Sneak Peek: Inside 7 Monks Taproom

Beer aficionados, your prayers have been answered: The long-awaited 7 Monks Taproom opens its doors in downtown TC tomorrow.

Owners Matt Cozzens and Jim Smolak let The Ticker into their inner sanctum as it took shape (click on video at left for your private, pre-opening tour) and found the space a stylish sanctuary worthy of its wares: namely, 43 beers on tap – from the region and elsewhere around the world – plus more than 60 far-flung and local varieties in bottles.

The highlight, of course, is the historic beers to which the Taproom’s name pays homage: those few brewed exclusively by Trappist monks according to their monastery’s individual recipe, each originated centuries ago as nutrient-rich sustenance for the surrounding community.

Only seven of the 174 Trappist monasteries remaining in the world still brew beer; 7 Monks Taproom will have every one that’s available for U.S. import on tap or in bottles.

Not thirsty for ancient ales rich with spicy character and notes of raisin and plum? Count among your blessings alternatives like on-tap Pabst Blue Ribbon, liquor and wine – among the latter, Left Foot Charley’s Monk’s Blood Red, crafted exclusively for the Taproom and on draft alongside LFC’s prayerfully appropriate Murmur and Confession wines.

In the spirit of handcrafted one-of-a-kind-ness, Cozzens and Smolak teamed up with local artist Joe Buteyn to design the space. Besides outfitting the Taproom with a bar sided in salvaged copper and topped with recycled bowling alley lanes, Buteyn designed, welded and built with Holland’s Jeremy Mejering each of the taproom’s 40 bar stools, as well as its U-shaped banquette booths.

Together, the crew married a spiritual style (think: church pews, light fixtures, celebrant chairs, a painting of the patron saint of beer, “Beer Hunter” Michael Jackson) with the fun and funky (plaster animal head mounts, retro wallpaper) and the purely functional: several flat screen TVs, sofas and a giant fireplace.

Says 7 Monks’ Executive Chef Jon Eakes, there’s only thing missing: “We don’t have a microwave. But we might get one to melt butter.”

Eakes’ menu is made up of nearly 90-percent Michigan-sourced ingredients put to good use. One must-try: the 7 Monks specialty burger featuring a special blend of Michigan-raised beef, bacon marmalade and arugula on Bay Bread.

As for beer, Cozzens, Smolak and general manager Jason Kasdorf – all three, Cicerone-certified beer servers – champion the many Michigan brews they tapped, but for those looking to expand their tasting horizons beyond the mitten, the trio offers these recommendations:

Delirium Tremens: A strong pale ale from Belgium named “Best Beer in the World” at the World Beer Championships in 1998.

Aventinus: A strong, dark wheat doppelbock with aromas of banana and cloves, made in Bavaria, Germany, and rarely found on draft in the U.S.

Saison Farmhouse Ale: From Wallonia, a French-speaking region of Belgium, Saison (meaning: season) is a refreshing pale ale traditionally brewed to hydrate farm workers during late summer harvest; its alcohol content was high enough that it was safer to drink than water, but low enough to ensure the workers went back to work. Named “Best Beer in the World” by Men’s Journal magazine in 2005.

Want a taste of 7 Monks’ many offerings? The Taproom opens Friday. Find ’em on 128 S. Union, Facebook or 7monkstap.com.