The Bachelorette: Turkey Edition.

So I have a maiden voyage to Beaver Island in May. Memorial weekend kicks off my summer. I’ll be with my fellow turkeys letting my hair down and kick starting summer with a two hour boat ride to Beaver Island, MI. I need to pick my ferry beer but I’m not done handing out roses. I’ve got few in mind but the decision process is looming. I’ve been slugging craft beer since I was basically ten. While this isn’t just about grabbing a twelve pack from the store; it’s about deciding what brew I want while I’m blowing off steam pent up from 2016.

Criteria for my wish list are:

1. Comes in a can.
2. Between 3.5%-6% ABV.
3. Not repulsive at room temperature.
4. Must be a “craft beer”.

Lets meet the candidates.

Let me just say that if Kona used cans in their packaging they’d be on the list. Before you call me a beer snob let me clarify that being in a can is a requirement as my backpack cooler is only so big. If I’m going to put twelve beers in my backpack they need to be stack-able.

First up is the PC Pils. I see a lot of value here. I can get a fifteen pack of the PC anytime of night, man. It’s a really crush-able brew and hovers around the 5% range. It’s a pilsner but features a bright citrusy aftertaste via cascade hops, centennial hops, and chinook hops. This combines my love for hoppy beers with marathon drinking.

Now to Even Keel. This brew has the benefit of making the cut in 2016. It’s a light 3.8% session IPA with a solid hop backbone of bitterness. The downside here is that I’ve found that the beer leaves a soapy aftertaste after it gets warm. The last couple gulps aren’t as refreshing as the first couple. But I’m an IPA lover and having a crush-able IPA on hand is hard to pass up.

The Oarsman Ale. This beer reappeared on my radar this year. I’ve had this beer before but in the midst of a build-your-own six pack. Oarsman faded from my memory and one sunny day in mid February I found one in the back of my fridge. Oarsman now has the inside track for ferry status because it’s a really well done beer. The wheat base with the tart mouth-feel is very tasty. Oarsman is marketed perfectly with a “Great for you and your crew” tagline. Also, being Michigan made seems perfect for a Pure Michigan adventure.

Even Keel session IPA by Ballast Point Brewing Co.

Oarsman Ale by Bell’s Brewing Co.

PC Pils By Founders Brewing Co.

The Turkeys are coming to town

The Island Times has been anxious all off season while the Turkeys trained from their mainland domiciles. The Turkeys are coming to town for Memorial Weekend and an entire slate of activities are set to take place. New cottage games, new faces, and new ways of thinkin’ are on the horizon.

Sources close to The Island Times indicate Woody will end his two year hiatus and join the Turkeys for their inaugural dice game tournament. Other off season rumblings indicate Plymouth, MI free agent Steve Meek is in negotiations with the Turkeys to make his island debut in May.  Preliminary reports on Meek look good as he’s well versed in heavy drinking, driving while impaired, and making new friends in new situations.

The big three, Robert, Dano, and Big C remain primed and ready for their anniversary. In their fifth year participating in a Beaver Island Memorial Day weekend the stakes have never been greater for whats set to be a heck of a good week.

The Island Times sat down with Dano and he shared his thoughts on some of the adjustment the Turkeys will have to make as they turn the corner to the next five years.

“We’ve been through a lot, man. It’s crazy to look back five years ago and think we’d make it this far. I mean, Bob had another kid, I got married, and Hock has been to the Middle East and back. It’s been a good five years, man.”

When asked what adjustments the Turkeys would have to make going forward:

“Well this will be our first time up there without Johnny. All these years I took him for granted. It won’t be the same without Johnny behind the bar making small talk about music, giving us the lay of the land, and warning us which locals are losers”

Dano also gave us insight on what he hopes the next five years looks like:

“You know, I hope the next five years are as foggy as the last five. Drinkin’ beers with my buddies never gets old. I can’t wait to listen to all the stupid shit my buddies say, man. Half the time I think their brains are shut off but that’s the beauty of the island. You don’t need a brain to fit in, man”.

The stage is starting to set for the Turkeys as they hone in the roster for the 2017 trip. Dano also assured me things looked very solid for a five-some of Robert, Dano, Hock, Woody, and Steve. We’re pleased to learn that Nate and the boys are locked and loaded for their annual trip to the Island.

We’re not even through February yet and you can feel the excitement in the air. It’s not May yet but the Turkeys still have training to do.

Stay tuned and subscribe to The Island Times for updates on this year’s anniversary weekend.

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