Food

We are proud to be approved as a Michigan Covid-19 Safer Dining Participant through the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity.  what are the hours? General Store Mon: Closed Tues - Thurs: 11am - 6pm Fri & Sat: 11am - 8pm Sun: 11am - 6pm eccentric cafe Mon: Closed Tues - Thurs: 3pm - 9pm Fri & Sat: 12pm - 10pm Sun: 12pm - 7pm can i bring my kids? All ages are welcome. do i need to bring/wear a mask? Fully vaccinated individuals don't need to wear a mask at the Cafe or General Store. We highly recommend those who aren't vaccinated to wear a mask. can we sit at the bar? We apologize, but not at this time. Tables have been arranged to accommodate safe social distance – please do not combine or rearrange tables, even outdoors. For the safety of others, please do not wander or exchange tables inside the pub or outdoor in the garden and patio. How Can I order food and beer to go?  Give us a call or order online! Place your order by calling 269.382.2332 , and we will bring your order right out to your car in our parking lot. Online ordering for food & beer is only available during normal business hours:  what kind of food are you offering? Our menu can be viewed online at: bellsbeer.com/cafe-menu or by scanning our QR code found on tables and signs at the Eccentric Café.  can i order a crowler or growler? Yes! You may order crowlers and growlers at the time of your purchase as well. Please do not consume crowlers/growlers on the premises, but we highly encourage you to take fresh beer home with you. can i make a reservation? Sorry, reservations are not accepted at this time. are you open for events? Yes! We are now accepting bookings for events. Visit our Events Page for more details. Questions? Please reach out to us at eventinfo@bellsbeer.com.  are you hosting concerts? We are excited to welcome back live entertainment at the Eccentric Cafe in the Back Room and Beer Garden. Take a look at the full schedule and visit Etix.com to purchase tickets. Questions? Please reach out to us at concertinfo@bellsbeer.com.  Are you hosting brewery tours? Yes! At this time, we are reintroducing tours of our original brewery in downtown Kalamazoo.  Tours times are listed below.  12 pm 1:30 pm 3 pm Reservations are strongly encouraged as there's limited capacity.  We will be utilizing CLEAR Health App for all tours & all guests must wear masks. We look forward to reopening our Comstock Brewery later this spring. Please keep an eye here on our website and social media. We look forward to having you visit! To book a tour and download the CLEAR Health App please click HERE. Important information regarding indoor shows and large events at the Café: As part of the entry requirements for all Bell’s Eccentric Café shows (& some large events), all participants must provide proof of vaccination through the CLEAR Health app, or a negative COVID test within the last 72 hours (shown at the door) in order to attend. We have partnered with CLEAR Health Pass, to provide easy proof of COVID-19 vaccination status. Complete your Health Pass before arriving to the Eccentric Café for a seamless experience! To get started, download the CLEAR app. For the most efficient experience possible, all ticket holders should sign up for CLEAR and complete their COVID-19 proof of vaccination before arriving at the Cafe. Trust and transparency are CLEAR’s top priority, and with Health Pass, users are always in control of their health information. Personal information is only used to deliver a frictionless and secure experience with CLEAR and Bell's Brewery. You can read more details about this in CLEAR’s Privacy Policy here. If you have any questions about enrolling in CLEAR, please reach out to memberservices@clearme.com or tap “Get In Touch” in the app for assistance. HOW TO COMPLETE YOUR CLEAR HEALTH PASS: 1) Download the CLEAR app and tap the white Health Pass tile 2) Select ‘Have a code’ and enter the code BELLSBEER 3) Easily enroll or verify your identity with a quick selfie 4) Follow the prompts to verify your proof of vaccination 5) Before you arrive, reopen the Health Pass tile and produce your pass. Green is good to go! Be ready to show upon arrival. Answers to some commonly asked questions For those who have already purchased tickets to an upcoming indoor show and are unable to adhere to this policy, you may request a full refund by emailing concertinfo@bellsbeer.com. If you have lost your vaccination card, contact your local health department to obtain proof of your vaccination. If not able to show a clear health pass, you can show negative test results obtained within the last 72 hours at entry. For patrons who do not have a smartphone, we will be manually verifying vaccination status on the day of the show. If you cannot download the app we will manually verify your CDC immunization card or Michigan County Immunization Record (MCIR) at the door.

