Arbor Brewing History

Arbor Brewing's love affair with beer began in 1991 with our first batch of homebrew. Eventually the brewing operation took over the kitchen and basement and we decided it was time to look for larger digs. So with the help of family and friends, we opened the ABC Brewpub a brewery and restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1995.

Ten years and a couple million pints later, we decided it was time to get some bigger tanks and take our show on the road. Our brewpub license did not allow us to distribute our beer so we built the Corner Brewery and Beer Garden in Ypsilanti to brew and bottle our award-winning Arbor Brewing Company beers for distribution. Although our production grows every year, we remain ever committed to our original goal of making fresh handcrafted beers of qualtiy and distinction.
 
 

Arbor Brewing Philosophy
Like most craft brewers, we got into the beer business for the beer more than the business. Matt Greff had his beer epiphany as a 20 year old on foreign study in 1987 (it's legal there!). Craft beer had not yet made its way to MI so when Matt ordered his first Pilsener on a crisp fall Hannover day, he was blown away by the experience of fresh, full-flavored beer brewed exclusively with malted barley, hops, water, and yeast - without fillers, additives, or chemical stabilizers.

That experience led to a life-long passion for the rich history, flavors, and traditions of beer styles from across the globe. Our beer hunting has taken us from gleaming stainless German lagering rooms to musty cob-webbed lambic cellars to Belgian Trappist monasteries and California steam breweries. From French farmhouse ales to British real ales, to the smoked lagers of Bamberg, to creamy Guinness served on the Dingle penninsula, each style expresses a history, culture, community and celebration that informs our brewing.

Arbor Brewing Beer
The original promise of the microbrewery movement was one of wide ranging styles, beers of distinction and quality, served up by small regional breweries providing fresh beer with a unique local character.

That has always been the driving force behind every beer we brew. In addition to classic, true-to-style favorites like our Sacred Cow I.P.A., Bavarian Bliss Hefeweizen, Espresso Love Breakfast Stout, and Phat Abbot Dubbel and Triple; we also like to blend styles and add unexpected twists. Our goal is to respect styles and traditions without being a slave to them.

That's what makes our beers unique. Brews like our Red Snapper Amber Ale, Brasserie Blonde, and Olde Number 22 Alt Bier provide interesting, well-balanced flavor combinations that you can't find anywhere else.

Sacred Cow I.P.A.
Style: India Pale Ale
Strength: 6.5% (ABV)
IBUs: 66
Body: medium
Availability: Year-round, 24-12 oz bottles, 1/2 barrels

Food Pairings: Great with classic meat and potato dishes, tuna steaks, sharp cheeses and salty snacks.

Tasting Notes: Coppery-gold hue with a full floral hop aroma. Rich toasted malts with a profusion of tangy, citrusy hops that linger in a long satisfying finish.

Sacred Cow I.P.A. is a bold, refreshing, hoppy India Pale Ale with superb roundness and balance. This delicate balance of rich malts, tangy hops, and crisp carbonation makes our Sacred Cow uniquely and deliciously drinkable.

Brasserie Blonde Belgian
Style: Belgian-style Blonde Ale
Strength: 5.5% (ABV)
IBUs: 7
Body: medium
Availability: Year-round, 24-12 oz bottles, 1/2 barrels

Food Pairings: Delicious with spicy curries, rich and creamy sauces like Alfredo, or breads made with fruits or nuts.

Tasting Notes: Gorgeous copper-orange ale. Rich, enticing aroma of oranges and lemongrass. Crisp and refreshing on the palate. A perfect blend of malt, spice and sweet & zesty hints of citrus.

Nestled between beer-loving Germany and wine-loving France, for centuries Belgium has produced some of the most interesting, complex, sophisticated, and delicious styles the beer world has to offer. Brasserie Blonde pays homage to this grand tradition. We brew the Blonde with a unique blend of rich malts, sweet orange peel, spicy hops, and zesty coriander.  The result is a medium-bodied ale bursting with flavor. This is truly a beer-lover’s champagne (or a champagne-lover’s beer!). It is a dry, slightly tart ale subtly spiced with orange peel and coriander for a zesty taste with hints of sweet and tangy citrus.

Arbor Brewing Company
114 East Washington
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: 734-213-1393
Fax: 734-213-2835