We recently celebrated our 113th Opening Weekend with spectacular weather, a very special Craft Beer Weekend, and our 57 rooms being sold-out which was outstanding! Our dedicated team of 125 people worked non-stop, even on opening day to get the Chippewa Hotel and Pink Pony in perfect shape for all of our guests.
It all started on Friday night, May 8th at our Meet and Greet at the Pink Pony where our guests got to meet and mingle with World Famous Brewmasters from Petoskey, Bell’s, Cheboygan, New Holland and Mountain Town Breweries. Guests were given mini Pink Pony glasses specially delivered to their rooms so they could Pony up to the bar and sample the new 24 draft beers that we’re now offering. Trivia Night was next at the Pink Pony Bar with interesting insights about beer hosted by the Chippewa Hotel’s very own, Josh Carley and Myk Rise rocked the stage once again making it the perfect way to kick off the 2015 season.
The fun continued on Saturday morning as the Brewmasters taught classes on Michigan made beer at the Pink Pony. Lunch followed with a Mackinac Island BBQ with brats, salads and tap beer for guests. At 7:00, we had an amazing Beer Pairing Dinner hosted by Cheboygan Brewery, where guests were welcomed by Brian Bailey, our General Manager of the Chippewa Hotel. Mike Eme, Cheboygan’s Brewmaster, gave guests an inspiring overview of how Michigan craft beers are winning people and businesses over in Michigan and how the evening was going to unfold.
A fabulous 5-course dinner was perfectly prepared by our Pink Pony Master Chef and paired with the perfect selection of Cheboygan craft beers. For starters, Wild Mushroom & Rice soup was paired with Lemongrass Wheat beer. Next on the menu was Grilled Artisan Grilled Caesar salad paired with Calypso Gold, Indian Fritters paired with IPA #11, and the main course was a mouth-watering Grilled Beef Tenderloin, which was paired with Lighthouse Amber. The dinner culminated with Homemade Signature Cheesecake paired with Imperial Cinnamon Hefeweizen. So, what did craft beer and Cheesecake taste like? Heaven!
It was an amazing night, with very satisfied guests who filled the room with great conversation, great accolades and full stomachs. Mike Eme, Cheboygan’s Brewmaster’s endorsement spoke. “It’s all about people, sharing experiences, stories, enjoying blends of beers perfectly paired that interact with each serving of food.”Our General Manager, Brian Bailey summed it up best. “Our guests came up to me many times and said, I’ve never experienced anything like this. I’m coming again next time, if not sooner!” We’ll take you up on that. Stay tuned for more, we have lots of exciting events coming up this season. Our night ended with another stellar performance by Myk Rise on stage at the Pink Pony. That’s a wrap!
A surprise extra was a special Mother’s Day breakfast where all moms ate breakfast on us, as our way of saying “thanks for all you do!” The entire Opening Weekend was one of our best ever in our 113 year history. Thanks to our guests who opened with us for our Craft Beer Opening Weekend to make it the best ever. There’s a lot going on as our 2015 season unfolds so call us now to make your reservations for your great get-away on Mackinac Island.
We have a room with your name on it. See you soon!
George Piliouras for The Chippewa Hotel
