Best Places To Buy Griffin Claw Beer

Griffin Claw Brewing Company is a family-friendly neighborhood taproom located in the emerging Rail District of Birmingham, Michigan. They offer a diverse range of products, including craft cocktails, craft beer, craft hard cider, hard seltzers, and wine. The company strives to create an inclusive environment for all, starting with the products they offer. Their beer selection includes a variety of ales, stouts, IPAs, and lagers, with different flavors and alcohol percentages to suit different tastes. Griffin Claw Brewing Company has two locations in Michigan, with addresses 575 South Eton Street, Birmingham, MI 48009, and 2265 Crooks Rd Rochester Hills, MI 48309.

Griffin Claw Brewing Company's Birmingham location

The Griffin Claw Brewing Company's Birmingham location is found in an emerging rail district off Eton Street, at 575 South Eton Street, Birmingham, MI 48009. The company was started in 2013 by Mary Nicholson and Bonnie LePage and has since grown thanks to community support. The Birmingham location is the original taproom, with a second production facility in Rochester, referred to as the "Think Tank", opening later.

The Birmingham taproom is known for its traditional outdoor biergarten, which attracts locals and surrounding communities alike. The environment is family-friendly, with several children's options on the menu. The taproom offers a range of drinks, including beer, cider, mead, selzter, and wine, as well as food. The beer selection includes year-round beers such as Mr. Blue Sky, an American Wheat Ale, and El Rojo, a Red Ale. They also have seasonal offerings, like the summer draft El Ligero, a Mexican Lager with Lime.

The taproom is open from 12 pm to 11 pm, with varying hours on Sundays. It is rated highly on Tripadvisor, with particular praise for the beer, food, and atmosphere. The indoor seating is described as having a laid-back atmosphere with a giant bar, and there is also an outdoor patio. The food is described as "good", with a particular mention of the Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos, Chicken Sandwich, and Fish and Chips. The brewery also offers a range of gluten-free and vegan options.

The Griffin Claw Brewing Company strives to create an inclusive environment for all, with a promise that "you’ll find something to enjoy with friends, crafted with love and discretion".

Beer varieties and their ABV

The Griffin Claw Brewing Company is based in Birmingham, Michigan, and has two locations open from 12pm to 11pm. The company makes a diverse range of products, including:

Beer varieties can be divided into two main categories: ales and lagers. Ales are brewed at warmer temperatures than lagers, resulting in a faster fermentation process and a more complex flavour profile. Lagers, on the other hand, are known for their crisp, clean taste and are typically brewed at cooler temperatures.

ABV (alcohol by volume) measures the alcohol content in beer and can range from 3% in light beers to over 10% in stronger brews. Here are some beer varieties and their ABV:

• IPAs (India Pale Ales): IPAs are known for their bold hop flavours and aromas. American IPAs tend to be more hop-forward, with higher alcohol content and more pronounced bitterness. Double IPAs or Imperial IPAs have an even higher alcohol content. New England IPAs are characterised by their hazy appearance and low bitterness.
• Stouts: Stouts are dark, rich beers with robust flavours and a creamy mouthfeel. Irish dry stout, made popular by Guinness, has a distinctive cascading effect in the glass and dry, roasted malt flavours with hints of coffee and chocolate. Oatmeal stouts are brewed with oats, resulting in a smooth, silky mouthfeel and notes of roasted coffee and chocolate. Imperial stouts have high alcohol content, rich malt flavours, and complex aromas, often featuring notes of dark fruits.
• Porters: Porters are similar to stouts but tend to be less intense in flavour. They are dark and robust, with a rich history dating back to the 18th century in England. American Imperial Porters have higher alcohol content and intense flavours, including notes of roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee. English Brown Porters offer a more moderate take on this style, with a balanced flavour profile.
• Pilsners: Pilsners are light, crisp lagers with a clean, refreshing taste. The classic American lager is a type of pilsner widely consumed in the United States. German Pilsners have a pale golden colour and a floral hop aroma, while Czech or Bohemian Pilsners have a rich malt character and a spicy hop aroma.
• Wheat Beers: Wheat beer is made with wheat as the malt, giving it a refreshing and crisp taste. American Pale Wheat Beer is light and easy to drink, with a pale colour and mild hop bitterness. Berliner Weisse is a traditional German wheat beer that is light-bodied and often served with flavoured syrup to balance out its sourness. Hefeweizen is another German wheat beer, known for its cloudy appearance, full body, and effervescent carbonation.
• Pale Ales: Pale ales offer a balanced mix of hoppy bitterness and malt sweetness. American Pale Ales are hop-forward, while Blonde Ales are a lighter, more delicate version with a focus on crisp, clean flavours. English Pale Ales have a rich malt profile and an earthy hop character.
• Bock Beers: Bock beers are traditional German-style beers with a rich malt character and robust flavours. They can range from pale to dark in colour and often have notes of caramel and toast. Weizenbock is a wheat bock beer with fruity and spicy notes. Maibock or Helles Bock is a pale bock beer that is lighter in colour and body.
• Brown Ales: Brown ales are malt-forward beers with a deep amber-to-dark brown colour and flavours of caramel, nuts, and toffee. English Brown Ales have a malt-forward profile with minimal hop bitterness, while American Brown Ales have a more balanced flavour profile, combining malty sweetness with moderate hop bitterness.
• Belgian Ales: Belgian beers are known for their spiced fruity flavours and high alcohol content. Belgian Pale Ales offer balanced maltiness and hop bitterness, while Belgian Tripels have a higher alcohol content and a complex malt profile. Belgian Saisons, also known as farmhouse ales, have a fruity and peppery yeast character.
• Specialty Beers: Specialty beers offer unique and diverse options, including sour ales, gluten-free beers, farmhouse ales, and experimental brews. Pumpkin beer and chocolate beer are also seasonal favourites.

