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Top 10 Beers To Experience In “Beer City” Grand Rapids, MI

by Benchmark

Grand Rapids, MI is known as the “Beer City” — and for good reason. No where in the country will you find as many custom craft brews as you will here. If you’re paying a visit, here are the top ten you must try.

1. 440 Pepper Smoker
This beer, produced by the Original Gravity brewing company, is your standard amber ale mixed with a German smoked malt to add to its flavor profile. Then later in the process, it has jalapeno peppers add to it – can you name another beer that’s this spicy?
2. Barrel Aged Tally Whacker
A name as funny as it is good, the Barrel Aged Tally Whacker – or BATW for short – is produced by Arbor Brewing Company. With a light to medium body and a sour flavor profile, this brew is for distinguishing fans; the taste might throw inexperienced drinkers, but is well worth it.
3. Final Absolution
A fine brew produced by Dragonmead, this beer is the ultimate in Belgian ale. With hints of banana and clove mixed with a dollop of Belgian sugar, the kind used for the famous waffles, this beer is both sweet and bitter at once, and carries a higher alcoholic content than most.
4. Bollywood Blonde
As wild as the movies that give its name, the Bollywood Blonde is produced by the Arbor Brewing company and contains fruity hints that make it fantastic to pair with spicy foods. Although from Belgium, this beer seeks to celebrate the variety of beer produced worldwide.
5. Evil Overlord
If you thought Guinness was dark, then the Evil Overlord will surprise. Black as the darkest evil, this dark Belgian ale hints at fruit and caramel flavors with just a dash of banana. With a medium body, it’s 9.1% alcohol content will sneak up on you.
6. Calabaza Blanca
Produced by the Jolly Pumpkin Brewing Company, the Calabaza Blanca is created in much the same way as whiskey – by being brewed in a aged oak cask. A part of the Belgian Biere Blanche family, this spicy beer holds hints of orange and coriander.
7. The Firefly
Another produced by the folks over at Jolly Pumpkin Brewing Company, the Firefly is an artisan pale ale with hints of coriander. The hops used to brew give it a slightly spicy flavor profile with an easy finish.
8. Huma Lupa Licious
From the Shorts Brewing company, the Huma Lupa Licious is an India Pale Ale concoction with a rather bitter taste and five different varieties of hops. Smelling of citrus, this brew has a relatively high alcohol content.
9. Jackhammer Old Ale
By the Arbor Brewing Company, the Jackhammer Old Ale hearkens back to the old-fashioned men who populated the Michigan area. With 8.2% alcohol, a fruity taste, and a spicy finish, this is a complex beer for experienced drinkers, not something to party with on a Friday night.
10. Bourbon Barrel Ginger Ale
Produced by Original Gravity Brewing Company, this ginger ale has been brewed normally, and then stuck inside a bourbon cask for more than 8 months. The 7.2% alcohol content reflects that, adding a distinct flavor to the common drink.

Winter Plumbing Tips For Your Grand Rapids Home

by Benchmark

   For homeowners located in Grand Rapids, the winter provides a number of plumbing challenges that need to be dealt with. Depending on the room, subzero temperatures freeze water pipes, break radiators, and cause flooding or leaks to your home’s plumbing. These tips will minimize the chance that these costly disasters will befall your pipes and plumbing this winter in Grand Rapids.

Kitchen PlumbingDrains that are clogged with grease, oils, fibrous waste, and food are much more likely to crack and freeze when cold weather arrives. This is because these food materials and byproducts solidify or coagulate in your plumbing and cause excess water to exert pressure on the pipes. During a winter in Grand Rapids, then, do not pour your cooking oils and grease down the drain.

Secondly, to properly flush your pipes, run cold water both before and after using your garbage disposal to flush out your sink’s primary plumbing.

Bathroom Plumbing

When its cold outside, conserving your hot water is important. Ask family members to space their showers out in increments of 10 minutes to ensure that your pipes have enough hot water. Also, wash your dishes during a period of the day when the bathroom’s water supply is not heavily in use.

If you notice that your showerhead is releasing a weak stream of water, fill a plastic bag with a cup of vinegar, and soak the shower head overnight in the bagged liquid. When you wake up the next morning, remove the bag from the shower head and use a brush or finely-toothed come to scrape away the minerals that have deposited in the showerhead. This process will increase the pressure in the showerhead.

