Behind the Mitten

John and Amy learn more about the Tawas Bay region while broadcasting from the Tawas Bay Beach Resort.

Segment 1: Chuck Allen of Tawas Point State Park & East Tawas State Dock Supervisor.
More info and reservations at https://www.midnrreservations.com/TAWASPOINTSTATEPARK

Segment 2 (Listen at 10:31): Guests include Aimee O’Connor, O’Connor’s and Treasurer of the East Tawas Business Association; and Cliff Miller, Jr. of Tri-County Agency and Community Leader, who talks about the recreational/biking activities.
More info at https://www.facebook.com/OConnorsofEastTawas/
Chamber info at http://www.tawas.com/
Biking info at http://www.tawasbay.com/biking.shtml

Segment 3 (Listen at 19:30): Jennifer Ladley, Tawas Bay Insurance Agency, Friends of the East Tawas Library; and Lisa Bolen, Executive Director, NEMCSA - Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency, and Immediate Past President of the Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce.
More info https://www.facebook.com/friendsofeasttawaslibrary/

Segment 4 (Listen at 29:25): Guests include Sheryl Firestone, Sales and Banquet Manager, Tawas Bay Beach Resort; and Heidi Dewald, Tawas Bay Tourist and Convention Bureau.
More info on Tawas Bay Beach Resort at https://www.facebook.com/Tawas-Bay-Beach-Resort-260958410596950/
Convention Bureau info at https://www.facebook.com/tawasbay/

More info on Behind the Mitten at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten/

On this episode of "Behind the Mitten" travels to Marquette in the Upper Peninsula.

Segment 1: Learn about the Biking and Trails of Marquette with guests, including: Matthew Bloch of Lakeshore Bike, Lyle VanderSchaaf of the Noquemanon Trail Network (NTN) and Dan Hill from the Range Mountain Bike Club-RAMBA.
More info at:
http://lakeshorebikemarquette.com/
https://www.noquetrails.org/
https://www.facebook.com/rangemountainbikeclub/

Segment 2 (Listen at): Nicole Young, Executive Director of Travel Marquette, tells us what she loves about the area.
Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/TravelMarquetteMichigan/

Segment 3 (Listen at 19:02): We broadcast from the newly opened Delft Bistro in Marquette. The owners also run popular eatery Donckers. We talk to co-owner Jen Ray, as well as Bill Digneit, Director of Theater, Northern Michigan University, Forest.
More info at https://www.facebook.com/delftbistro/?hc_ref=OTHER
More info at https://www.facebook.com/Forest-Roberts-Theatre-120147761357823/
Roberts Theatre

Segment 4 (Listen at 29:00): Guests include Daniel Rupz of Zephyr Wine Bar & Taproom and Everyday Wines, and brewer Andrew Reeves of Blackrocks Brewery.
BEER of the WEEK is 51K IPA, a Midwest Coast IPA, brewed with Columbus/Palisade Nugget/Comet hops. "It's a well-balanced IPA," Amy said.

More info at https://www.facebook.com/UPwinebar/
https://www.blackrocksbrewery.com/

More on Behind the Mitten at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten/

John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman stop by Unruly Brewing Company where they learn more about Muskegon and Lake Michigan, which Amy calls the "Greatest of the Great Lakes."

Segment 1: Muskegon Mayor Steve Gawron and Lynn Vogel of the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
More info at http://visitmuskegon.org/

Segment 2 (Listen at): Karen Breckon of the West Michigan Tourist Association stops by to talk about beautiful Muskegon, as well as other things to do along the Lakeshore.
More info at https://www.wmta.org/

Segment 3 (Listen at 19:03): Eric Hoffman of Unruly Brewing Company stops in. The brewery has been open for three years in downtown Muskegon.
More info at http://unrulybrewing.com/

Segment 4 (Listen at 29:00): John and Amy talk about Muskegon's Burning Foot Beer Festival, and BEER OF THE WEEK. This week it's Unruly's Menace, a Belgian IPA, which is made with a blend of trappist yeast and American hops.

More on Behind the Mitten at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten/

On this episode of Behind the Mitten, John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman travel to Paw Paw Brewing as the community gets ready for the annual Paw Paw Wine & Harvest Festival (Sept. 8-10). Of course we'll do BEER OF THE WEEK.

