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Michigan. Drink it Up
Are you looking for a reason to celebrate before the month’s end? Look no further than your local brewpub or supermarket to pick up a case of Oberon and commemorate perhaps our second most-precious liquid resource, Michigan craft beer. Indeed, by the powers of House Resolution 301, July is officially Michigan Craft Beer month. Wherever you are in Michigan, you won’t have to travel far; there are more than 90 breweries that span the state. Click here for a convenient Google map of nearly all of Michigan's breweries (map provided by John Palmer).
There’s more to cheers to than just great taste, the business of brewing in Michigan is no small business. According to the Michigan Brewers Guild, the industry “contributes over $24 million in wages with a total economic contribution of more than $133 million. In terms of overall number or breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks no. 6 in the nation.”
Unlike wine making, where natural location is critical and the smallest environmental nuances can affect the flavor intricacies of the drink, you can brew beer almost anywhere. But not everyone brews as well as Michigan brewers do.
“No matter how downtrodden the Michigan economy can seem, Michigan craft beer volume has been growing at a 10 percent rate,” says Michigan beer advocate blogger John Palmer, adding that Michigan beer is consistently rated highly by industry pundits. West coast states like California, Oregon and Washington also have a booming craft beer industry, but managers at Founder’s Brewing Co. and Bell’s Brewery, Inc., believe the people of Michigan are what makes beer here stand out.
So what does it take to be a brewer? “To be science-minded is definitely a plus…but you also have to have a serious passion for it. Passion is equally as important, in my opinion because it's a dedicated craft,” Palmer said.
Some get their training by homebrewing but many others seek higher education. The Siebel Institute of Technology & World Brewing offers master brewing degrees and has campuses in Chicago, Munich and Montreal. Another option is getting a brewing science degree from the University of California at Davis.
Oliver Roberts, the 28-year-old head brewer for the upcoming Wolverine State Brewing Co. in Ann Arbor, rose from a humble homebrewer nine years ago experimenting in his fraternity house at Western Michigan University. He later studied fermentation science at Oregon State and then began his professional brewing career at Grizzly Peak Brewing Co., also in Ann Arbor. The founders of Wolverine State Brewing Co. approached Roberts when they realized they had outgrown the space they were renting at other breweries and wanted to start their own production facility of their proprietary beverage, Wolverine Beer.
“We had a few meetings, we had a few beers, and VOILA! I had a new home,” he said.
Roberts' new home is slated to be open in time for University of Michigan football season. Until then you can pick up Wolverine Beer at select Meijers in Ann Arbor. Whatever your favorite Michigan craft beer, we can all drink to a thriving industry, a great Michigan product and one more talented person making Michigan a brighter place, one beer at a time.
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