The List – Winner’s of June 2020

Michiganders began to assume a new normal in relation to going out to participate in in-person ventures during June 2020. COVID-19 was still a threat, so people have had to change old habits if they wanted to dine in a restaurant or have a drink at a bar or brewery.

The Better on Draft team grew during the month of June and podcasts continued via Zoom. We’re hoping to be back in the studio soon and are aiming to continue to provide more website content than ever before.

As for the winners of June, we have a ton of great ones to share with you! Liquids are in alphabetical order based on brewery name.

No Stout About It – BAD Brewing Company (Mason, MI) ~ Ed

“I had a ton of beer adventures during June. One of the highlights was being a guest on the State of MI Sports podcast. I was able to check out a few new breweries in Michigan, too, yet, I also enjoyed a few of my longtime favorite breweries. BAD Brewing Company is one of my favorites in the state. All month long I’ve been drinking lighter beers and hard seltzers, and I needed to change things up. As I sat on a socially distant barstool in downtown Mason, I ordered No Stout About It on nitro. This stout was so smooth yet dry and roasty. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer as my changeup!”

Macadamia White Chocolate Stout – The Eighth State Brewing Company (Greenville, SC) + Untitled Art (Waunakee, WI) ~ Wendy

“If you haven’t figured it out yet, stouts and Belgians fight it out for the top spot in my heart on a regular basis. With Perrin’s No Rules Day and New Holland’s Day of the Dragon releases happening recently, you’d think one of those would have won out this month. BUT … I was lucky to have a friend offer to proxy me beers from The Eighth State Brewing Company in Greenville, SC last month.

While the release that month was amazing, I also had her pick me up a four-pack of the Macadamia White Chocolate Stout collaboration with Untitled Art. This stout was 15% so it was not for the faint of heart. Don’t like your stouts sweet? Send it my way! It was literally one of the best beers I’ve ever tasted. It was just the right thickness and tasted just like a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. Spot on. It’s definitely a dessert beer and I’m sad that I shared the four-pack with another person because I don’t have any left.”

Tropical Diabolical – North Peak Brewing Company (Traverse City, MI) ~ Bill

“My pick last month was O’Fallon’s Wheach, which was sold out at all the stores I frequent in my area. I had a tip from Ed that there may be some at a place I was not familiar with, so I popped in but was sadly disappointed. I looked around for something else to try. I wanted something fruity and around the same style as Wheach. I wound up with North Peak Brewing Company‘s Tropical Diabolical. It’s their standard Diabolical IPA with the addition of passion fruit, pineapple, guava, tangerine, and sweet orange peel. It was also brewed with eight varieties of hops. I found it a nice, hoppy, and fruity way to end these summer days. Tropical Diabolical IPA clocks in at 6.66% ABV and 66.6 IBUs (eyeroll) and comes in cans for easy transport to the lawnmower. Just watch out for the Jackalopes.”

Only Gose To Show – One Well Brewing (Kalamazoo, MI) ~ Dani

“My favorite beer of June was One Well Brewing‘s Only Gose To Show, a lime gose that tastes a lot like a margarita (which is never, ever, ever a bad thing). It made me want to sit at a patio table and watch people walk by on the street. That’s particularly ironic considering the state of the state right now. It’s got a delicious oiliness that reminded me of sour IPAs and the lime was just the right amount of tart.”

Coffee Latte – Perrin Brewing Co. (Comstock Park, MI) ~ Weasel

Weasel had a tough time deciding between two beers for his favorite in June. He decided to highlight Perrin Brewing Co‘s Coffee Latte. According to Untappd, Coffee Latte is a “full-bodied brown ale with coffee, light chocolate notes, and rich roasted aromatics with added milk sugar for a creamy malt finish.” Sounds like a winner to me! Nice pick, Weasel!

Brut – Vander Mill (Spring Lake, MI) ~ Ken

“I’m always excited to see stubby cans like these at the store because then I don’t feel I have to commit to something big. I wish I saw more of this smaller can format from the bigger beer brands. The Brut from Vander Mill is a zero sugar cider that comes in at 6.5%. It was easy to drink, had the right amount of sweet, and has been nice for the month to drink when I didn’t want to drink a lot or open a bigger can.”

Cheers!