Segment 1: Marilyn Clear, the Executive Director of the Paw Paw Wine & Harvest Festival, and winemaker Kyle of St. Julian Winery talk about all the events coming up this year. The wine festival opened in the late '40s and attracts more than 50,000 over three days. St. Julian has several events each, including food, music and tours.
Festival info at https://www.facebook.com/pawpawwineandharvest/
St. Julian info at https://www.facebook.com/StJulianWinery/

Segment 2 (Listen at 10:28): Learn more about the Paw Paw community. Joining the show is Lisa Marovec (Director of Marketing and Member Services at South Haven/Van Buren County Convention and Visitors Bureau) and Duane Zuber from Comfort Inn & Suites.
More on Van Buren County at https://www.southhavenmi.com/
More on Comfort Inn at http://www.comfortinnpawpaw.com/

Segment 3 (Listen at 19:21): We interview Larry Nielsen, the village manager in Paw Paw.
Learn more about Paw Paw at http://www.pawpaw.net/

Segment 4 (Listen at 30:10): We talk to Paw Paw Brewing Company's Keith Buckmaster, who said the brewery has been open for about 6 years. He picks
BEER OF THE WEEK (Citra Melon, a session IPA, 4.8% ABV).
More info at http://www.pawpawbrewing.com/

Learn more about Behind the Mitten at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten/

John Gonzalez of MLive.com talks to co-owner Travis Fritts of Old Nation Brewery about M-43, Michigan's hottest selling beer of 2017. The New England-style IPA is selling 200 barrels a week.

More on Old Nation at https://www.facebook.com/oldnationbrewing/

Read John's story at http://www.mlive.com/beer/2017/08/michigans_hottest_beer_of_the.html

At the Michigan Summer Beer Festival at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti, John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman talk to:

Segment 1: Brain Confer of Stormcloud Brewery in Frankfort.

Segment 2 (Listen at 10:00): John Svoboda of The BOB Brewery in Grand Rapids and Isaac Hartman of New Holland Brewery in Holland.

Segment 3 (Listen at 18:50): Todd Parker of Little Guy Brewery and Dave Ringler of Cedar Springs Brewery.

Segment 4 (Listen at 29:10): Adam Mills, formerly of Cellar Brewery in Sparta. (He is now at Greyline in Grand Rapids.)

Learn more about Behind the Mitten at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten/

This show aired July 22-23, 2017.

On this Episode, John and Amy broadcast from the E-Park at the Ionia Free Fair, which runs through July 22, 2017. They also learn Ionia County history, taste treats from one of the city's newest Ice Cream stores and they speak to the Mayor! Of course they do BEER of THE WEEK.

Segment 1: John and Amy talk to Ionia Fair Manager Becca Usher. The fair offers a carnival, 4H Animals, motorsports, free concerts, grandstand events and more. Find out why some call the Ionia Free Fair "The 10 Best Days of Summer." Through July 22, 2017.
Learn more at http://www.ioniafreefair.com/

Segment 2 (10:00): John and Amy learn a lot of interesting facts about Ionia by visiting with Linda Ciangi, who is the Vice President of Ionia Historical Society, and Kathleen Cook, who is President.

Segment 3 (Listen at 18:52): Troy Westendorp of MOO-Ville Creamery in Nashville stops in to do a little sampling and talk about its newest location, which opened in early 2017 right across from Ionia High School.
More on MOO-ville at https://www.facebook.com/MOOvilletheudderstore/
In 2012, MLive picked MOO-Ville as Michigan's Best Ice Cream Parlor: http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/08/michigans_best_ice_cream_parlo_3.html

Segment 4 (Listen at 29:14): John and Amy spend some time with Ionia Mayor Dan Balice, who has been Mayor for 29 years and went to high school with Amy's husband, Jerry Adams. He talks about what makes Ionia so special. Dan helps pick BEER of the WEEK from Founder's Brewing Co. The fair has a Beer Fest on July 22.
Schedule of events at the Fair at http://www.ioniafreefair.com/Daily-Schedule.html
More on Ionia at http://www.ci.ionia.mi.us/index.aspx?NID=606

This show aired July 15-16, 2017.

