Despite the cold temperatures, it is almost springtime in East Lansing.
Bell’s Brewing Company, located in Kalamazoo, began celebrating the release of their summertime wheat ale Oberon with parties at bars and restaurants all across the state for the past week.
Beggar’s Banquet held its launch Wednesday night. Peppino’s, Dublin Square Irish Pub and Crunchy’s also hosted launch parties.
For advertising senior Patrick Flynn, the midnight release at Crunchy’s Sunday night started at 9:30 p.m. with a line out the door and good friends.
“We miss this beer,” he said. “We enjoy being beer snobs, which we kind of embrace, and this is something we’ve waited awhile for.”
University of Michigan student Dan Bracciano drove from Ann Arbor to East Lansing to attend the opening at Crunchy’s.
“I drink this a lot over the summer, and you don’t get to see it for six or seven months,” he said.
For local establishments like Crunchy’s, the slew of release parties draw crowds that normal weeknights typically don’t bring.
Crunchy’s General Manager Mike Krueger said Crunchy’s usually has a release party Sunday the week after St. Patrick’s Day.
He said the crowd this year was about the size of crowds in the past.
“In theory it’s the beginning of spring,” he said. “Even though it snowed out here tonight, people usually associate it with the start of warmer weather.”
Krueger said he had been a part of Crunchy’s for four years but knew the tradition dates back to eight years ago, and that Bell’s beers in general do very well.
Oberon representatives have been pleased with this year’s release so far.
Aren Rabe, district manager of Alliance Beverage who supplies Bell’s to the Lansing area, said this year’s turnout has been great so far.
“We see a change in kids of drinking age, they don’t want to get overly drunk,” he said. “It’s about the quality of what they are drinking.”
He said the beer reminds him of warmer weather.
“It isn’t summer in Michigan unless Oberon is there,” he said. “The state of Michigan sells more Oberon in a six week stretch than any other beer in Michigan.”