Pizzapalooza is our celebration of all things beer & pizza leading up to National Pizza Day on Tuesday, February 9th. We're partnering with shops, pubs, gorcery stores and restaurants throughout our distribution areas to bring you the ultimate beer & pizza pairings.   It's also the perfect time to settle the age old debate: which pizza style really IS the best?!  If there's one thing we can agree on, it's that pizza and beer are a match made in heaven. And it's all fine and well until someone questions the supremacy of your square, perfectly-crunchy Detroit deep dish, or the perks of a 10-foot journey to your favorite frozen pizza...  New York, Detroit, Frozen, Chicago -- what's got your vote?  Fight for your favorite STYLE and vote February 1st to the 8th! Voting will be open from February 1st to 8th. VOTE HERE.  We'll announce the winner on National Pizza Day - February 9th.  To see if there are any special events near you, keep an eye on your trusty, local spot's social media pages, and check out our Events page here.  Suggested Beer & Pizza Pairings Two Hearted with Pepperoni or Jalapenos Hopslam with Hawaiian or Hot Honey Light Hearted with Margarita or Pesto Bright White with Meat Lovers or Caramelized Onion Official with BBQ or Anchovies

There are lots of ways to use this light tempura batter, from veggies to fish and beyond.  INGREDIENTS 2 cups All-purpose flour – sifted Teaspoon of salt 4 egg whites 12oz can of Cold Light Hearted 4oz – ice cold water DIRECTIONS Sift flour into a large mixing bowl with salt. In a separate bowl whisk egg whites until they form a soft peak. Gradually stir in ¾ of the Light Hearted to sifted flour. Add egg whites and fold into flour and beer mixture. Use the remaining Light Hearted and then the ice cold water, folding the batter as you add it, to achieve a perfect tempura batter consistency. Make fresh each time and use immediately, it does not hold up well as you are looking to benefit from the carbon dioxide in the beer and aerated egg whites to have a light and airy batter. Use ice cubes to keep cold if making more than one hour ahead, substitute cold water for ice cubes. Oil for tempura, high quality frying oil , rapeseed or peanut oil 355* - 365* how to use the tempura light hearted batter: It is important to allow vegetables to dry for 30-45 minutes before frying, slice, place on paper towel, turn after 15-20 minutes, this will give you best results. Sweet potato into rounds with the skin on. Sweet Vidalia onion rings, thinner slice than pub style! Eggplant, slice into wide strips lengthwise or in rounds if a large one. Baby zucchini you can leave whole, just cutting off the ends, cut regular zucchini into wide strips. Carrots, slice on a bias nice and thin or into matchsticks. Green beans, leave whole, just cutting off the tops and tail Asparagus, use the tips for best results, 3-4 inches in length. Seafood and meats, again allow meat and seafood to dry for 15-20 minutes before battering and frying, follow same directions as for vegetables; Deveined and butterfly shrimp, leave tail on – 16/20 recommended. Thin fresh chicken strips, 2-3 inches long Thin slice sirloin with soy, garlic and ginger After drying, sprinkle with salt and pepper, I use a little white pepper and fine Himalayan salt mixture and a light dusting of cornstarch to help batter adhere to your food choice . Run vegetables/seafood/meat through the batter and allow excess to fall back into bowl, carefully drop into oil, don’t overcrowd oil when doing Tempura. Fry until cooked, floating, turn over when on the surface. Remove from oil, drain excess cooking oil on absorbent paper. Serve immediately with fine salt, lemon wedges and with a can of Light Hearted Ale. Enjoy!

