DETROIT—With a new team in place diligently working around the clock, Detroit Beer Week is set to launch this October for its fifth year.

The 2013 edition of Detroit Beer Week will feature events throughout the city of Detroit, as well as surrounding suburbs. Locations looking to host events must meet specific criteria in order to be considered Official Beer Destinations. The craft beer industry has seen tremendous growth over the last several years, and bars and restaurants are embracing the trend wholeheartedly.

Detroit-based Liquid Table Beverage Solutions is producing and marketing Detroit Beer Week under the umbrella of its MIBeerWeeks division. Liquid Table launched Detroit Beer Week in 2009, with support from the Michigan Brewers Guild, and piggybacking the Detroit Fall Beer Festival. This concept continues to expand in year five, incorporating even more events and locations, and introducing new and unique event concepts.

DBW organizers are planning 11 days and nights of events, plus a bonus 12^th night, with a single event. A Charity Preview event is currently being planned for Wednesday, October 16, at a location yet to be determined. Updated information will be available online in the coming weeks.

Detroit Beer Week events and information will be regularly updated on the official website and integrated social media platforms. Organizers will produce Signature Events each night during the week, in addition to the myriad events hosted by participating Beer Destinations throughout the metro-Detroit area. All events will be marketed under the banner of Detroit Beer Week, with support from the Michigan Brewers Guild, all participating beer wholesalers, and other sponsors.

This year’s Detroit Beer Week, however, will not feature 313Ale, the collaborative beer brewed by the Detroit Beer Barons and released in years past by Kuhnhenn Brewing Co and Rochester Mills. “Everyone is currently at capacity,” stated Jon Piepenbrok, founder of Detroit Beer Week. “While selling every drop of beer you can physically produce is a good problem to have, it’s still a problem. We wouldn’t even think of asking one of our partner breweries to dedicate tank space to a contracted, one-off beer that would ultimately take away from their regular production schedules. It was the best move this year, as our industry is seeing unprecedented growth.”

The week will feature multiple events each night, including tap takeovers, beer dinners, contests, pubcrawls and educational events, culminating in the 5^th Annual Michigan Brewers Guild Fall Beer Festival and subsequent Brewers’ Brunch on Sunday, October 27.

Beyond Michigan-brewed beer, opportunities for a number of regional craft breweries to host events will exist. Organizers refer to these breweries as “Friends of Michigan Beer,” and will be handpicked on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, locally-produced cider, mead and spirits will take the spotlight at specific events.

More Information Online

Web: www.detbeerweek.com
Facebook: /detbeeerweek
Twitter: @detbeerweek

About Liquid Table / MIBeerWeeks

Liquid Table Beverage Solutions is a privately-owned Detroit-based company. Formed in 2009 by Jon Piepenbrok, Liquid Table focuses on producing and marketing Experiential Beverage Events, including “Beer Weeks” in Detroit, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids under the banner of MIBeerWeeks, focusing on craft beer, with an emphasis on local products, mead, wine, cider, and artisan spirits. Liquid Table also offers trade services, such as on- and off-premise consulting, education, marketing, and brand management. Our mission is to be the first and final word in educational, event, brand development and consultancy services to beverage industry professionals and consumers alike; growing market share and spreading knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the craft beer segment and beyond. Put simply, we promote better living through better drinking. For more information, please contact [email protected].

About the Michigan Brewers Guild

The Michigan Brewers Guild exists to unify the Michigan brewing community; to increase sales of Michigan-brewed beer through promotions, marketing, public awareness and consumer education; and to monitor and assure a healthy beer industry within the state.

The Guild fully endorses and supports the efforts of Liquid Table and MIBeerWeeks in the production and marketing of such efforts as GR Beer Week, A2 Beer Week, and Detroit Beer Week.

Michigan’s thriving brewing industry contributes over $24 million in wages with a total economic contribution of more than $133 million. In terms of overall number breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks #5 in the nation, with over 140 current licensed producers – thus supporting its claim as “The Great Beer State.” More information can be found at www.mibeer.com.

Elk Rapids, MI

An American IPA that features half an ounce of grapefruit zest per gallon, Hopstache was initially brewed as a celebration of an employee’s wedding. The label depicts founder Joe Short’s first mustache.

