Get ready, Michigan craft beer fans! In this episode of the Life In Michigan podcast, we sat down with one of our favorite beer friends, Perrin Brewing’s resident “Beer Ninja,” Jay Green.
From cleaning out mash tuns at Tri-City Brewing nearly 18 years ago to scaling up batches in Perrin Brewing Company’s Comstock Park facility, Jay gives us an insider look at Michigan’s craft scene.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
* The Story Behind the “Beer Ninja”: How a joke job title at Tri-City turned into a lifelong moniker for whipping out tap wrenches and jumping in wherever help is needed.
* 100% Pure Michigan Brews: Jay breaks down the creation of Perrin’s new Great Lakes Grown IPA—a “Midwest Cowboy IPA” recipe originally crafted as a tribute brew for Cowboy Doug, made with local grains from Great Lakes Malting Company in Traverse City and fresh hops from Top Hops Farm in Goodrich.
* Local Fruit: Why living right near the Fruit Ridge north of Grand Rapids gives local brewers unmatched access to fresh apple cider and agricultural abundance.
* Reliving the “Day with Jay” Road Trips:
* Enjoying ciders and cheese plates at Pux Cider Taproom in Grand Rapids.
* The surprise “Who Is Jay Green?” welcome sign set up by Mark at The Hidden King in Ann Arbor.
* 906 Day with Jay, plus beers Blackrocks Brewery and Ore Dock Brewing Company.
* Supporting Diversity in Brewing: The legacy of Fermenta collaboration days and how organizations like the Pink Boots Society continue to empower women and non-binary professionals in craft beverages.
Events to Mark on Your Calendar:
* Perrin’s huge annual Backyard Bash in Comstock Park on Sept 12th!
* The Pro-Am competitions hosted by the Beer City Brewers Guild.
* Why the Michigan Brewers Guild UP Beer Festival in Marquette remains Jay’s absolute favorite festival of the year.
Shoutouts to New Spots: Jay gives a quick nod to the newly opened taproom for Our Brewing Company in Grand Rapids!
“As I always say, my favorite beer is the one shared with friends.”
— Jay Green
Catch up on our previous Day with Jay adventures (in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Marquette), and let us know in the comments: Where should our next “Day with Jay” beer crawl head?
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