This recipe uses our Official Hazy IPA and can be enjoyed year-round! Ingredients 1 ½ cups (14oz) plain white flour – all purpose 1 ½ TSP Cornstarch 1 ½ TSP salt 1 ½ TSP paprika, substitute with chili if you want spicy! Zest and juice of one lime 12oz can of Bell’s Official Hazy IPA 1/3 cup buttermilk Directions Use raw, large peeled, tails on and de-veined shrimp. We recommend 16/20’s or 26/30’s. For one pound of shrimp, place in zip lock bag with zest and juice of one lime and gently shake. Leave in bag for 15 minutes. Sift flour along with all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, add 8oz of Official and buttermilk. Whisk. Adjust with more Official as needed, until a smooth batter mixture is achieved. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon and will thicken slightly before use. Add more Official Hazy IPA if too thick. Place shrimp, zest and juice into a large bowl and pour batter onto them until submerged and mix. Let them rest in the batter for a few minutes. Pull each shrimp out by its tail, hold above bowl and allow excess to drip off, 2-3 seconds. Carefully lower battered shrimp into 365 degree oil. Be careful, as they will splash. Use a high quality frying oil or vegetable oil such as Canola. Keep it clean and fresh. Fry the shrimp until golden brown and crispy. Remove from oil and place onto paper towel to soak up excess oil. Enjoy with an of Official Hazy IPA! Also try: After coating shrimp with batter and before lowering into oil, press battered shrimp into sweetened flaked coconut and then fry.    

Who couldn’t use an excuse to eat pizza and drink beer right now? We’re celebrating National Pizza Party day with one of our own: Bell’s Pizzapalooza, a digital pizza party featuring four pairings for four beers. The pizza party will take place Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m. EDT and be streamed on our Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages. Several bars and restaurants across the country are participating with a special quad pizza with the pairings. We’ll post more details here, stay tuned.  As our brewery founder and president Larry Bell said: “This event combines two things that should be readily available no matter where you live. Comfort food meets delicious beer in a way that will hopefully help people feel a little connected, something we’re all looking for these days, and help support nearby restaurants and bars.” Pairings Here are the pairings for the pizza party: Light Hearted Ale with a chicken, bacon and ranch pizza; or a seafood and citrus pizza. Official Hazy IPA with hot Hawaiian pizza or a pizza with goat cheese, hot pepper and peach. Porter with sweet sausage crumbles and mushroom pizza or a pizza with peppers. Lager of the Lakes with a Margherita pizza or a pizza with prosciutto and arugula. Picky eater pairings Don’t like to have a complex pizza or ordering one to share with some picky eaters? Here’s a list of alternative pairings: Light Hearted with a pepperoni pizza. Official Hazy IPA with a ham pizza. Porter with a sausage and mushroom pizza. Lager of the Lakes with a classic cheese pizza. Short on supplies or can’t order a pizza? Feel free to join us to learn about how pizza and beer work together! Accounts Here are some participating accounts: Michigan Big Bob’s Pizza Louie's Trophy House Blackstone Pizza Company Long Lake Grocery Checker Bar, all pizza is buy one, get one half off. Scooters Café and Pizzeria, Scooter's House Specialty Pizza - Italian Sausage, Bacon, Spinach, Mushrooms, and Red Sauce Chicago Flo & Santo’s Lager - Margherita or Tomato, Arugala, + Prosciutto.. Light Hearted - BBQ Chicken… Official - Hot Hawaiian.. Porter Sausage + Mushroom New York Milkflower, Wu Tang Clam: Cherrystone Clams, Garlic, Fresno Chili, Parsley, Grand Padano Carson's Pizzeria & Bar, Chicken Bacon Ranch Public Display of Affection Pizza, Margherita Vermont Vermont Taphouse North Carlonia Salud Beer Shop, Assortment of 10" Wood Fired Pizzas The Flying Saucer, Flat Bread Pizza Ruckus Pizza,   Syracuse, New York Pizza Man Pub: hot hawaiian, chix ranch, margherita, sausage Kitty Hoyne: House Flat Bread (Marg) Apizza Regionale, 4 quadrant Pizza Pennsylvania The Pizza Company Dominick's Pizza & Pub, Two Hearted - Pepperoni, Oberon - Cheese Pinocchio's Restaurant Sabatini's Pizza, Cheese Pie Nebraska Backlot Taphouse, Buffalo Chicken with Blue Cheese and Green Onion St Louis Pizzeoli, Traditional Neapolitan pizza. Two options: Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza and a veggie pizza TBD Florida The Riverside Market Lee's Grocery, Mushroom Sausage The Gnarly Barley, Jalapeño popper flatbread, spicy meatball flatbread Josie's Pizza & Wings, 1/2 spicy Italian, 1/2 buffalo chicken California Pitfire Pizza (LA) Surfrider Pizza Tony Pepperoni's Prime Pizza Carson's Pizzeria & Bar Colorado Carelli's Minnesota MacKenzie Pub, Pepperoni, Thai Peanut, Margherita and Jerk Chicken Washington DC Pizzeria Paradiso Arizona Boulders on Southern Tennessee Aldo's Pizza Pie's, Downtown and Midtown, The Lombardi - Tomato sauce, Meatballs,Mozzarella and ricotta Cheese Puerto Rico Pimenton -Pizzeria & Birreria Alabama Mellow Mushroom, Mighty Meaty Wisconsin Mequon Pizza Company

Girl Scout cookies are an annual treat around the brewery. Craft beer is ... a little more regular treat. Why not combine the two? Below are some of our ideas. You should also check out this great guide from our friends over at craftbeer.com.  Let us know what your favorite is. Tweet at us: @bellsbrewery THIN MINTS + KALAMAZOO STOUT The Thin Mint and Kalamazoo Stout share a dark chocolatey wafer character, helping to elevate the cooling of mint. CARAMEL DELITES/SAMOAS + PORTER The Samoas have a lot going on: toasted coconut, ooey-gooey caramel and chocolate. It needs a beer to match the intensity. We've opted for the robust, malty Bell's Porter that lends complimentary flavors and a warming character. TREFOILS + LIGHT HEARTED ALE Not that we want to be counting calories, but this freshly debuted lo-cal IPA's citrus notes elevate the simply delicious, buttery Trefoils. TAGALONGS + SONG OF THE OPEN ROAD The cookie's peanut butter will quickly coat your mouth. This malty winter warmer is strong enough to cut through the nut butter and has plenty of dark fruit and brown sugar notes to transform this into a fun play on peanut butter and jelly. LEMONS-UPS + Official These crispy lemon cookies are new for the Girl Scouts this year. Official pairs really well with the zesty taste from this cookie. Check out our events calendar and see if we have a pairing event near you. 

Thanksgiving is a day-long marathon of family, beer and food. As you put together your holiday shopping list, keep in mind that your selection can help make that Thanksgiving Day Parade your cousin wants to watch a little less painful, but can also complement your menu and even help take it to another level. Here are some pointers to pair our “family” of American craft beers with your family traditions. Amber Ale will compliment everything on your table. It offers a great balance between sweet caramel malts, moderate alcohol and a touch of hop bitterness. Greet everyone with a glass of Amber to ready their taste buds for the meal to come. You can pair our classic ale with a wide range of appetizers, main plates, side dishes and desserts. Plus, the low ABV will hopefully fend off any sleepiness. Lager of the Lakes: Sage and Onion stuffing will complement the traditional style of our Lager by offering a combination of firm malt and herbal hop bitterness and crisp drinkablity. Have it in your fridge for those that might not be familiar with craft beer. Start them on that journey with Lager or Amber Ale. Great with Brussel sprouts! Official Hazy IPA perfectly pairs with homemade cranberry relish with a zest of orange. Beautiful pungent American hops with stone fruit and tropical notes, Official is a refined beer for both those who love hops or prefer wheat beers. If you're frying a turkey, this is the beer for you! Bright White pairs with your Turkey and cranberry. Our seasonal beer’s fruity aromas, moderate body and alcohol will nicely compliment tart cranberries and turkey, especially for white meat lovers. Bright White also pairs well with lighter dishes like a salad or a shrimp cocktail. This is also a great beer to pair with fruit desserts like apple cobbler or blueberry trifle. Two Hearted Ale — Stuffing or dressing? How about our delicious IPA with a classic oyster dressing? It's the best way to showcase the singular and simple flavor of oysters in a great Thanksgiving pairing. Also great with garlic mashed potatoes and sublime with green bean casserole. Bell’s Porter pairs well with glazed ham. It will also pair well with anything on the chocolatey side of desserts as its slight bitterness, roast and coffee characteristics will complement the sweetness. Kalamazoo Stout — Pecan, sweet potato or pumpkin pie? Let Kalamazoo Stout pair amazingly with these desserts. The roasted malt flavors and bitter hop additions will counter and help balance these sweet treats nicely. Expedition Stout is a great as a compliment to rich, decadent dessert dishes. Its roasted malt character, sturdy hop bitterness, and high alcohol balances nicely and helps cut through the sweetness and heaviness that most desserts tend to have. Or, skip the dessert and indulge in one on its own. Bell’s Christmas Ale — End the meal with a selection of cheeses, especially with some Gruyere, an aged white cheddar or some Asiago. Allow our traditional Scotch Ale with its rich and malty body, notes of caramel and a warm finish settle you in for that after-dinner nap. Check out some of these great food pairing suggestions and recipes for your Thanksgiving. Cheers! Winter White with Turkey Craftbeer.com Two Hearted paired with cranberry sauce Outside Expedition Stout paired with Pumpkin Pie Craftbeer.com Thanksgiving Stuffing pairing suggestions Craftbeer.com Chocolate Stout Truffle recipe from The Beeroness Deep Dish Porter Pecan Pie recipe from The Beeroness

