Latest Reviews

Double Dry Hopped pseudoSue
Toppling Goliath
Modus Vivendi
Wild Beer Co.
Spaceman
Brewfist

Recent Articles

Shameless
Craft brewer sellouts become as tone-deaf and underhanded as their new overlords. Great Taste Eve
Check out the burgeoning Madison beer scene the night before the best fest in country. Good Beer Makes Good Conversation
The effects of drinking beer worth talking about. The Beers of Walmart
The largest retailer in the world now has its own line of beers. Our Take on the Lagunitas-Heineken Deal
Fuck Lagunitas. archives »

Beer Reviews

Big Buck

Big Buck Brewery & Steakhouse
Gaylord, MI
USA
http://www.bigbuck.com

Style: Blond Ale
ABV: 5.2%

Rings’s Rating:
   (Recommended)


Comments:
Big Buck Brewery & Steakhouse in Gaylord is a bit of a Michigan-enigma. They were one of the early players in Michigan, dating back to 1995 when their huge “beer” bottles served as a lighthouse for Northern Michigan travelers heading north on I-75. They also operated satellite brewpubs in Grand Rapids, metro Detroit and Texas for a time and employed numerous brewers over the years. In fact, they were one of the entities pushing to change Michigan law to allow brewery owners to operate multiple locations, something not allowed under the original brewpub and microbrewery licenses.

Their beers were by and large “training wheel” brews—nothing too extreme, in an effort to attract “mainstream” beer drinkers and their food was an ode to the carnivore who liked his protein cooked thoroughly.

I stopped by their flagship location on a recent trip to Mackinac Island and was pleased to discover that original brewer and manager Scott Graham was back at the helm. A large figure in the Michigan beer scene, Graham has also served numerous roles as a brewer, distributor, and leader. Since 2007, he’s also served as Executive Director of the Michigan Brewers’ Guild.

They only had a half dozen brews on tap—down from their usual dozen or so—but each was much improved from recent experiences.

Their starter brew was their Big Buck, and American style ale with corn in the mash, replicating an American light lager. It has surprising mouth feel with a fruity, creamed corn nose. It was nonetheless pleasant. Pouring a light straw color, with a thin head, it finished crisp with the faintest of hop bite. A “light” beer, no doubt, it was still better than almost any canned swill and actually tasted like beer.

This is a fair effort and great place for any commercial beer drinker to start.


Reviewed by Rings on July 30, 2012.

Drinkin’ And Thinkin’

Beer Dorks News

Want to know how healthy the craft beer industry is? As always, look to Portland. Craft pioneer Bridgeport announces sudden closure, adding to a growing list of PDX casualties. Did Anheuser-Busch Chicago offer their shit beer to Cody Parkey before his missed field goal? Because that may explain why he "accidentally" biffed it. Chicago now has the most breweries of any city in the country. Other things Chicago has the most of: murders, mobsters, and Ditkas. Trying to spin it positive, BA releases end of year graphic. Only 5% growth in the craft sector when nearly 1000 new breweries opened? That's a collapse waiting to happen. R.I.P. Tallgrass... another casualty as the regional/national craft beer market continues to get squeezed. Wait... Constellation Brands cut all of the Ballast Point and Funky Buddha sales staff? They merged it with their Corona/Modelo staff?? We're SHOCKED!!! Pizza Beer founder crying about failure of company, blames everyone else. Reminder, the beer tasted like vomit. Try having better ideas or making better products so you're not a failure. It's Bud Light so doesn't really matter, but we expect this beer to be sitting around for awhile. Indiana brewery to open with controversial beer names to "get the conversation going". Translation: taking advantage of serious issues for free publicity. Hundreds of amazing beers in Wisconsin and the Cubs took back the one everyone drinks just because it exists and people have heard of it. How fitting...