Beer, Sliders & Chili at Petoskey Brewing
Yesterday was perfect for my first visit to Petoskey Brewing on M-119 just north of Petoskey, MI. It was another wonderful Spring day in Petoskey – gray skies and snow showers followed by gray skies!
Just the sort of day begging for a IPA (India Pale Ale) to set it straight.
Because of its popularity, most craft drinkers know – or think they know – how IPA began. To quote one version of the popular history of the style: “Back in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, England held a large colonial presence in India. The soldiers, sailors and civilians had a huge appetite for beer. Trouble was, the voyage to India was long, and by the time the ship made it there the traditional beers had spoiled. Even when they didn’t, the dark porters that were popular at the time weren’t quite the ticket in the hot climate of India. George Hodgson of the Bow Brewery in London was the first person to come up with an answer to this problem. He began brewing a lighter style of beer, known as pale ale. Hodgson realized that high alcohol and hop levels would retard spoilage. His process succeeded, and for about 50 years he held a virtual monopoly on the market.”
Trouble is, almost none of the above is true. Ale and beer were being successfully exported to India – and farther – from at least the beginning of the 18th century, and while there was some spoilage, the beers that were being sent out could easily last a year or more in cask. So nobody needed to invent a new style of beer to survive the journey better. Porter continued to be popular in India through the 19th century, and strong dark beers are still drunk in hot climates, from Sri Lanka to the West Indies. Pale ales were around for at least a century before George Hodgson began brewing.
So, I jumped in the truck and headed out to M-119 and Petoskey Brewing which my friend Ron Miller from downstate in Midland said I should try. Petoskey Brewing has been on my list of to dos, but like Shorts (which I finally got around to visiting a week ago) it took a little longer to get around to actually making the visit.
The visit to Shorts was a good time – got to see Bellaire where my sister used to live – took the five minute walk and saw the town!
At Petoskey Brewing, I had the slider sampler, 1 each:
- Barbequed Pulled Pork Slider: warm slider rolls filled with hand-pulled slow roasted pork shoulder combined with a spicy Chipotle & Ancho pepper sauce
- Buffalo Pulled Chicken Slider: warm slider rolls filled with premium pulled chicken combined with a spicy buffalo sauce and topped with creamy blue cheese dressing
- Smashed Meatball Slider: smashed Italian meatballs served in warm slider rolls and topped with delicious marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese
My favorite was the smashed meatball – I love a good meatball sandwich.
Mommy, where do sliders come from?
A “slider” can be a sneaky baseball pitch, a 1972 album by T. Rex, a turtle of the genus Trachemys, the mascot of the Cleveland Indians, a potentiometer control, or the little glass tube that connects the bong reservoir to the bowl, but, increasingly, it has come to mean a Lilliputian-size hamburger. Food historians sometimes trace the origin of this usage to White Castle, the world’s first hamburger chain. Read more: http://www.slashfood.com/2010/05/12/the-short-tangled-history-of-the-slider/#ixzz2Pt2ikLij
Since I hadn’t had breakfast and it was now 12:30, I also had a bowl of Not-so-Chilly Chili – A generous bowl of beef and bean chili with just the right touch of spice. Topped with shredded cheddar and grated onion. Served with a warm Bavarian style pretzel stick. The pretzel sticks are great!
I washed it all down with a Mind’s Eye P.A (I.P.A.) – Burnt copper color and giant hop aroma come to the forefront in this traditional American IPA. Rich caramel malt and red wheat balance the dry bitter finish of this full-flavor craft brew.
All-in-all a perfect Sunday brunch for a gray Spring day in Petoskey.
Michigan is Growing Small Breweries
See Past Post on Beard’s Brewery in Petoskey>>
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