Michigan Beer A Heady History

Michigan's beer history is as diverse as the breweries themselves, and the stories behind them are as fascinating as their tasty concoctions. A few enterprising women found themselves at the forefront of early brewing in the state, and several early Detroit brewers also served as mayor. Pfeiffer's mascot was designed by Walt Disney Studios. Jackson's Eberle Brewing Company took its fight against local prohibition all the way to the Supreme Court, and the Silver Foam trademark embroiled disputants in a different legal fight. Renowned modern craft brewers grew from humble beginnings, often staving off financial disaster, to establish themselves as local, or even national, juggernauts. Grab your favorite brew and join author Patti F. Smith for a look at Michigan's distant brewing past and its recent triumphs.

Michigan's beer history is as diverse as the breweries themselves, and the stories behind them are as fascinating as their tasty concoctions. A few enterprising women found themselves at the forefront of early brewing in the state, and several early Detroit brewers also served as mayor. Pfeiffer's mascot was designed by Walt Disney Studios. Jackson's Eberle Brewing Company took its fight against local prohibition all the way to the Supreme Court, and the Silver Foam trademark embroiled disputants in a different legal fight. Renowned modern craft brewers grew from humble beginnings, often staving off financial disaster, to establish themselves as local, or even national, juggernauts. Grab your favorite brew and join author Patti F. Smith for a look at Michigan's distant brewing past and its recent triumphs.

While in recent years Detroit's craft beer scene has exploded with activity and innovation, brewing has a long history in the Motor City. Small brewers popped up during the mid-1800s to support nearby saloons. Many breweries survived the dry years by producing "near beer," or non-alcoholic beer, which was quickly abandoned after Prohibition. Consolidation marked the following decades until only Stroh Brewery Company remained. Local brewing returned triumphantly with dozens of breweries opening their doors since the 1990s, including Motor City Brewing Works, Atwater Brewery and Kuhnhenn Brewing Company. Join author and Motor City Brew Tours founder Stephen Johnson for Detroit history by the pint.

Craft Breweries and Brewpubs of Michigan's Upper Peninsula Follow Yooper Ale Trails to visit the 29 unique craft breweries and brewpubs of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Choose from among eight different Ale Trails for your personal journey. Explore the backstories of the breweries, brewers and owners, along with tasting notes on each brewery's most popular beers. Jon C. Stott, award-winning author of five beer travel books, provides expert guidance for both craft beer aficionados and tourists to enjoy one of 170 locally-brewed lagers or ales after visiting the many scenic wonders of the U.P.: 🍺 Tours are arranged geographically from the shores of Lake Huron, across the north of the peninsula close to Lake Superior and then east from the Wisconsin border to the shores of Lake Michigan. 🍺 Short essays on each brewery introduce you to the brewer's, the places their beers are served and the flavors of the beers themselves. 🍺 Complete contact details about each brewery and their available services (food, off-sales, accessibility, etc.), descriptions of beer styles with examples from UP breweries and a glossary of brewing terms. 🍺 Road maps for each ale trail and photographs of each establishment, making the breweries easy to find "Cheers to the Yooper Ale Trail! Jon's book is a fun and easy way to get a close and detailed offering from each brewery. The beer tastings are the heart of the book, and you will readily see how much Jon enjoyed each and every visit. After reading this book, you will want to make your own journey!" -- Lark Carlyle Ludlow, Owner and Brewster Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub "Jon C. Stott's Yooper Ale Trails breaks down trips across the peninsula into easily traveled trails so that readers can take their time and enjoy the offerings of each one. Many of these breweries are outstanding restaurants with varied and interesting menus. It seems that in the U.P., all roads lead to beer, and Jon Stott hits these places on all cylinders, providing backgrounds, histories and recommendations for a complete and in-depth guide to U.P. beer. Whether you are a hophead, foodie or sightseer, this is an essential book for your travel library." -Mikel B. Classen, author of Points North: Discover Hidden Campgrounds, Natural Wonders and Waterways of the Upper Peninsula and recipient of the Charles Follo U.P. History Award "One of the distinct charms of Jon Stott's writing is his refusal to fall into the formulaic molds of beer tourism books. If you'd like to check out the superb local ales and breweries that have sprung up in the vast expanse of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, this fine book is an absolute necessity." --Michael Carrier, MA NYU and author of 15 U.P. Jack Handler mysteries From Modern History Press www.ModernHistoryPress.com

The Twin Cities witnessed a recent explosion of craft beer breweries and brewpubs, but the region's beer history reaches back generations. The Minneapolis Brewing Company introduced the iconic Grain Belt beer in 1893, and it remains a local favorite. Fur trapper and bootlegger Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant established a St. Paul tavern along the banks of the Mississippi River in the early 1800s. The area has been home to some of the best-known beer brands in America, from Hamm's and Schmidt's to Yoerg's and Olympia. Today, microbreweries such as Bad Weather Brewing, Summit Brewing and more than fifty others are forging new avenues. Join author Scott Carlson as he offers an intriguing history and guide to Twin Cities beer.

While in recent years Detroit's craft beer scene has exploded with activity and innovation, brewing has a long history in the Motor City. Small brewers popped up during the mid-1800s to support nearby saloons. Many breweries survived the dry years by producing "near beer," or non-alcoholic beer, which was quickly abandoned after Prohibition. Consolidation marked the following decades until only Stroh Brewery Company remained. Local brewing returned triumphantly with dozens of breweries opening their doors since the 1990s, including Motor City Brewing Works, Atwater Brewery and Kuhnhenn Brewing Company. Join author and Motor City Brew Tours founder Stephen Johnson for Detroit history by the pint.

Beer historians and writers Alan McLeod and Jordan St. John have tapped the cask of Ontario brewing to bring the complete story to light, from foam to dregs. Ontario boasts a potent mix of brewing traditions. Wherever Europeans explored, battled, and settled, beer was not far behind, which brought the simple magic of brewing to Ontario in the 1670s. Early Hudson's Bay Company traders brewed in Canada's Arctic, and Loyalist refugees brought the craft north in the 1780s. Early 1900s temperance activists drove the industry largely underground but couldn't dry up the quest to quench Ontarians' thirst. The heavy regulation that replaced prohibition centralized surviving breweries. Today, independent breweries are booming and writing their own chapters in the Ontario beer story.

Brewing came to the Upper Peninsula in the 1600s, when French fur traders substituted pine needles for hops in batches of spruce beer. Promoted as a health drink, the evergreen suds remained in favor with the British army when it occupied the region. German immigrants drawn in by the mining boom introduced more variety to the area's fermented beverage selection, and the first of many commercial breweries opened in Sault Ste. Marie in 1850. Today, Keweenaw, Blackrocks and Ore Dock Brewing Companies are a few of the local craft brewers canning, bottling and shipping the malty flavor of the Peninsula throughout Michigan, Wisconsin and beyond.