Oberon Day has descended upon the Great Lakes State with a flourish of craft beer festivities. The annual release of Bell’s Brewery’s Oberon Ale is a much-anticipated harbinger of spring for beer aficionados, and this year's Oberon Day on March 25 is no exception. Dubbed "sunshine in a glass," by the brewery itself, the Michigan Governor's office recognized the Oberon phenomenon back in 2022 with an official "Oberon Day" proclamation, WXYZ reports.
The cheerful wheat ale splashed onto the scene in 1992 and has since made waves throughout Michigan, celebrating the shift from chilly winters to the promise of summer. Bell's Brewery, nestled in Comstock, has brewed up some new twists on their classic with the debut of Oberon Sunshine – a shandy line that's set to brighten palates later this year. With variants including Cherry Limeade Shandy, Lemonade Shandy, and Tropical Shandy, beer lovers have something new to anticipate come summertime. Though these new infusions won't hit shelves on Oberon Day, initial tastes were offered at Bell's Eccentric Café festivities in Kalamazoo, the Detroit Free Press states.
The release isn't merely a one-day affair; it stretches across the week with an array of events. Pubs and bars from Detroit to Ann Arbor have brimmed their calendars with release parties and specials, from midnight tappings to trivia nights and brunches intertwined with the joy of hoppy indulgence. Just to name a few, Big League Brews in Taylor threw a midnight tapping, Howlers & Growlers in Grosse Pointe Park rang in the occasion from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Ann Arbor's Fraser's Pub tempted early birds with an Oberon Brunch at 10 a.m., according to WXYZ.
In contrast to former years, the 2024 Oberon season also heralds the tail-end of the newly minted Oberon Eclipse – a heavier, snug companion to the traditional ale designed for winter consumption. Bell’s advised earlier that Oberon Eclipse would stick around till the "sun" rose again, meaning, it would cease distribution in light of the original's return. Although it's bowing out for the season, some last-minute bottles might still be lurking on shelves for the intrepid hunter.
