on your palate, as opposed to single-note bitterness."
The New Dunkelweizen Debuts at Bavarian Festival
The Frankenmuth Brewery held a beer-naming contest prior to the Bavarian Festival, and received dozens of clever entries for the name of the new Dunkelweizen. Mathew Bierlein of Vassar was eventually chosen as the winner of the naming contest for his contribution: "Bavarian Brunette." Bierlein said the name was inspired by his wife, Mindy, who was the former Bavarian Princess of the festival in 2005.
The first keg of Bavarian Brunette will be tapped on Thursday night, June 11th, during the festival's opening ceremonies. Frankenmuth Brewery is bringing a sample of other delicious German-inspired brews to the party as well, including the flagship Little Bavaria Pilsener, easy-drinking "The Hef" Hefeweizen Ale, and more.
To complement the beer, the festival will also feature a range of mouthwatering German-inspired foods, and plenty of entertainment, attractions, and rides. The festival will also hold a German car show, euchre and cornhole tournaments, traditional Bavarian activities, a major festival parade, and more.
Time & Place:
June 11-14, 2015
Heritage Park
601 Weiss St.
Frankenmuth, Michigan 48734
For more information about the festival please visit the Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival website. Between the amazing entertainment, fun activities, tasty German-inspired meals, and Frankenmuth's Michigan craft beer, this is a celebration of German and Bavarian culture that you won't want to miss!
About the Frankenmuth Brewery
Founded in 1862, the Frankenmuth Brewery is Michigan's Original Craft Brewery. Today, the Frankenmuth Brewery is an historic destination, featuring a full-service restaurant, banquet facility and gift shop. It serves an American-style lunch and dinner menu and showcases two outdoor patios overlooking the scenic Cass River. The Frankenmuth Brewery produces and serves a variety of award-winning American and traditional German craft beers available in bars, restaurants and stores throughout Michigan as well as Northern Ohio, The Frankenmuth Brewery is located in the bustling tourist town of Frankenmuth, MI at 425 South Main, Frankenmuth, MI 48734. For more information call 989-262-8300. www.frankenmuthbrewery.com
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Media Contact. For an interview with Brew Master, Steve Buszka, Director of Wholesale Sales, Chuck Osberger or Director of Marketing, Maher Sarafa, please contact
Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090