ABV: 5.7

ABW: 4.5

COLOR: 4.72

BITTERNESS: 106

ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1053

AVAILABLE: MI

The beer chosen by fans will be featured in the Founders tap room in downtown Grand Rapids throughout July as part of Michigan Craft Beer Month.

Starting today and running through Friday, May 3, fans can vote between the following three beer styles – Vanilla Stout, Apple Ale and Wheat IPA – to choose the one they want to try in the Founders taproom.  To vote, visit michigan.org/blog. Individuals can vote once a day for the duration of the contest and the winning beer will be announced in May. Participants must be 21 years of age to vote.

“Michigan has a thriving craft beer industry that is building on our tourism efforts by offering visitors unique flavors and memorable experiences,” said George Zimmermann, Vice President of Travel Michigan, part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “Founders is a vibrant and growing company here in Michigan and we are excited to work with them on this fun, beer-inspired contest. And we encourage fans to stop in at the Founders taproom this summer for a taste of Pure Michigan craft beer.”

Home to more than 100 breweries, Michigan is fifth in the nation for the number of breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs.  Grand Rapids, home of Founders, shared the designation of Beer City USA with four-time winner Asheville, North Carolina in 2012. Michigan’s craft beer industry grew by 20 percent in 2012, outpacing the national industry growth rate by 12 percent, and has a total economic impact of more than $133 million in the state.

Michigan’s craft brewers are also part of a close knit community, promoting all that the Great Beer State has to offer.

“On a given weekend in our taproom, our staff will check the IDs of people from Grand Rapids to Detroit to Chicago to Louisville and beyond,” said Dave Engbers, Co-Founder and Vice President of Brand & Education at Founders Brewing Co.  “Having so many great beer destinations in Grand Rapids and across the Great Beer State brings new people into town and keeps others coming back.”

For rules and regulations or for more information on voting, please visit michigan.org/blog. Pure Michigan and Founders Brewing Co. remind everyone to drink responsibly.  When enjoying a brewery tour or visiting a taproom, please use a designated driver, call a cab or use public transportation. Founders is conveniently located across the street from the Rapid bus station.

For more information on beer trail suggestions and brewery tours, visit michigan.org/breweries.

New Holland Brewing Co., 66 Eighth St., Holland

Founders Brewing Co., 235 Grandville Ave., Grand Rapids

Hopcat Brewing, 95 Ionia St., Grand Rapids

Jamesport Brewing Co., 410 South James St., Ludington

North Peak Brewing Co., 400 West Front St., Traverse City

Right Brain Brewery, 221 Garland, Traverse City

Short’s Brewing Co., 121 North Bridge St., Bellaire

Michigan’s lakefront towns still welcome tourists from Chicago, and day-trippers from other parts of Michigan. They attract a steady stream of visitors to their beaches, state parks, bed-and-breakfasts and tiny vintage hotels. The local climate is friendly to fruit growers: 75 percent of the nation’s tart cherries, over 250 million pounds, are grown here annually; and those same hardwood cherry trees also produce a flourishing furniture industry.

Dutch Calvinists were among the first to settle in the area during the 1840s. Their cultural, religious and business influences remain firmly rooted. Until last year, Sunday sales of alcohol were banned to varying degrees in many communities. On the surface at least, it seems an unlikely place for the brewing industry to gain a strong foothold. But it has, and in an impressive way.

Michigan has over 70 breweries, and almost a third of them make their home close to the shores of Lake Michigan. When you consider that most of the population is concentrated on the opposite side of the state, it’s an amazing demographic.

Let’s begin our journey just north of the Indiana state line in a city called Benton Harbor. Owner and brewmaster Steve Berthel of The Livery is betting on an economic turnaround. This downtrodden community has more available lakefront land than anywhere else on Michigan’s west coast, so he just might be putting his chips on a winner.

In 2005 Steve renovated the Palace Livery, located in what’s known today as the arts district. The “9-barrel Berthel” brewhouse was cobbled together at a cost of only $60,000. The fermenters are English grundys from Cameron and Tettington.

Steve, a woodworker, cyclist and music lover, did much of the restoration work himself. The bottom level has an L-shaped wooden bar and stools made from secondhand wood. If you look closely at the posts in the taproom, you’ll see the cribbing marks courtesy of the horses in the original livery.

Part of The Livery’s charm is being the only brewpub in Michigan with both a stage and a mezzanine. Upstairs you can see more of Steve’s handiwork. It has a state-of-the-art sound system and regularly showcases national acts.