Preventing Frozen Pipes

Frozen plumbing is one of the biggest wintertime dangers in Grand Rapids. Not only do frozen pipes cut off your home’s water supply, the plumbing is extremely expensive to fix or replace. To keep your pipes from freezing, then, remember to keep your plumbing unclogged.

About once every five days, use a drain cleaning solution on your bathroom’s pipes and drains to clean out any shampoo, hair, or debris that has accumulated over the course of the past few days.

Another option to prevent frozen pipes is to insulate your home’s plumbing. To insulate your pipes, wrap specialized foam padding around them. Secure this insulating padding with insulating tape to provide a snug fit that will keep freezing air out, and heat in.

LowellArts! Showcases Local Art in the Grand Rapids Area

by Benchmark

The vision of LowellArts! is to bring artists and the community together in quality environments. Lowell is a rural community situated 20 miles east of Grand Rapids. The LowellArts! has been promoting beautification projects, and promoting local artists since 1977. LowellArts! believes that it is important to make the arts available for anyone wishing to participate, and supports many community arts programs.

LowellArts! is host to the annual Fallasburg Fall Festival, where an average 20 to 30,000 guests enjoy the food vendors, arts and crafts exhibits and booths, craft demonstrations, children’s craft areas and live music. Admission to the festival is free. Make plans to attend the 2-day, 46th annual Fallasburg Fall Festival on September 20 and 21, 2014. Any fine artist or fine crafter is welcome to submit an application to participate in the festival. Applications for the event can be obtained from Lowell Arts!

Adopt-a-Tree Yarn Bomb project was a hit in downtown Lowell. Over 30 individuals, organizations, and families adopted a tree and created colorful knitted and crocheted tree wraps for their tree. Downtown took on a festive, whimsical aura, as a result of the hard work of the Yarn Bombers.

LowellArts! supports budding thespians with theater opportunities for children, as well as adults. The Thebes players present 3 theatrical productions each year, with opportunities for youth actors. Novice actors, as well as professional actors work together to present theater to all age groups.

The next production of the Thebes players is The Princess and the Pea. The production, directed by Laura Leasure, will run for 2 dates in February. Make plans to attend February 1, 2014 at The Lowell Performing Arts Center at Lowell High School or February 8, at Saranac Performing Arts Center at Saranac High School. Both Saturday shows are at 7 PM. Admission to the performance is $5, and you may purchase tickets at the door or in advance, by calling LowellArts!

Don’t miss the Lowell Showboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts 2014. The event runs each Thursday night from mid-June through mid-August on the Riverwalk Plaza on an outdoor covered stage in front of the Lowell Showboat. Parking and admission to all concerts are free. The venue has handicap/senior parking available and is wheelchair accessible. Bring your own chair or have a seat in the bleachers and enjoy blues,country, big band, rock and jazz music.

Grand Rapids Ranks 11th On Forbes Best Buy Real Estate Cities 2014

by Benchmark

  It is certainly a big boost to Grand Rapids’ real estate values that Forbes has ranked the city 11th on their “Best Buy Real Estate Cities 2014”. The magazine forecasts that over the next three years, the price of homes in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming area will increase approximately 27 percent.

The choice of the city winners was primarily based on population, job growth, relatively low home prices that are considered to be under-valued, a healthy local jobs economy, and locations where opportunities are growing.The survey that was used concluded that the average Grand Rapids home sale priced at $138,596 is under the “equilibrium price” of $184,794 by 25 percent. What is meant by the “equilibrium price?” It is what the average price should be if speculation and factors such as the housing collapse and distortions in local income were not present in the market.

This article should definitely get the attention of those who plan to buy a house in the area in 2014 with the Grand Rapids-Wyoming market being the top Midwestern market on the Forbes list. When homes are way under the “equilibrium price”, purchasers are getting a great buy and can expect to make a good return on their money in the future when they decide to sell.

The prices on local housing are expected to continue to rise in 2014 as buyers do more searching for housing at a time when inventory levels are low and demand is high. It is suggested that buyers get mortgage pre-approval to be better candidates for a house they want, and first-time buyers may be surprised that their monthly payment might be less than what they were paying for rent.

