Bell's Brewery is here!

by Cathan Cokely

Bell's Brews on hitimewine.net 

As of today, the Southern California beer world will never be the same. What has been anticipated for years is finally happening, Bell's Brewery is hitting the shelves and on tap across Orange County.  Our shipment arrived today, February 23, and is here waiting for you! 

Started in 1983 by Larry Bell in Kalamazoo, Michigan, he took his humble beginning with his 15-gallon soup pot and with time, hard work and thoughtful planning, grew into a countrywide powerhouse, brewing over 310,000 barrels in 2014.

Seizing the craft beer revolution wave, Bell's Brewery never took a break from their expansion aspirations, growing their homebrew store and small brewing operation into a statewide brewing power, increasing their production up to 500 barrels in 1989. Moving forward to 1993, Larry Bell opened up the Eccentric Café which was the first brewery pub located on site of the brew house in Michigan. It was the early stages of the craft beer revolution and Bell's Brewery initially struggled in the beer industry due to them brewing more full-bodied, intensely-flavored brews while competing against the domestic beer companies, who made lighter beers in general, and in greater quantity.

As the craft beer revolution wave rolled across the U.S., Bell's saw an opportunity to seize these new growing markets and currently are distributed in 20 states including Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. through around 80 different distributors. After the initial struggle then steady continued growth in the 90s, Mr. Bell looked towards an even larger expansion in nearby Comstock with a 130,000 square foot facility on 32 acres in 2003. This was the first major stepping stone in establishing Bell's Brewery as a widely sought after brew by beer geeks across the nation. After even more demand from the growing craft beer world, Bell's Brewery added on a 200-barrel brew house in 2012 including fourteen 400-barrel fermentation tanks, new grain handling facilities and an employee care area.

The most recent expansion focused in on adding a new canning line in 2014 along with two 800-barrel fermentation tanks. A main focus for Larry Bell in the midst of all of this growth over the last 30 years was to keep the environment and community of Michigan in mind during every step. The focus of sustainability and support of the natural environment is something that Bell's Brewery believes is one of the main factors in being able to brew delicious beers as well as keep their expanding business profitable and environmentally friendly.

Starting before and with the farm they expanded to in 2008, Bell's Brewery made it a goal for their company to be “...aware of how we impact our surroundings, [so] we can act in ways that provide for economic, environmental, and social benefits to ourselves (and our children) in the future.” With environmental awareness accompanying their taste for continuous expansion, Bell's took every opportunity to lessen their company footprint on the environment at every step along the way. Beginning with the 80-acre farm in Shepherd, Michigan, they committed themselves to producing 100% non-GMO crops and using no-till farming to prevent soil erosion while also using non-water contaminating fertilizers that help improve soil quality along the way.

Once those grains are harvested, they are brought to the new facilities that have been recently constructed under the same theme of keeping an eye on nature and the future. These different facilities have numerous eco-friendly additions such as the sedum green roof in combination with a light-colored exterior membrane on the barrel house that work together to provide insulation, lower heat radiation and reduce the need for heating or air conditioning. They also use Geo-thermal heating where tons of piping are laid down underneath the earth to contribute to heating and cooling of the air being pumped into these facilities. It's not only the construction that is green-aware; they also care about the goods coming in and out by recycling almost everything they can. Whether it be the 50,000 pounds of spent grain they give to local farmers to feed their cows or their support of local farms with the Avalon farms partnership they have that supports local crops, Bell's Brewery is making it a company wide point to keep the environment and local community in mind.

While their process and quality standards are something to admire; it is true that the end product is the real gem of Bell's Brewery: the delicious brews that arrived at our store today. Below is a list of all the beers currently available for us with brewery descriptions. We should be seeing more seasonal brews as time passes but this massive load of different beers and styles should help keep you busy till then.   

Oarsman Ale

Designed as a flavorful session beer, Oarsman Ale uses a classic German brewing technique to impart a light, refreshing tartness. Oarsman Ale grew out of a desire to explore the tradition of session beers, trading intensity for finesse while still creating a worthwhile experience for the taster. The grain bill includes a healthy portion of wheat, while citrusy hops lend bright notes to the aroma. Fermented with Bell’s house ale yeast, Oarsman comes in at 4.0% alcohol by volume. Rather than being the dominant flavor note, the tartness in Oarsman takes on more of a palate-cleansing role, making it perfect for pairing with food.