There are normally 12 house beers on tap, including a hand pull and two to four lagers. They’re not just the usual suspects. The lineup spans the spectrum from pale ales to high-gravity ones. Steve uses generous amounts of Continental malt because he believes that his customers deserve to taste the rich flavors those malts impart.

Are Benton Harbor’s worst days over? Only time will tell. But if they are, Steve Berthel’s vision of making The Livery a destination for both beer geeks and locals will be one reason for the turnaround.

That’s the way we see it in Michigan.

So when native son, actor and filmmaker Jeff Daniels included that line in his movie, Escanaba in da Moonlight, no one here was surprised.

That entrance to the pearly gates is the Mackinac Bridge, which connects the Lower and Upper Peninsulas. This five-mile-long suspension bridge, one of the world’s longest, is Michigan’s most recognizable icon. The two peninsulas may now be connected by the bridge, but there’s still a rivalry between them. We call UPers “yoopers.” They retaliate by calling us “trolls”—as in creatures who live beneath the bridge.

Fortunately, the rivalry is friendly.

To call the UP remote is an understatement. Parts of it are closer to Madison, WI than our state capital, Lansing. Only about three percent of the state’s population live there. Never the less, it’s home to eight breweries. Even more amazing, in the entire modern history of Michigan craft brewing, no UP brewery has closed its doors. Like the scenery, the beer is also blessed by the gods.

Come and join us for a few hundred miles around heaven…

But before you climb into the Beer Traveler Mobile with us, a word of warning: this trip is a vacation, not just a long weekend. We’ll be driving on two lane roads because, well, all roads in the UP have two lanes. And we’ll make frequent stops to gaze at incredible rock formations, marvel at the deep, deep blue color of Lake Superior and stare at the perfectly clear sky.

Still willing? O.K. Roll down the window and make yourself comfortable.

A Brew with a View

Our first stop is Upper Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the northeast corner. It’s home to the second-largest waterfall east of the Mississippi, and the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery and Pub. Odd place for a brewpub? Not to owner and brewer Lark Ludlow. Many years ago, her grandfather owned the land surrounding the falls, land that the state wanted to buy to ensure it was preserved.

Long story made short, when the sale was completed, Jack Barrett retained a small parcel of land, within walking distance from the falls. Today, the brewpub occupies that site. It’s a beautiful, rustic lodge with a 10-barrel Bohemian brewing system that fits right into its surroundings.

Lark normally has four beers on tap. Lumberjack Lager and Falls Tannin are year-round staples. Over the course of the year, she offers approximately 15 different beers to her customers. Before you leave, make sure you follow the trail to the falls. It’s worth the walk. In fact, this is might be the most incredible view of nature you’ll ever have visiting a brewery.

Our next stop is Marquette, where many years ago iron ore and copper from nearby mines were shipped to the rest of the world on the Great Lakes. But the local economy turned so gloomy that banks stopped investing downtown. Refusing to give up on their dream of owning a restaurant, newlyweds Terry and Kristi Doyle found out that miracles do occasionally happen. They bought the Finlandia Restaurant, which occupied the site of a Civil War-era saloon once owned by magnate Martin Vierling.

The pair lovingly restored the building. Diners once again enjoy a beautiful view of Marquette Harbor. In 1995, the Doyles added a 5-barrel Bohemian brewing system and long time employee “Chumley” Anderson stepped in as brewer. You can look down into the brewery through the ceiling-to-floor glass as you walk up the hill from the harbor.

The blueberry wheat, topped off with fresh blueberries, is very popular in the summer. However, the stout reminded us of something we’ve enjoyed in Ireland. Terry’s father, by the way, worked at the Guinness Brewery in Dublin and is no doubt proud of today’s Vierling Restaurant and Marquette Harbor Brewery.

Eco-Friendly in Houghton

On to Houghton, an old copper mining town and home to Michigan Tech, where owners Dick Gray and Paul Boissevain met as students long before they opened the Keweenaw Brewing Co. They spent some time in Colorado and discovered craft beer at Wynkoop Brewing, where they met brewer Dave Lawrence.

The three of them decided to build an eco-friendly local watering hole in Houghton. They did much of the restoration work on the hundred year-old building themselves, using recycled materials whenever possible. The result is a comfortable, rustic taproom with a mining theme.

