This is my favorite picture from our opening day. Four kids peering with fascination into the brewery. This is exactly what we hoped for when we dreamed about opening a beer garden in Ypsilanti.

Those who frequent the Corner know that there has been a bit of a hullabaloo in recent weeks regarding some "kids gone wild".

I recently discoverd some blog activity regarding signs that were posted last weekend in an effort to make sure that parents understood the need to supervise their kids at the Corner. It was never our intention to make parents feel self-conscious or to feel like second-class citizens. The signs were posted precisely because we want to continue to welcome families. At least one couple who loves the Corner has expressed sadness over a cloud of intimidation that settled in with the posting of those signs. They were kind enough to propose new language and I will be replacing the signs today.

I think the hard thing is that there really is a fine line that is difficult to precisely define. I have specifically told parents that I don't mind kids standing on the couches. That's why we bought beat up furniture. But feet on the seat is different from climbing on the backs and arms of the couches. Just like standing on a picnic bench to get a better angle on your coloring or a better view of the world is different from leaping from table to table.

In the end, the Corner really belongs as much to our regulars as is does to us. We created it for you (we'd be pretty lonely out there all by ourselves!) And if it isn't a space where you feel comfortable than we won't be successful. We invite your feedback and appreciate your support.

Blonde Wins!
We are very proud to report that our Brasserie Blonde won a silver medal at the World Expo of Beer last weekend.

The Blonde is our only bottled beer to date that was not a long-standing Arbor Brewing Company recipe. It was developed specifically for production and distribution at the Corner Brewery.

It was originally slated to be a summer seasonal. But its instant popularity both on tap at the Corner and through distibution in bottles and kegs compelled us to offer it year-round.

The Brasserie Blonde label pays homage to the old Brasserie Greff in Nancy, France in the late 1800s through the mid 1900s. Brasserie Greff (Greff Brewery in French) made a blonde and a brune. We conceived the blonde recipe in the French farmhouse tradition and then injected a bit of Belgian character with the addition of sweet orange peel and coriander.

The Blonde is made with a standard ale yeast rather than the wheat yeast people often expect. So it is not a Wit. And it is also not a wheat beer - it contains 100% malted barley.

But I guess all you really need to know is that it is delicious - and now sports a shiny new silver medal.

Beer Scout Oath
On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to lagers and ales and to obey the Beer Scout Law; To make good beer at all times; To keep my beer fresh and full-flavored, unfiltered and unpasteurized, and true to style.

A Beer Scout is:
Trustworthy (won't drink your beer when you get up to use the restroom)
Helpful (helps strangers find their way to the craft beer aisle)
Courteous (will always make room on the bottling line for a friend)
Cheerful (especially after a couple of Jackhammers)
Thrifty (no, that's not the same as cheap)
Brave (enough to drink other people's crazy homebrews)
Clean (yeah, that's just wierd)
Reverent (all right, not so much)

What's this all about? Come to the (Dark) Corner June 19th from 6-8 and see for yourself.