Beer lovers from across the region will descend upon Calder Plaza in Grand Rapids this Saturday from 4-8pm for Brews at the Calder. The event is celebrating 10 years of Grand Rapids being named Beer City USA, and a main attraction is the Pro-AM Competition hosted by the Beer City Brewers Guild.
Each year, the Pro-AM Competition pairs homebrewers with local breweries to create unique beers that are available for tasting during Brews at the Calder. Among the 30 teams participating in the competition, Lowell has at least three representatives.
On the pro side, Big Boiler Brewing has been paired up with Jeremy Gavin. Meanwhile, Lowell residents and homebrewers Beau Johnson and Bob Rogers will also be also competing. Johnson, along with friend Jacob Pegg, teamed up with Sacred Springs while Bob Rogers developed his brew with Gravel Bottom Craft Brewery.
For Rogers, the opportunity to participate in the Pro-AM Competition was a chance to mark one more item off his bucket list. “My goal was to brew at a big brewery,” he explains.
He got that chance thanks to the Beer City Brewers Guild, and now everyone age 21 and older can try out his Almond Joy-inspired beer either during Brews at the Calder or on tap at Gravel Bottom Craft Brewery.
Hands-On Experience Making Beer
Rogers first started homebrewing beer in 2016 with Johnson and Pegg. “You drink something you like it, and you want to make it yourself,” he says.
The three eventually got pretty good at what they did and began entering their beers in various competitions. These were held by businesses and organizations ranging from Siciliano’s Market to the Kent District Library. Participants could earn points during those competitions, and the top 30 homebrewers in the area, based on points, were invited to join the Pro-AM Competition.
Being paired with Gravel Bottom Craft Brewery – located down the road in Ada – was a good fit for Rogers. One of his goals was to be able to get hands on experience with the entire brewing process, and brewery staff were happy to help make that happen.
“I didn’t want to just do the fun things,” Rogers says. Rather than mix in a few ingredients and call it good, the homebrewer wanted to be involved in everything from setting up equipment to cleaning it. He says it was surprising how physically demanding the work was, but in the end, it was worth it.
“[The experience] definitely met my expectations,” according to Rogers.
Making a Beer Everyone Will Like
As for what to brew, Rogers developed his beer in collaboration with Nick, the professional brewer at Gravel Bottom Craft Brewery.
“I love brewing with coconut and chocolate,” Rogers says. Nick then suggested adding almonds. With more tweaking, the final beer can be best described as a salted Almond Joy milk stout and goes by the name Headcase.
While Rogers favorite type of beer is a Saison – he once won a gold medal for a black Saison he brewed using chai concentrate from Sweet Seasons coffeehouse in Lowell – he knew that was an acquired taste. “I wanted something that would have the most people liking it,” he explains. “The Saisons are hit or miss.”
You can decide for yourself if the stout brewed by Rogers is a hit or miss by heading down to Calder Plaza on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 4-8pm for the Brews at the Calder event. Visitors of legal drinking age can buy tickets to try the beers brewed for the Pro-AM Competition.
If you can’t make it to downtown Grand Rapids, Rogers says Gravel Bottom Craft Brewery in Ada will also have Headcase on tap until it runs out.
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