The places, priorities, and people guiding the industry’s future in the “great beer state” We talked to some brewery owners and members of the industry to compile a list of Michigan beer’s next generation of leaders – both individual personalities and colorful brewery cultures – who are poised to keep things exciting. We also spotlighted […]
After a hiatus in 2020, we are excited to bring back The Kalamazoo Beer Cup. We select one craft beer style and invite a handful of regional breweries to present their take on it in a blind tasting for the public. For 2022, we’ve partnered with Old Burdick’s Bar and Grill inside the Radisson Plaza […]
Kalamazoo, MI — One of our newer event offerings in 2021 was the Makers Tours, where we walk to a local distillery, winery and brewery. One of our recent guests, Laura Traxler, of Grand Rapids, loved the gin from The Kalamazoo Stillhouse during a recent Makers Tour. Earlier this week, she messaged West Michigan Beer […]
Kalamazoo, MI — The weeklong celebration of Kalamazoo-area craft beverages will be held Jan. 29 through Feb. 6, 2022. Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week, powered by Discover Kalamazoo, returns with specials, events, pairings, outdoor games and more. You can keep up on all the things to do with the online calendar. Be check to check KCBW […]
Animated short film shares tale of a 500-mile bicycle trip to Kalamazoo for Bell’s Oberon.
Here is a rundown of recent happenings in West Michigan craft beer.
Michigan brewing school students win prestigious medal with ‘beer version of a strawberry margarita’
KALAMAZOO, MI — Brian Lindberg knew something was up when his phone’s notifications kept going off. The instructor at Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Sustainable Brewing Program was in the middle of teaching when news started filtering from Colorado the school won a major brewing award. Lindberg knew the 2021 Great American Beer Festival, or GABF, […]
A slew of Michigan breweries medaled at the 2021 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colo. Seven different craft beer producers across the state, including one brewing school, finished in the top 3 places in one of the longest-running, prestigious award contests in the industry. Here is a rundown on how Michigan breweries fared: Gold […]
Bell’s Brewery founder and president Larry Bell talked with West Michigan Beer Tours co-founder John Liberty for the cover story of Encore Magazine’s September issue to discuss his brewery’s legacy and future. The article includes comments from beer industry leaders, community members, Larry Bell and members of the brewery’s leadership team. Bell’s, the nation’s 7th […]
Kalamazoo, MI — Western Michigan University recently requested bids for a pub in its new Student Center. The new facility is due to open in August, 2022. For craft beer fans, this could mean a new location for an existing brewery or a home for a new brewery. Here are more details provided by WMU: […]