The Griffin Claw Brewing Company offers a range of beers with varying ABVs, including:

• Screamin' Pumpkin Ale: Spiced Beer with 5.0% ABV.
• Flying Buffalo Imperial Stout: Award-winning Imperial Stout with 11.5% ABV.
• Norm's Raggedy Ass IPA: Pale Ale with true English hop character and 7.2% ABV.
• 3 Scrooges: Winter Warmer with 6.5% ABV.
• El Rojo: Amber Ale with 6.5% ABV.
• Mr. Blue Sky: Wheat Ale with 4.5% ABV.
• Bourbon Imperial Pumpkin: Spiced Beer with 9.0% ABV.
• Flying Buffalo Bourbon Imperial Stout: Imperial Stout with 12.0% ABV, aged in bourbon barrels.
• Bonnie's Raggedy Ass IPA: Double IPA with 9.5% ABV, brewed with American hops.
• Flying Buffalo Bourbon Imperial Stout 2014: Imperial Stout with 12.0% ABV, featuring notes of coffee, dark chocolate, and coconut.
• Oblivious: Wheat Wine with 13.0% ABV, aged in bourbon barrels.
• Nawt A Cawp: Double IPA with 7.0% ABV.
• Project Clementine: Double IPA with 9.0% ABV, brewed with clementine zest.
• Three Stooges: Winter Warmer with 6.0% ABV, brewed with honey, orange peel, and spices.
• And many more...

Beer varieties and their flavours

The Griffin Claw Brewing Company, based in Michigan, offers a diverse range of beers, all brewed for inclusion. Their selection includes:

• Screamin' Pumpkin Ale: A spiced beer with a refreshing Amber Ale base, brewed with roasted pumpkin, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves.
• Flying Buffalo Imperial Stout: An award-winning ale with a big malt profile, featuring notes of coffee, dark chocolate, and coconut, accented with American hops.
• Norm's Raggedy Ass IPA: A golden pale ale with a true English hop character, medium-bodied, and a slight malt character that complements its fruitiness.
• 3 Scrooges: A nice winter ale with a distinct malt profile and mild bitterness.
• El Rojo: An Amber Ale with a rich ruby red colour derived from caramel and roasted malts, featuring American aroma hops.
• Mr. Blue Sky: A crisp and refreshing American wheat ale with a slight haze and light appearance.
• Bourbon Imperial Pumpkin: A spiced beer with a rich oak-vanilla flavour and a nose of oak barrels. The spices, hops, and malt create the ultimate pumpkin beer.
• Flying Buffalo Bourbon Imperial Stout: This award-winning ale is aged in bourbon barrels for nine months, giving it a big malt profile with coffee, dark chocolate, and coconut notes, accented with American hops.
• Bonnie's Raggedy Ass IPA: A double IPA and the winner of the 2010 World Beer Cup Silver award. It is brewed and dry-hopped with American hops, including Centennial, Columbus, Cascades, and Bravo.

