(Warren & Clinton Township, MI) – Join us this Thursday and Friday at Kuhnhenn Brewing for our annual Winter Solstice celebration: We’ll have limited presale release bottles and taps, vintage beers on draft, live music, a special Solstice food menu, Wassailing and much more!
What is Winter Solstice?
There are many ways in which Winter Solstice can be defined, one of the most common (and perhaps most easily understood) is by the astronomical phenomenon for which it is named, a “sun-standing” which is readily observable by anyone on Earth. The standing sun occurs for about three days between December 20th and 24th. Based on the shortest day of the year, the solstice dates and times change as the Earth’s orbit can vary from year to year. The modern name descends from a Latin scientific word in use in the late Roman republic of the 1st century BC: solstitium.
The tradition of Yuletide includes “The 12 days of Christmas”, between December 13th and 24th, and the birth of the new sun/”son” on December 25th. In Norse tradition Santa rides the traditional Yule Bock (a bock is a male goat) delivering toys to the children during this time. Winter Solstice traditions include kissing under the mistletoe and drinking Wassail!
The tradition of Wassail
Wassail is an old world ceremonial spiced cider blended with mead and olde ale, served hot, used as an apple tree spirit offering during the Yuletide season to bless orchards and increase their yields. (It’s also tasty!). The word Wassail is Saxon for “Good Health” and a traditional toast is to hold high a cup of Wassail while exclaiming “All Hail Waes Heal!” or “All Hail Wassail!”
Making and serving Wassail has been one of the oldest winter holiday traditions. A common caroling song starts out as: “Here we come a wassailing among the leaves so green. Here we come a wandering, so fair to be seen.” Kuhnhenn Brewing brings back some of these old traditions with Wassail and a Winter Solstice Party held every year.
Winter Solstice event and beers
Kuhnhenn starts the Winter Solstice celebration at the Clinton Township taproom at 11:28am this Thursday, December 21, with Wassail toasting after dark (5:02 pm). The celebration continues at the Warren brewery/taproom on Friday, December 22 starting at 11am.
There will be live music from Reggie Smith & the After Party, a special Solstice food menu, a variety of rare, vintage beers on tap, including 2013 BBA Blueberry Eisbock, 2009 BBA Barleywine, 2013 4D (Fourth Dementia) and 2010 Winter Wonder Lager plus all nine limited, special release Solstice beers:
Four barrel-aged beers:
Bourbon Barrel Barleywine, Bourbon Barrel Aged Fourth Dementia Old Ale, Gin Barrel Aged Simcoe Sillier (new) and Bourbon Barrel Aged American Imperial Stout
A new collaboration sour with Brooks Brewing:
The Magic Wheel (with ginger, spices and cherry)
Four eisbocks:
Cherry (new), Blueberry, Raspberry and Blackberry (new)
The nine special release beers are also available for presale, in limited bottle quantities, on our website at www.kbrewery.com. Bottles not sold online will be available on a first come basis. For your convenience there is a long pickup window (from the December 21st to 31st) at the Clinton Township location, but don’t miss the Winter Solstice event at our Clinton Township taproom on Thursday, December 21st and at our Warren facility on Friday, December 22nd!
ALL HAIL WASSAIL!
Warren Hours & Info:
5919 Chicago Road
Warren, MI 48092
1-586-983-8362
[email protected]
Monday – Thursday 11am – Midnight
Friday/Saturday 11am – 2am
Sunday Noon – 10pm
Clinton Township Hours & Info:
36000 Groesbeck Highway
Clinton Township, MI 48035
1-586-231-0249
[email protected]
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – Thursday 3pm – 10 pm
Friday/Saturday Noon – Midnight
Sunday Brunch: 9am – 2pm
Sunday Dinner: 2pm – 10pm