Hello all!

Sometimes all you need to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy a taco. Fortunately, Singing Chihuahua Taco Truck is back on their regular routine of setting up in the Klockow parking lot, every Wednesday and Saturday. We do love our food truck comrades here at the brewery, so it's always a cause for celebration when they make their way back after the winter break.

(I don't know when any of you will be reading this, but if you stop by their truck on a day when the special is garlic chicken tacos, get them! I mean, provided you like garlic, because they are definitely something for the garlic lover in your life.)

Speaking of garlic, er, um, because it's a plant... this friday Klockow is hosting a Plant Exchange! (How's that for a segue!?) It's a spring tradition here at the brewery, to give some space to our favorite neighborhood green thumbs to hob knob with one another, make some trades, and of course a few sales as well. And so especially since this Sunday is Mother's Day, it could be a perfect time to find a bit of greenery for the woman who gave you everything.

And with all that extra oxygen that you'll be getting from the plants you picked up on Friday, maybe you use that breath for some brewery yoga on Saturday morning! (I have a feeling that my segues are getting better!) Brewery Yoga with Kelly will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, and is a free one hour vinyasa yoga session. We just ask that participants make a minimum $10 donation for the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. And, as per usual, be sure to stick around afterward for a pint to rejuvenate yourself.

And on Sunday (sorry, I'm completely out of segues), we will be doing our monthly second Sunday Board Games and Records Day! Wanna organize a game with friends, or otherwise want to just try to recruit a willing person to join your campaign, we're your place! Have some records that you want to knock the dust off of to listen to while you down a pint, then look no further. Just another part of our ongoing Sunday Funday antics.

NEW BEER ALERT:

This might be a bit early to say too much about, but we got a new beer coming out. For those in the know, Panopticon, the world-famous black metal band whom our esteemed owner/head brewer, Andy Klockow, happens to play bass for, will be kicking off an upcoming tour by performing at the brewery on Memorial Day weekend. So in honor of the concert, a beer must be born! And so the Klockow/Hammerheart collaboration Chase the Grain Northern IPA came to be! This slightly smoky, spruce tipped IPA is brewed with Nugget Hops and Kviek yeast and named after the last song on Panopticons album "Roads to the North," which is celebrating its 10 year anniversary.

"It's tongue-in-cheek because literally everything we do is chasing grain," joked Andy regarding his brewing process.

Keep your eyes peeled, your ears open, and your nose to the grindstone for further news of Chase the Grain's release.

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: long-time regular at the taproom, Brian Crowe

Question: How long have you been a regular here?

Brian Crowe: I think only about three years, as a regular. It hasn't been that long. It took me awhile to actually come here, and I don't know why.

Q: What's your favorite Klockow beer?

BC: I don't necessarily have a favorite. I have multiples that I like a lot. Supply Line (Hazy IPA), One Aught (Cold IPA), Siduri's Garden (Saison); depends on the season, depends on the day.

Q: If all those are on tap, which one would you pick?

BC: Probably Siduri's Garden, because it's the least likely to be on tap! Or just for a short amount of time, I mean.

Q: When you're not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?

BC: Mountain Dew Kickstart Fruit Punch. It's my coffee.

Q: Sticking with the theme, what are some of your favorite foods?

BC: A lot of smoked barbque. Ribs. I like smoked fish. And I've become a fan of sushi!

Q: What do you do for work?

BC: I'm employed by Pepsi Cola as a service technician. Which means I fix anything that dispenses Pepsi products; bar guns, fountain machines, coolers, vending machines. I've done just about every job in the company over 25 years.

Q: What do you like to do for fun?

BC: Camping, curling, and hanging out by a bonfire!

Q: What's a fun/interesting fact about yourself?

BC: That's difficult. I can't think of anything... Only thing I can think of is that I've participated in BBQ contests, rib contests. In three years, we went from 9 out of 10, to third. It was ribs.

Q: Was there a secret to your success?

BC: Yeah, and it's a secret! But we did change the recipe. We went from 9th, to 7th, to 3rd, and it was the last year that we changed the recipe.

Q: And lastly, if you could be transported back to any time or place in history, when and where would it be and why?

BC: Oh gosh... Actually, the land rush days when everybody was claiming their lands, where it was a free-for-all run to stake your land, I'd like to go back and see that. That's kind of a cool thing; now it takes so much to get a piece of property. Back then, well, you had to work hard on it to make it work, but you worked for what you got. Now you work for everything but you can't get as much.

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Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff