Sponsorships

In early June, Southwest Michigan came together to support the LGBTQ community with a colorful celebration in downtown Kalamazoo hosted by OutFront Kalamazoo.  Not only were we the presenting sponsor, but we also offered a photo booth to attendees, many of whom sported Bell’s sunglasses, flags and buttons. In addition to the festive souvenirs, we served up our specialty Belgian-Style Tripel Ale, Sparkleberry. Those were some of the first kegs to be tapped in Kalamazoo, a raspberry-infused celebration of diversity served in a bright pink koozie.  This year’s event was the 11th annual for OutFront Kalamazoo, an organization focused on advocating for equality and creating a supportive community, and continues to be their largest fundraiser of the year.  Below are some photos of the fun, continuing the theme of loving who you are! Sparkle on.

The Gilmore Keyboard Festival is a two week-long festival that brings together both local and world renowned classical and jazz musicians for performances throughout West Michigan. The festival will run from April 25 through May 12, 2018. Our Golden Ale is a celebration of community, world-class music and all that has gone into making the bi-annual Gilmore Keyboard Festival a success. Bell’s is a proud supporter of the arts in our hometown of Kalamazoo, in Michigan and beyond. We are excited to release this beer for the Festival to help bring the community together to celebrate the arts.  Golden Ale is a crisp, clean and balanced beer with a 5% ABV and low bitterness, It is made in the key of hops, barley and yeast and possesses a subtle complexity. This limited, specialty beer will be available while supplies last on draft and in 12 oz. bottles, packaged in 6-packs, only in the Kalamazoo-area. It will ship in early-mid April for release at the beginning of the Gilmore Festival.  We will be hosting two events for the Gilmore Keyboard Festival this year. The Christian Sands Trio will be performing at the Eccentric Cafe on Thursday, April 26, and David Virelles Nosotros featuring Roman Diaz will be performing on Thursday, May 10. Tickets for the festival can be found here.

Bell's will return as the title sponsor of the Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race for another two years. The 94th annual race from Port Huron to Mackinac Island will set sail on July 14, 2018, marking Bell's eighth year as presenting sponsor of the longest, consecutively-run freshwater race in the world. "We are extremely proud to continue to sponsor this race,” said Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell's Brewery. “It has a huge, positive impact on local economies, gives back to our community and puts a spotlight on an incredible treasure that we should all work to protect, our Great Lakes." More than 2,000 sailors participated in this year's race on more than 200 boats. The economic impact of the race on the Port Huron and Mackinac Island communities is estimated between $30 and $59 million, making it one of the premiere events hosted in the state of Michigan and one with major economic impact to numerous Michigan businesses, especially those in the tourism industry. “We have been tremendously fortunate to have Bell’s Beer as the title sponsor for the Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race,” said Hans Brieden, 2017 Bayview Yacht Club Commodore. “The entire company has embraced the race and is valued partner to Bayview Yacht Club, the sailors and the community. We look forward to the next two years and what’s next for the race with Larry, Laura and Bell’s by our side. More than 75,000 sailing fans, families and partygoers were expected to attend a variety of events in Port Huron leading up to the start and festivities on Mackinac Island this week. A partnership with the Alliance for the Great Lakes was also added this year. Along with its continued support for Set Sail for Autism, the Bell's Beer Bayview to Mackinac Race continues to support organizations that focus on giving back to the community and promote good stewardship of our resources. For more information and for updates, keep an eye here on our website or join us on social media.

Next week the 93rd Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race will begin. More than 220 boats are registered for the annual race, which runs from Port Huron to Mackinac Island. We’re excited to be sponsoring the race again for the seventh time. Some 2,500 sailors will take part, and an additional 75,000 people will join in on the festivities. The race also helps support Set Sail for Autism, a program that allows young adults with ASD the opportunity to take part in the weekend of sailing. On Thursday evening, members of the program and their chaperones will compete against each other in a race on the Detroit River. This year, the race will also support Alliance for the Great Lakes, an organization that focuses on the protection of the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world: The Great Lakes.   The race: Boats head out from Port Huron on Saturday. There are two courses — the 235-mile Shore Course and 298-mile Cove Island Course, which runs just to Canadian waters. Sailors push through the night and any weather to get to Mackinac Island first. Tracking: Live tracking of the race is accessible both here and on Bayview Yacht Club’s website. Events: Before and after the race, the crews and event attendees have the chance to enjoy Bell's beers during events in both Port Huron and on Mackinac Island. Port Huron Casey’s Pizza: On Tuesday, July 18th Casey's will host a Bell’s & Bocce ​​event. Seasonal favorites including Oberon, Two Hearted and Pooltime will be served, along with a special tapping of Wedding Ale, Sparkleberry and Mango Habanero Oberon. ​​ Lynch’s Irish Tavern: On Tuesday, July 18th Lynch's will host an Open Mic with the Bell’s crew, beginning at 9pm.  Seasonal and year-round favorites will be available along with a special tapping of Mars, Wedding Ale, Sparkleberry, Traverse City Whiskey Porter and Traverse City 355 East Stout.  Fuel Woodfire Grill: On Wednesday, July 19th Fuel will host an evening with the Bell’s crew. Beers on tap: Oberon, Two Hearted, Oatsmobile, Quinannan Falls, Weddings Ale, Sparkleberry, Traverse City 355 East Vanilla Stout and Baxter's Delight.   Tio Gordos: Will have several Bell's beers on tap throughout the week, along with a special tapping of Mars and Traverse City 355 East Stout.  Vintage Tavern: A selection of Bell's beers will be available all week along with a special tapping of Sparkleberry and Traverse City 355 East Vanilla Stout.  The Huron Athletic Club (HAC): Both Oberon and Two Hearted will be on tap throughout the event and a secret special beer will also be tapped.  The Bell's Brewery Oasis Tent: Come out and enjoy live local music, activities and a fun atmosphere to savor a nice variety of Michigan-made beer with the team from Bell's Brewery. Open Thursday, July 20 and Friday July 21 from late afternoon into the evening each night. Musical Line up for Bell’s Oasis Tent Thursday, July 20: 5:15 to 6:30 p.m Cliff Gracey Folk Rock 7:00 to 8:30 p.m The Whistle Stop Revue Americana 9:00 to 11 p.m. Gasoline Gypsy Rock Musical Line up for Bell’s Oasis Tent Friday, July 21: 5:00 to 6:30 p.m Julianne Ankley Americana 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. The Satellites Soul 9:00 to 11 p.m. Big Pappa & The Machine Rock’n Soul Lexington Pub: On Saturday, July 22nd the pub will host attendees to watch as the boats take off. Oberon, Two Hearted, Quinannan Falls, and Sparkleberry will be on tap.   Mackinac Island Sip and Sail Cruises:  Bell's beer will be featured all weekend long on every cruise.  Bars and Restaurants: All bars and restaurants on the island will feature Bell's beer throughout the weekend.  Mary’s Draught House: Will host a Bell's Tap Takeover beginning on Sunday July 23rd. 21 Bell's beers and 9 Upper Hand beers will be on tap, including a special tapping of Black Note. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us this week for Common Ground Music Festival in Lansing! We had a great time catching four nights of music. Here are some of the photos we snapped at our photo booth.                           

On July 22nd, the longest consecutively run freshwater race in the world, a race from Port Huron to Mackinac Island will celebrate its 93rd anniversary. Bell’s is proud to serve as the title sponsor for the event for the seventh year in a row. Also returning this year is live tracking provided by Yellow Brick Tracking. Fans, family and friends both locally and internationally will be able to track the race through Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The tracking is accessible here and also on Bayview Yacht Club’s website.  Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race is not only about commemorating the tradition of sailing, but it is also about advocating and giving back to the community. Along with supporting the local economies of Port Huron and Mackinac with the increase of visitors, the race has chosen two important organizations to support: Set Sail for Autism (SSA) and Alliance for the Great Lakes. Both of these organizations uphold our values of good stewardship of our resources, and providing for the community. Added to the schedule of events for the weekend is a Thursday evening race on the Detroit River where young adults on the autism spectrum and their chaperones will compete against each other. This race and its integration into the Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race works to raise awareness of autism in the sailing community. The new partnership with Alliance for the Great Lakes is an important addition this year. Although there are many groups that focus on ocean waters, there are few that focus on fresh waters, specifically the Great Lakes. This cause is an important one for our company and specifically for our President and Founder, Larry Bell.  Already over 200 boats are registered to compete on July 22nd, including the boat Details, which Larry Bell will be aboard. Details will be a part of the Cove Island course. Additional details including Bell’s event information with be shared here closer to the start date.

Looking forward to another Iceman! Not only are we bringing the beer, we also have ten Bell's family members racing this year. When you come to pick up your packet at the Grand Traverse Resort (and peruse awesome race gear), we'll have: Amber Best Brown Java Stout Kalamazoo Stout Lager of the Lakes Oarsman Oatsmobile Porter Roundhouse  Two Hearted  Winter White On race day at Timber Ridge, we'll be pouring 12 different beers at two locations: Amber Oarsman Two Hearted Oatsmobile Best Brown Kalamazoo Stout Porter Lager of the Lakes Winter White Two Hearted Roundhouse  Java Stout The offficial post-race party will again be at West Bay Beach, a Holiday Inn Resort with The Orbitsuns and DJ Motaz performing.  On tap, we'll have: 30th Anniversary Ale Amber Ale Cherry Stout Christmas Ale Oatsmobile Third Coast Old Ale Two Hearted  Winter White Imperial Red Here's to a safe and fast finish! Cheers!