KALAMAZOO, Mich. — On March 20th, Bell's Brewery is celebrating the release of their Oberon wheat ale for the season with Oberon Day!
The ale has become such a staple of Michigan, that last year Governor Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed March 21 as Oberon Day in honor of Oberon's 30th anniversary.
Oberon Ale is available between March and September, which Bell’s refers to as Oberon season. The entire state has Oberon parties happening March 20, but this year the Kalamazoo-based brewery is celebrating with a camping theme opening party at Bell’s Eccentric Café. The celebration kicks off at 10 a.m. and goes until 10 p.m. In addition to classic Oberon, Oberon Day will feature 8 variants on tap exclusive to the Eccentric Café:
- Pineapple Jalapeno Oberon
- Peach Oberon
- Blood Orange Oberon
- Creamsicle Oberon
- Watermelon Basil Oberon
- Chipotle Lime Oberon
- Fruit Punch Oberon
- Raspberry Hibiscus Oberon
Different Kalamazoo businesses are participating in Oberon Day as well. Businesses are making Oberon themed food, including Sweetwater's Donut Mill’s popular Oberon Donuts.
"We've been around for a while and Bell's is really a staple in Kalamazoo. We were super happy to do a collaboration," Sweetwater's Donut Mill general manager Billy Howards said.
Each year, Bell's fans nationwide enjoy around 25 million pints of Oberon, with about 60 percent of those pints consumed by Michiganders. Even though Two Hearted IPA is Bell's most popular beer, Oberon outsells it when it is out. Oberon represents about 25 percent of Bell's total sales volume even though it is only available for 6 months.
