Michigan Beer Guide, The Guide To Craft Brewed Beer in Michigan

New Corner in Ypsi
Written By: Rex Halfpenny

New Corner in Ypsi
By Rex Halfpenny

The long anticipated wait for a brewery in Ypsilanti has finally materialized. The beer-blessed event officially took place on June 1, 2006, “Exactly one year to the day since we signed our letter of intent,” said Rene Greff, owner of the new microbrewery appropriately named Corner Brewery. Her husband Matt Greff was at the moment brewing their Bavarian Bliss Hefeweizen on the Price Schonstrom 21-barrel system at the other end of the building.
Most who follow the Michigan brewing scene will recognize the names Matt and Rene Greff as the owners of the very successful brewpub known as Arbor Brewing Company in nearby Ann Arbor. In order for the Greff’s to have a brewpub and a microbrewery required some maneuvering. The State of Michigan liquor code expressly prohibits any ownership that crosses the three-tier system and having a non-distributing brewpub and a distributing microbrewery definitely crosses that line.
So the Greff's divested their holdings with Matt taking on ownership of Arbor Brewing Company while Rene took ownership of Corner Brewery. This rather simple sounding move actually sets a new precedent for breweries in the state of Michigan. Not that I think it is planned, but using this precedent expands the state's limitations on how many licensed locations a couple can have. Michigan rather arbitrarily sets the number of microbreweries to no more than five locations and the number of brewpubs to no more than three locations. The Greff's could, if so inspired, have a combined total of eight locations.
Readers of Michigan Beer Guide have been awaiting the opening of contract brewed Frog Island Brewing Company in Ypsilanti since, well, as long as we have been publishing. But the team of Dave French and Mike O'Brien could not secure the financial support needed to make the extensive renovations their building required. Dave French told Michigan Beer Guide that he was considering other options, including a brew on premise. In the meantime they continue to sell home brewing supplies from their location at 4 West Forest, which is a couple blocks west of Corner Brewery. Their hours are limited, so check them out on the Internet at www.ypsilantibrewing.com or call first at 734-637-2532.
The location the Greff's selected at 720 Norris Street also required improvements, but the single-story red-brick building, which looks surprisingly like an old school building from the 40s or 50s, was renovated and built out for a comparatively affordable $1.3 million according to Rene. The building served as the office complex for the large plant next door, which Rene said might be demolished, environmentally cleaned up, and developed into condominiums. This of course would be great for the brewery on the corner.
Thousands of Michigan residents and visiting beer enthusiasts have in recent years become well acquainted with Ypsilanti due to the Michigan Brewers Guild moving their Summer Beer Festival to Frog Island Park in 2001. But beer in Ypsilanti dates back to the 1860s. Like most communities of the day, Ypsi had their own brewery, in fact they had three. Jacob Grob was located on 5 Forest Avenue from 1861 to 1915. Grob must have been successful to last 54 years only to close in the face of Prohibition, but he also spawned two competitors, both opened in 1866. The H. Lee brewing concern (1861 - 1943) survived under a number of different names and owners including Foerster, Hoch, Liberty, Ypsilanti, Vogt and Dawes. The Eagle Brewery on East Congress also began in 1866 but closed ten years later.
So it has been 66 years since Ypsilanti has enjoyed hometown beer. Corner Brewery already has their beers on tap in a couple locations in town but the place to really enjoy them is at the brewery. You can sit inside the eclectically furnished smoke free tavern to sip your locally made brew or take your authentic German style liter mug outside into the 3,500 square foot smoke friendly beer garden.
Rene told us that they involved local residents in all the pre-planning to minimize negative impact and maximize community support. The issues the surrounding residents raised were diffused by incorporating an eight-foot tall fence enclosing the garden, which actually assists the feeling of seclusion, the planting of shrubs and trees which makes the garden a real garden, and a complete ban on outdoor music, encouraging social interaction. Corner will also close earlier than typical bar hours.
Corner Brewery has some 10,000 square feet under roof, with about 2000 for the cafe and 2000 for the tavern and 6000 dedicated to the production of beer. The floor is industrial but smooth concrete. The ceiling is high, showing off the new roof, exposed steel beams and ductwork. As of our June visit the place was about 1/3rd furnished. More furnishings and decor will certainly materialize as Rene finds time to shop more flea markets, garage sales, and thrift shops.
Another big difference between Arbor Brewing Company and Corner Brewery is the menu. Where Arbor has a full service kitchen producing a wide menu of lunch and dinner selections, Corner has a tiny kitchen producing a limited “Snack” menu. But then this is a beer factory, not a restaurant. Still, there is a nice selection of beer soaking foods including brats and chicken, dips and spreads, salty snacks and sweet cookies all reasonably priced below $8.00. There are no waitpersons, so order at the bar.
The bar has two tap towers each with 10 taps. On our early visit they already had their six menu beers on draft. As we talked I sampled all six and found them uniformly well-made, full bodied, and crafted to style, but if you know the Greff's you already knew that.
The new brewhouse came from Rio Salado Brewing Company in Tempe, Arizona. In addition to the 21-barrel brewhouse they have four 42 barrel fermenters and two 32 barrel fermenters. Their products are available for draft dispense but plans call for bottling as well. “We are going to do a small bottle run next week to test product stability and shelf life,” said Matt. Rene added that Arbor “will contract their own brews in bottles for sale to Rave (their distributor) who will then sell it back to Arbor Brewing Co.
All the beers described below are first time brewings on the “new” system and I suspect there may be some tweaking as the system's efficiency is explored and learned.
Helles: at less than 5% ABV this golden lager is clean and light with a crispness that is sure to please golden lager fans. This offering is an on-premise exclusive, only available at the brewery, by the glass, growler or keg.
Brasserie Blonde, 5.75% ABV, turned out to be my favorite, largely because blonde beers are traditionally training wheel brews and this unfiltered Belgian-style amber offering was a full flavored mouth filling experience. Peachy.
Bavarian Bliss Hefeweizen, 5.75% ABV, a traditional Munich style unfiltered wheat beer made with the correct yeast to produce the characteristic fruity and spicy notes expected of the style. This example leans toward clove with a slight hop bitterness.
Red Snapper Special Bitter, 5% ABV, was presented bright showing off a deep mahogany color. This ale was full bodied with great mouthfeel and a firm bitterness that dried on the finish.
Sacred Cow I.P.A., 6.25% ABV, had both the firm malty support lacking in so many bitter beers, as well as the expected dose of hop aroma, flavor and bitterness. Neither harsh nor astringent, this is an immensely drinkable I.P.A.
Old Number 22 Alt Bier, 5% ABV, this dark ale was bright with a light roast bitterness and hops balancing this clean German ale style.
I inquired about hand-pulled cask versions so popular at Arbor being served here at Corner. The reply was that the thinking was leaning toward the West German style gravity dispense used in Cologne and Düsseldorf.
The Greffs' plan calls for a slow controlled growth curve, soft opening, with Matt learning every nuance of the brewing system while brewing all the beers until he has them dialed in exactly the way he wants them. Only then will he consider hiring a brewer.
Other plans for down the road include a deck in the beer garden, a small winemakers license, and someday even a micro-distillers license. You can keep track of their progress by visiting them in person or online at www.cornerbrewery.blogspot.com.
Corner Brewery is open noon to 11:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 10:00 p.m. Sunday. There is lots of free parking on both sides of the brewery. MBG

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