Craft beer has a long heritage in the mid-Michigan region, but the rise of new breweries hasn't been as rapid as in other parts of the state. We talk to loval brewers about where the industry is going.
Every city or region has something that comes to mind whenever a local or traveler hears its name. New York City has Broadway. Paris has the Louvre. Zimbabwe has Victoria Falls.
For Michigan, it's craft beer.
The entire state is, simply put, a bastion of barley, wheat and hops. Not merely because of numbers--though Michigan does have the fifth most craft breweries in the country--but because of quality. Bell's in Kalamazoo and Founders in Grand Rapids are perhaps two of the state's best-known and enjoyed exports.
But how is craft beer developing even more locally? Say, in Mid Michigan?
Sure, Michigan craft beer seems strong when sipping on a Bell's Two Hearted Ale, but has the popularity of craft beer spread to smaller corners of the state? If so, has the industry had an economic impact on the region?
For answers, we turn to the powers that be at Tri-City Brewing, Frankenmuth Brewery, and Midland Brewing.
"Roots"
Jeff Coon of
Frankenmuth Brewery says the town of the same name has roots in brewing that stretch back to the mid-nineteenth century. John Matthias Falliers, a Frankenmuth founding father, also founded the town's first brewery in 1857. Cousins William Knaust and Martin Heubisch opened the Cass River Brewery just north of Falliers' property a few years later where the Frankenmuth Brewery stands today in a historic four-story, 28,8000-square foot facility.
Suffice it to say; while a majority of the country is new to the craft beer boom, Mid Michigan has been enjoying the benefits--both economic and social--for quite some time.
Joining the local craft beer scene in more recent years have been
Tri-City Brewing and Midland Brewing, opening in 2007 and 2010 respectively. While Frankenmuth can recall their craft beer heritage back to before the Civil War, Tri-City was the first independent brewery to open in 50 years in Bay City. Founder Kevin Peil credits its success to the ever-growing popularity of craft beer.
Similarly, Samuel Oswald at
Midland Brewing has little to complain about.
After turning a "messed up" beer into their flagship, the Copper Harbor Copper Ale, Oswald says their growth happened quickly.
"By February of 2011, we had signed on with our first distributor," he explains. "Now we have a total of five distributors sending our beer across the state."
High Standards
Still, when you're in a craft beer state like Michigan, you're up against a pretty high standard.
"The craft beer scene in Mid Michigan is growing," says Oswald, but admits they're not at the same level as southwest Michigan. Though, when you're able to compare within the state; things could be worse.
"The few breweries we have in the area are working hard to not only provide the community with an ever-expanding menu of craft beers, but also to provide great environments within our tasting rooms," notes Oswald.
Speaking on the increasing popularity of craft beers, Coon says the industry has become the new manufacturing in Michigan. For a state that has seen its manufacturing industry all but vanish, it's a powerful analogy. And talking economics with the brewers, it certainly seems like a valid analogy.
Revitalizing and Employing
Coon, citing the hundreds of breweries across the state, credits craft brewers with revitalizing main streets and resurrecting historical buildings.
"Brewery taprooms and restaurants are diverse, unique gathering places that are connected and committed to their local communities," he explains. "Additionally, local breweries have a profound impact on Michigan's economy."
Peil at Tri-City agrees on the community impact, noting they like to purchase as many of their raw materials as locally as possible.
"Many of these suppliers are small companies," he explains. "So we like to purchase from them and keep as much of our money as we can in Michigan."
While Frankenmuth contributes to the local economy in similar ways, Coon offers another instance.
"We give our spent grain to local farmers, so they can feed their livestock," he explains. Frankenmuth has also embraced the growing hop farming industry, allowing the brewery to source locally and provide additional income to area farmers. They'll also use cherries from Traverse City, apples from Empire, and grapes from Paw Paw.
More simply, these breweries employ people into an industry that doesn't leave them loathing life at the end of the day.
"A brewery like ours needs brewers, assistants, office personnel, servers, bartenders, and whatever management positions come along with that," explains Oswald. "We're a small business. I know it's cliché, but we're a family here. Every single employee is an integral piece to the puzzle and we treat them as such."
Cliché or not, it happens to be true. And when you build a family environment, the community responds by supporting that local industry. Sometimes, the industry will return the favor.
"I love talking about the process," says Osawld. "I love bringing people into the brew house to see the equipment up close."
At the end of the day, there's simply something special about a local craft brewery. Whether it's looking at their role in the community--historically before Prohibition up to the current day--or how they're being used to revitalize and re-emphasize community.
Oswald, perhaps, sums it up best.
"These experiences you just can't get anywhere else."
Joe Baur is a freelance writer and filmmaker based in Cleveland. He's also the Sections Editor of hiVelocity. You can contact him at joebaur.com or on Twitter at @BaurJoe.