Bell's Amber Ale  

Amber Ale deftly balances a mixture of toasted grain & light caramel notes with a range of floral, citrus and herbal hop notes, capped by a clean bitterness. This balance of flavors makes Amber Ale quite versatile as a food pairing option, not to mention being rather tasty in its own right. Whether serving as a jumping point to other styles or as a familiar standby, Amber Ale is central to the Bell’s portfolio.

Bell's Two Hearted Ale

Bell's Two Hearted Ale is defined by its intense hop aroma and malt balance. Hopped exclusively with the Centennial hop varietal from the Pacific Northwest, massive additions in the kettle and again in the fermenter lend their characteristic grapefruit and pine resin aromas. A significant malt body balances this hop presence; together with the signature fruity aromas of Bell's house yeast, this leads to a remarkably drinkable American-style India Pale Ale.

Bell's Porter 

One of our many award-winning beers, Porter emphasizes the darker, roasted aspects of malt. Hints of dark chocolate and freshly roasted coffee provide the focus, while hops remain in the background. Not as full-bodied as a stout, Porter bridges the gap between malty brown ales and our more heavily roasted stouts.

Kalamazoo Stout

Kalamazoo Stout represents stouts in the Bell's year-round roster, offering a blend of dark chocolate and coffee flavors with just a hint of brewer's licorice. One of our oldest recipes, it balances a significant hop presence against the roast malt body. 

Commonly asked trivia 

The brewer's licorice we use is gelatin-free, making it acceptable for vegetarians; the label comes from a series of portraits by a local artist.

Third Coast Beer

Assertively hopped, Third Coast Beer offers a crisp, dry bitterness with a mixture of floral & herbal aromas.

Trivia: A series of 24 different front labels map all 3,288 miles of the Michigan coastline, touching four of the five Great Lakes.

Bell's Oberon Ale

Bell's Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with Bell's signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas. The addition of wheat malt lends a smooth mouthfeel, making it a classic summer beer.

Midwestern Pale Ale

Brewed with barley from our farm in central Michigan, Midwestern Pale Ale stands apart from the model of completely hop-dominated pale ales, offering a noticeable degree of malt body to counter the hop bitterness. A blend of floral & herbal hop notes provide the aromatic & flavor highlights, alongside the distinctive contribution of our house ale yeast. A crisp bitterness finishes the experience without being harsh.

Cherry Stout

Tinted ruby-black, Cherry Stout gains its signature tartness from 100% Montmorency cherries grown in Michigan's Traverse City region. Rather than doubling up on sweetness, this tart cherry varietal serves as a counterpoint to the warm, dark chocolate notes from the malt bill. Lightly hopped for balance, this stout is one of the cornerstones of the Bell's stout portfolio.

Double Cream Stout

Special Double Cream Stout derives its name from its smooth, creamy texture, not the ingredients. Completely dairy-free, this stout blends ten different specialty malts to yield a remarkable depth of flavor. With only a touch of burnt notes, Special Double Cream Stout focuses on the softer, cocoa & espresso-like aspects of roasted malt.

Java Stout

Java Stout uses a custom blend of coffee beans, roasted locally for us by Water Street Coffee Joint, to generate its intense flavor. Possessing an unmistakable aromatic punch, Java Stout has long been one of our most popular stouts.

Third Coast Ale

Third Coast Old Ale focuses on malt, offering notes of burnt caramel & other earthy malt flavors. Designed with vintage aging in mind, the malt aspect is matched to a heavy complement of hops. Sharply bitter at first, this will fold into the malt character over time and bala nce out the maltiness.

Expedition Stout

One of the earliest examples of the Russian Imperial Stout in the United States, Expedition Stout offers immensely complex flavors crafted specifically with vintage aging in mind, as its profile will continue to mature and develop over the years. A huge malt body is matched to a heady blend of chocolate, dark fruits, and other aromas. Intensely bitter in its early months, the flavors will slowly meld and grow in depth as the beer ages.

Read more about the Bell's Brewery story at bellsbeer.com.