Beer Styles and Their Characteristics

Beer styles are used to differentiate and categorise beers based on various factors, including appearance, flavour, ingredients, production methods, history, and origin. While there is no universally agreed-upon list of beer styles, different countries and organisations have their own criteria. Beer competitions, such as the Campaign for Real Ale's (CAMRA) Champion Beer of Britain and the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP), have their own categories for judging beers.

• Lagers: Lagers are fermented and conditioned at low temperatures, resulting in a clean and crisp flavour profile. Examples include Pilsner, Helles, and Märzen.
• Ales: Ales are fermented at warmer temperatures, resulting in a more complex flavour profile with fruity and spicy notes. Examples include Pale Ale, India Pale Ale (IPA), and Stout.
• Porters: Porters are dark beers with a robust flavour profile, often featuring roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee notes. Examples include American Porter and Baltic Porter.
• Stouts: Stouts are dark beers similar to porters but typically have a higher alcohol content and more roasted flavours. Examples include Irish Stout and Russian Imperial Stout.
• Wheat Beers: Wheat beers are brewed with a significant proportion of wheat, resulting in a lighter body and a smooth, crisp flavour. Examples include Witbier and American Wheat Ale.
• Sours: Sour beers are characterised by their tart and acidic flavour profile, often achieved through the use of wild yeast or bacteria during fermentation. Examples include Berliner Weisse and Lambic.
• Barley Wines: Barley wines are strong, complex beers with high alcohol content and a malty, sweet flavour profile. Examples include American Barleywine and English Barleywine.
• India Pale Ales (IPAs): IPAs are hop-forward beers known for their strong bitterness and citrus or piney flavours. Examples include West Coast IPA and New England IPA.
• Belgian Ales: Belgian ales are known for their complex flavour profiles, often featuring fruity, spicy, or funky notes from unique yeast strains. Examples include Saison, Dubbel, and Tripel.
• Fruit Beers: Fruit beers are brewed with fruit or fruit flavours, adding a layer of sweetness or tartness to the beer. Examples include Fruit Lambic and American Fruit Beer.

Beer varieties and their IBUs

IBU, or International Bitterness Unit, is a scale that measures the bitterness of a beer, specifically the parts per million of isohumulone derived from hops in a beer. The IBU scale typically ranges from 0 to 120, with anything above 120 being indiscernible to the human tongue. A light lager may have an IBU of 10, while a double IPA could have an IBU of 80 or more.

The perceived bitterness of a beer, however, can vary due to factors such as malt/grain character and sweetness. For example, a German pilsner can have a low IBU but taste quite bitter due to its lean, crisp malt character. Conversely, a high-IBU amber ale can taste sweet due to the deep amber malts used.

• Light Lager: 4-10 IBU
• Hazy Double IPA: 45-80 IBU
• West Coast IPA: 50-70 IBU
• Imperial Stout: 50-80 IBU
• Double IPA: 65-100 IBU

Griffin Claw Brewing Company, based in Birmingham, Michigan, offers a diverse range of beers with varying IBUs:

• Norm's Raggedy Ass IPA: A golden pale ale with true English hop character and medium bitterness.
• Nawt A Cawp: A bitter, moderately strong American pale ale showcasing its hop character.
• Screamin' Pumpkin Ale: A spiced beer with a blend of roasted pumpkin, spices, and hops, resulting in a refreshing amber ale.
• Flying Buffalo Imperial Stout: An award-winning stout with a big malt profile, featuring notes of coffee, dark chocolate, and coconut, accented by American hops.
• Mr. Blue Sky: An American wheat ale that is crisp, light, and refreshing, with a slight haze.
• Platinum Blonde Lager: A pale lager with low malt and hop character, making it a perfect summer beer.
• Grand Trunk Bohemian Pils: A classic beer style brewed with noble hops from the Czech Republic.
• Grind Line Pale Ale: A well-balanced American pale ale with a blend of malts and hops, earning a gold medal at the G.A.B.F.

The brewery's address and contact details

The Griffin Claw Brewing Company is located in the Rail District of Birmingham, Michigan, at 575 South Eton Street, Birmingham, MI 48009. The brewery is open daily from 12 pm to 11 pm.

The company has a second location in Rochester Hills, Michigan, at 2265 Crooks Rd, Rochester Hills, MI 48309. This location also opens daily from 12 pm to 11 pm.

The Griffin Claw Brewing Company can be contacted by phone at 1 (248) 712-4050. Their website is www.griffinclawbrewingcompany.com, and they can also be reached via email by filling out the contact form on their website.

Frequently asked questions