Alright, so a little over 3 weeks late but definitely worth talking about. Arbor Brewing Company was one of the first breweries in Michigan to make a sour beer. Their main pub, the Corner Brewery, is located in Ypsilanti, MI where it is nestled in some woods and houses a very nice beer garden. It’s a great atmosphere to go hang out with friends, play some card/board games (bring your own or use the ones there), and drink some delicious beers.

Velvet Hammer is a seasonal beer that’s released on May 31st. It’s a Belgian-dubbel style base beer that is aged in oak cask. But why let me tell you when you can just click the link and read about it yourself! Needless to say it’s 8.5% ABV and very delicious. I liked it, but thought it felt a little heavy.

We arrived around 7 PM, and we were definitely hungry. Unfortunately it had been raining so the beer garden was pretty empty at the time we arrived. One of the great things about Corner Brewery is their diverse menu, and if you have friends that are vegetarian they have vegan and vegetarian options for them too! One of my favorite things there is the pizza, the crust is sublime. What I actually ordered that night was the veggie brat because it piqued my curiosity. It definitely tasted like some Chinese dish I’ve had before but I could NOT put my finger on it and neither could Sarah. I devoured it and we continued to drink. Of course I ordered a Velvet Hammer immediately.

We were there to enjoy the Velvet Hammer release but also to celebrate my successful thesis defense, putting me within arm’s reach of my Master’s. John, Sarah, and Twin ended up buying me a beer each. They were all delicious and John was driving so how could I argue?

While we were drinking and waiting for the Burlesque show to start (more on that later), Twin went into their pile of games and pulled out an old jewelry box intent on discovering the contents enclosed within. We were delighted to see Jenga, but not just any Jenga – drinking Jenga! Every colored block had a question or a dare or something on it that you were supposed to do. Someone had written “would you rather?” questions on the plain wood blocks and so we started a game to pass the time.

Around 10 PM the Burlesque show started, so we made our way to the stage they had set up and got some good seats to watch the show. I had the forethought not to take any pictures during the show, so all I can do is describe it. It was indeed a Burlesque show, topless girls and all. It was very tastefully done with pasties, dancing, and music associated with it. It was very classy. We were impressed – especially when they had two acts that involved ribbon acrobatics. There was only one act that I neither understood or liked, but overall very well done and very tasteful. Unfortunately a few times I started dozing off due to the excessive amounts of drinking and the amount of heat that was being generated by all the bodies in such a small area. But everything I was alert for was great!

At the end we were all getting tired, but we made sure to check out the fire dancers that were in the beer garden first. it was pretty awesome. All I can offer you is the below video and pictures.

Anyways, it was an awesome event and I will be sure to attend next year! See you there!

-Evilmanta