YPSILANTI, MI – I’m obsessed with the 4-ounce pours at The Corner Brewery, and it goes deeper than a cost-effective way to try new beer.
My grandfather Giacomo “Jack” Mattioli immigrated to the United States from Abruzzo, Italy in 1956. The 19 years he lived in Italy were consumed by famine, war and poverty. This subtly bled into the way he poured his drinks, even after immigrating. He always used a small 4-ounce cup for anything that wasn’t individually portioned in its own can or bottle.
Nowadays, you can order 32 ounces of beer at the movie theatre and be asked, “would you like to order more to be brought to your seat?” I feel a longing for less. The smaller pours at the Ann Arbor Brewing Company’s Corner Brewery brought on feeling of subdued and calculated consumption that I felt was well worth it.
I savored ever sip of my flight, ruminating on the malty flavors of the Arbor Classic, Euchre Pils, and Strawberry Blonde Ale. You can read my full thoughts in through the related link.
My favorite of the four was the Helles Lager, a crisp light bodied beer that I’ll be searching for on party store shelves. I think my grandfather would’ve appreciated this beer too. He enjoyed Heineken and near the end of his life my brothers and I dubbed Peroni Nastro Azzurro the “family beer.” Lagers have a simple quality that will never go out of style…