One of the reasons Justin Riopelle got into brewing was because he loved the camaraderie of Detroit's beer-making scene. But when things start to pick up at Detroit Beer Co., where he works as a brewer, the time he spends with his colleagues at other breweries dwindles.
So when he and other Detroit-based brewers were enjoying the Michigan Brewers Guild's Summer Beer Festival, they came up with a reason to enjoy each other's company more often. Riopelle's Detroit Beer Co., Brew Detroit, Atwater in the Park, Motor City Brewing Works, and Batch Brewing recently collaborated on a new beer that will be available inside each of the pubs as well as at the Michigan Brewers Guild's Fall Beer Fest at Eastern Market on Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24.
While the breweries collaborated on the recipe and used Magnum hops from Michigan-based Hop Head Farms, each used a different yeast strain that makes their version unique. A dunkelweizen bock, Riopelle says it's a strong brew with a high alcohol content that's perfect for the coming cold season. Each brewery plans to release their version of the dunkelweizen bock inside their brewpubs on Monday and each will have their version available at Fall Beer Fest.
Each brewery made batches based on their brewing capacity, so Detroit Beer Co. made almost 20 kegs, while Brew Detroit's batch is much smaller. Similarly, the alcohol contents of each version varies from 6.5% to 8.5% ABV. If you're looking to get the most bang for your buck, Riopelle says Atwater in the Park's version is the strongest. Riopelle says they won't be remaking the beer, but hope to collaborate again in the future.