More on BTM at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten/

List of Radio affiliates at http://behindthemitten.com/category/radio-affiliates/

John and Amy broadcast from Water Tower Sports Pub in Lexington (in Michigan's Thumb). They interview owners Greg and Stephanie Redman, as well as reps from Spun Gallery and Bed and Breakfast Inn the Garden. Of course they do BEER of THE WEEK.

Segment 1: John and Amy talk to Greg and Stephanie about about Water Tower, which just opened a few years ago. The restaurant/sports bar was No. 10 in their search for Michigan's Best Pizza for MLive. (It was also a finalist for Michigan's Best French Fry.)
Best Pizza: http://www.mlive.com/dining/index.ssf/2016/10/pizza_top_12.html

Segment 2 (Listen at 10:00): Robin Hages of Spun Gallery stops by to talk about his glass blowing business, which is located in his mom's Diana's Bakery.
More on Spun at https://www.facebook.com/Spun-Gallery-Studio-181338931912138/

Segment 3 (Listen at 18:50): Barb and Rollin Stocker talk to John and Amy about their Bed & Breakfast Inn the Garden, which is also located in Lexington.
More about the Inn at https://www.facebook.com/innthegardenoflexington/

Segment 4 (Listen at 28:42): John and Amy welcome back Greg and Stephanie, as well as their daughter Corbin. A self-proclaimed "craft beer geek," Greg helps pick out Beer of the Week from Odd Side Ales, which is POG - Passion Fruit, Orange Juice and Guave IPA. "It's a great summer beer," he said. Amy and John were impressed with Greg's well-curated beer list of Michigan Craft Beer.
More on Water Tower https://www.facebook.com/watertowersportspub/


This show aired July 8-9, 2017.

More on BTM at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten/

John and Amy broadcast from Right Brain Brewery where they run into kayak enthusiasts participating in Paddle for Pints. And they talk to reps from the National Cherry Festival and Grand Traverse Pie Company. They also do two Beers of the Week, one from Right Brain, of course, but another from another brewery that just opened in June in Traverse City.

Segment 1: John and Amy talk to Russell Springsteen of Right Brain. Learn how this hairstylist turned into one of the state's most adventurous brewers.

Segment 2 (Listen at 10:58 ): Jenny Jenness of Traverse City Tourism stops by to talk about the National Cherry Festival, which just wrapped up July 8. She runs down why TC is a year-round destination.
More on TC at https://www.facebook.com/TraverseCityTourism/

Segment 3 (Listen at 20:17): Mike Busley and Margaret Alexander of Grand Traverse Pie Company talk to John and Amy about their collaboration beer with Right Brain, and of course what makes their pies so good.
More on GT Pie at https://www.facebook.com/gtpie/

Segment 4 (Listen at 29:40): John and Amy welcome Deven Larrance of Monkey Fist Brewing Company, which just opened in late June in TC. Also, Russell Springsteen of Right Brain returns. Both offer BEERs of THE WEEK.
More on Monkey Fist at https://www.facebook.com/monkeyfistbrewing/
More on Right Brain at https://www.facebook.com/RightBrainBrewery/

This show aired July 1-2, 2017.

More on BTM at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten/

John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman spent time with the National Cherry Festival Queen, as well as reps from Traverse City Tourism as they get ready for the National Cherry Festival.

They were in Grand Rapids to record the show at Terra restaurant in Eastown.

By the way, Beer of the Week comes from Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City, which has a special beer, just in time for the Cherry Festival.

Segment 1: Jenny Jenness joins us from Traverse City Tourism.
https://www.traversecity.com/

Segment 2 (Listen at 10:10): The National Cherry Festival's new executive director Kat Paye tells us why you need to attend this year's festival.
http://www.cherryfestival.org/index.php

Segment 3 (Listen at 18:51): Joining us is Abbey Kaufman, the National Cherry Festival Queen.

Segment 4 (Listen at 28:40): All of our guests return to tell us their "must" attend event at this year's festival, which runs July 1-8, 2017. We also do Beer of the Week and other statewide events.

More on BTM
https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten/

This show aired June 24-25, 2017.