Local real estate agents say it is also a good time to sell. Sellers can list their homes at higher prices because there are more people looking to buy. Business has increased in the last 18 months and is expected to continue. Normally this is the slowest time of year, but, instead, there was a 12 percent increase in sales in 2013 compared to 2012, there is a lot of activity, and the prices have been going up.

Additionally, it is a good time to invest in a rental property because that can be rented out for more than the owners are paying, which enables the owners to turn an easy profit.

Get Involved in 2014! Grand Rapids, MI Volunteer Opportunities

by Benchmark

Do you want to make a difference in 2014? If so, consider volunteering. It is the best way to get involved the community, while making a positive impact on all those around you. Listed below are four great organizations that are looking for people just like you:

1. Kids Food Basket

The Kids Food Basket is a non-profit organization that works to prevent children in the area from going to bed hungry. Sack suppers are prepared each day and distributed to kids in need at schools and public parks. These meals include items from all five of the food groups, to ensure each meal is nutritious.
Some ways to help include:

  • Packing and delivering sacks
  • Collecting food donations
  • Decorating sacks
  • Raising money

If you think you might be interested, call (616)454-9387 for more information.

2. Spectrum Health

This not-for-profit organization is comprised of eleven hospitals and one hundred and seventy ambulatory service sites. There are many different divisions within the Spectrum Health system in need of volunteers. These volunteer positions are vary and are matched with your talents and interests once an application is completed. Visit http://www.spectrumhealth.org/BecomingaVolunteer or call toll free at (866)989-7999 to find out more.

3. Well House

The Well House is a non-organization that provides affordable and safe housing to the homeless. The organization also has an Urban Garden Project which offers food education and opportunities to residents and others in the community. The project teaches the residents (and others) how to grow, gives them access to, urban grown food. There are many ways for volunteers to become involved from planting, weeding and watering gardens, to fixing up houses where the residents live. Call (616)245-3910 or reach them via email at contact@wellhousegr.org to find out how you can get involved.

4. John Ball Zoo Society

Do you love animals? If so, the John Ball Zoo Society is a great non-profit organization that needs your help. This organization offers many volunteer programs that include things such as educating visitors through tours, caring for the gardens, assisting the care staff, helping out at special events and much more. You can submit an application electronically at http://www.johnballzoosociety.org/volunteer.php or call Jim Swarts at
(616)336-4317 for more information.

If you are looking to put your time and talents to good use in 2014, consider volunteering for any of these four great organizations and make a difference in you community today.

Cygnus 27 Offers A Romantic Dinner With A Beautiful View Of Grand Rapids

by Benchmark

   Clients often ask where they can experience certain things in Grand Rapids. They know that the duty of a real estate professional is to know their town. When customers come to purchase property, they also need substantive information on the location and its neighborhood. Over a certain time, a real estate professional begins to know a little something about everything in their city. Therefore, when a customer recently wanted to know the best spot to enjoy a romantic evening with a view of Grand Rapids, the question posed no problem. The answer is undoubtedly Cygnus 27, inside the Amway Grand Plaza.

The View 
Cygnus 27 is a fashionable restaurant located on the 27th-floor of the Amway Grand Plaza. Life at the top certainly has its advantages. The views of the city are breathtaking to say the least. Nothing will inspire a couple more than to sit down to dinner gazing out upon the city they both love. Whether newcomers to the city or just looking to rekindle the fires of a relationship, lovers should not miss the opportunity to visit this landmark. The ambiance compares to that of famous internationally recognized eateries. Nothing says you have arrived as does sitting down to dinner with a loved one, 27-stories above Grand Rapids.An insider’s tip: Cygnus 27 provides complimentary valet parking. Dinner guests can also park in the hotel deck for a maximum of five hours free of charge.

The Menu
An American menu, with some international influences, awaits diners. The appetizers, known as “small plates,” are an appealing variety of light dishes, including sushi rolls and chicken wraps. The main courses, such as steak, salmon and shrimp, are full meals cooked to perfection. Washing it all down with a bottle of wine comes highly recommended.

Be sure to let Chef Werner Absenger know you enjoyed the meal. We are fortunate to have him with us in Grand Rapids.

An insider’s tip: For those wanting something unique, the chef has a private dining menu, with specialty dishes available at a reasonable price. Bon appetit!