One of their boldest decisions was to can their beer. Cans can go many places where bottles can’t, such as hiking trails and beaches, which are plentiful in these parts. They’re also easy to ship and, as Dave pointed out, canning is much easier than bottling because he rarely has to stop the line once it starts.

Don’t scoff. Keweenaw recently opened a second manufacturing facility in nearby South Range with a 50-bbl brewhouse. The 8-bbl Pub Brewing system is now used mostly for experimental batches and to supply the tasting room. The flagship beer is Pick Axe Blonde, but you’ll find all the beers top notch.

Red Jacket Brewing at the Michigan House Café in Calumet is Michigan’s smallest brewery. A century ago, the Keweenaw Peninsula was a booming mining region and Calumet was its capital. In fact, five trains a day from Chicago stopped here. Back then, a brewer named Joseph Bosch saw an opportunity. He built a deluxe hotel and watering hole, complete with a smoking room and a ticker tape.

Until recently, Calumet was down on its luck—almost a ghost town. The old hotel had a foreclosure notice on it after standing vacant for fifteen years. That’s when current owners Tim and Sue Bies arrived. They were looking to buy a bar in the UP and, well, you can guess much of the story. The fact that Tim had been in the beer distribution business and knew something about local government certainly helped.

The restaurant and bar opened in 1996. It offers about thirty microbrews, many of which are from Michigan, and a great collection of imports. In 2004, Tim, who had homebrewed for years, added another dimension. He bought a half-barrel Sabco (“Save a Barrel”) system. He brews one batch of oatmeal stout every Wednesday. The Bieses describe themselves as “cooks who brew beer.” It’s pretty darn good beer, though.

Want a brewery tour? Tim chuckles and says “Sure, I’ll roll it out.” He loves to chat about beer, history and snow. Calumet usually gets about 20 feet of the white stuff every year.

Of course, we can’t leave the UP without taking you to Escanaba. Even if you don’t visit in da moonlight, a visit to Hereford and Hops #1 won’t disappoint. It, too, is found in a restored historic building, the old Delta Hotel that’s listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Its other claim to fame is that it’s the only brewpub in the state where customers can grill their own steaks.

Hereford is a breed of cattle. And hops, well, you know what they’re used for. And, hoppy beers are a favorite of brewer Mike Sattem. He brews a wide range of beer, including a schwarzbier and a high alcohol English-style brown ale. They’re the best in the UP, in our opinion. Whitetail Ale and Cleary Red are his flagship beers. Now that the locals have come to love craft brew, the lineup is becoming more adventuresome.

Sadly, our trip has come to an end. But, as we head south across the bridge, at least we get one final look at heaven in the rear view mirror.

More than a beverage to consume on the sidelines, beer has a historical and symbolic link to the game. Football fans and beer lovers share in their sense of camaraderie. College football fans are fiercely loyal to their teams and their respective conferences. Regional bias adds yet more fuel to the sometimes blazing fealty, with inevitable debates about whom, or which, is superior. Beer aficionados are little different—they are often staunch in their love for styles, brands or regional inclinations. The debates are more subdued but no less inspired.

College football and brewing also share a chronology, as both were popularized in the latter half of the 19th century. Nowhere is this connection more apparent than The Big Ten. Famous for its physical, take-no-prisoners style of football, the member universities cut a latitudinal swath across the upper Midwest and Great Lakes, which geographically casts a cultural mentality common to all of the members.

The Big Ten universities range from Iowa to Penn State in the east. Every state in between has at least one conference member. The region is also the birthplace of professional football. The earliest teams rimmed the Great Lakes in small, working-class cities whose residents were enamored of both football and beer.

Primarily immigrants from central and eastern Europe, these new Americans brought their brewing skill and love for beer with them. As they were accustomed to imbibing lager beers in their homeland, they brewed the same in America. The affinity for bottom-fermentation endures, though all modern styles of beers are well-represented, making the region unique in the United States.

The Big Ten states of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio and Illinois were among the most prodigious brewing states of the 19th century. The cool climate and often hilly terrain provided the perfect environment. Today, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania are hotbeds of the modern American brewing scene.

Historically, football was just as reflective of the populace. Blue-collar football teams composed of farmers, factory workers, lumberjacks, and coal miners made for some rugged games on hardscrabble fields, a style that is still synonymous with the Big Ten.