Tastemakers: Green Winter Solstice Party/Bell‘s Christmas Ale

Dec. 14, 2008

Green Winter
Solstice Party

Chris “Wink” Winkelman has a lot of irons in the fire. He is the front-man for the band Soul Patch. In between gigs he operates the Home Grown Eatery in Traverse City (near the West Bay beach volleyball courts). This weekend Wink is doing something else he enjoys: organizing and promoting a music festival that is rooted in social causes involving the environment and the food we eat. The Green Winter Solstice Party will take place Friday and Saturday night at Short’s Brewery in Bellaire.
The two-night event will feature music from Wink’s band, The Fun-Dub-Mentals both nights, Luke Winslow King on Friday night and Pinky Lee on Saturday night. Offering samples of their products will be the Grain Train, Oryana Food Co-op, Home Grown Organic Eatery, Serenity Tea Bar and Cafe, Higher Grounds Coffee, Unity Fair-Trade Market Place, Paradigm Energy and Short’s Brewery. They will also have representatives on hand to talk about “how to go green” in your daily life.
Wink is organizing a shuttle service from Traverse City via the Celtic Shuttle. The bus trip for $25 includes a round-trip ticket to the concert, complimentary beverages, and munchies.
Those munchies will include a new line of food Wink has recently released. He is calling it the “Some of the Best Ever” product line from the Home Grown Kitchen. It’s all small-batch organic dips and salsas, including Garlic Hummus, Tabbouleh, Black Bean Dip Fresh Tomato Salsa (both hot and mild) and Fresh South West Corn & Tomato Salsa. Products are available throughout Northern Michigan.
For more information on Wink’s new product line or this weekend’s Green Winter Solstice Party, call (231)920-9229.

Bell’s Christmas Ale

In November, breweries typically start releasing their “winter” beers. While using “Christmas” is considered politically incorrect by some, a handful of breweries release a Christmas Ale each year. Welcome Bell’s Brewery to the mix. The “godfather” of the Michigan craftbrew industry, Bell’s continues its popularity not only in Michigan but throughout the Midwest with an assortment of beer styles.
Christmas ales tend to have hints of holiday baking spices. A couple of years ago I profiled Anchor Steam, which has been brewing a Christmas Ale for 33 years. Each year the recipe is a little different but there are always notes of holiday spice. Bell’s, on the other hand, has created a flavorful Christmas Ale minus those holiday spices. It appears to be along the lines of a Scotch ale. It was brewed with 100 percent Michigan barley and a blend of Michigan and Pacific Northwest Hops.
It is hard to say what Bell’s will do in the future with their Christmas Ale. In fact, they have been sort of marketing this beer underground, as they do not even list it on their website. Word on the street is Bell’s Christmas Ale is almost sold-out, so if you are interested, hurry. This is another solid offering from Bell’s and worth the ten bucks for a six-pack. Enjoy over the holidays and pair with good beef, I plan to serve it Christmas Eve with Chateau Briand. Bell’s Christmas Ale is available throughout Northern Michigan while supplies last.