Keep it short and sweet. Here's how to make Raspberry Jam Shortbread Bites with Bell's Official Hazy IPA! Official Raspberry Jam Shortbread Bites Yields 2 dozen cookies INGREDIENTS: JAM 1 can of Bell’s Official Hazy IPA 3 cups fresh raspberries 1 ½ cups granulated sugar SHORTBREAD 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 stick unsalted butter, softened 1 cup sugar INSTRUCTIONS For the jam: combine all jam ingredients in a saucepan and gently bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Reduce heat to a simmer and reduce mixture until thick and jam-like. Taste and add more sugar if needed for desired sweetness. Preheat oven to 325°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. For the shortbread: whip the butter and sugar together until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract. Gradually add 16-18 oz flour, until a soft dough forms. Sprinkle remaining flour on clean work surface, tip out dough and knead for 5-8 minutes. Roll out dough to ½ inch thickness and place on lined cookie sheet. Using a dull knife, impress 1 inch grid lines into the dough (or whatever shape you’d like your cookies to be). Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake 20-30 mins or until cookies are golden Let stand 30 mins, then pour your Official jam over the top of the cookies. Allow to fully cool, about 1-2 hours. Break apart cookies and enjoy!

Good things come in threes. Bell's Two Hearted Caramel Corn recipe is spicy, salty and sweet, making it the perfect snack to satisfy all your cravings!  Bell's Two Hearted Spicy Caramel Corn Yields about 1 gallon ingredients: 15 cups popped plain popcorn (from about 1/2 cup kernels) 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 12 TBS unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, and more to coat pan 1/4 cup and 2 TBS light corn syrup  1 tsp salt 2 tsp lime zest 10 dashes of hot sauce 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper 1 cup of Two Hearted 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp baking soda  Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 250°F and place popcorn in a large bowl. 2. In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt, lime zest, hot sauce, cayenne, and Two Hearted. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes.  3. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla and baking soda, mix well. Pour over popcorn and stir until well-coated. Pour into two greased 13x9 inch baking pans.  4. Bake, uncovered, at 250°F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely. Store in air tight containers.   

You can really make a dish stand out with a custom sauce, such as our Amber Ale Mustard BBQ Sauce. Bell’s Amber Ale Mustard BBQ Sauce Developed by Bell’s Eccentric Café Executive Chef Kris McDonough Ingredients 1 cup of your favorite grainy mustard ½ cup Dijon mustard 1 cup Bell’s Amber Ale ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup soy sauce 1 cup melted butter (warm) Salt and pepper to taste Directions In the base of a blender, add both mustards, Amber Ale, brown sugar, vinegar and soy sauce. Pulse to combine. While blender is running, slowly pour in the warm, melted butter so that the mustard mixture and the butter mix together and fully emulsify. If your butter is too cool, it will start to solidify and you’ll have a grainy bbq sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pour over your favorite meats and vegetables (we recommend the Amber Ale Pulled Pork)!