A recent MLive story on the end of the Michigan craft beer boom and how breweries are adapting got me thinking about the state of craft beer in Michigan. While the reporting is solid, the framing left me wanting to respond.

Michigan Craft Beer: A Love Story

I’ve been a craft beer lover since the early ‘90s, when I experienced Red Hook (RIP) on a trip to the grunge rock capital of Seattle. During those halcyon days that followed, I watched with awe as craft beer in Michigan soared. The age of the mug club was born. My first was Grizzly Peak (#46), soon followed by Wolverine Brewing (now Slow Coast), and Dark Horse. Today, I can add to that list with Batch Brewing, hear.say Brewing, Kognisjon Bryggeri, and Ogma Brewing.

Over the years, we attended numerous Michigan Brewers Guild festivals and planned trips around Michigan to explore not only the landscape, but the beers of Michigan. Along the way, we’ve found our beer family. The result is a clan that stretches across the state.

Responding to MLive’s Framing

This post was inspired by a recent reel on social media from MLive concerning the end of the Michigan craft beer boom and how the industry is adjusting. There is a corresponding story on MLive that provides more context. While I can appreciate the details in the story, which include hard numbers from some good sources, I couldn’t help but want to respond.

Saying “The boom is over…” may be true, but my first take on this lead is that it implies that Michigan craft beer is done. I feel like a more appropriate title is “Michigan Craft Beer Becomes A Staple of Life In Michigan” (see how I weaved in a little self-promotion). The article and associated social media short also imply that Michigan craft beer growth has slowed due to cannabis, IPA saturation, and changing drinking habits.

Why Cannabis and IPAs Are Not Villains

Drinking habits have certainly changed, but I don’t for a second believe that cannabis or the lack of beer varieties are factors in the slowing growth of Michigan beer. People didn’t trade beer for cannabis. If anything, legal weed provides more options for consumers. Breweries fill a different social need that hasn’t changed.

As for lack of variety or it being “all about the IPA,” every brewery that I’ve been to in the state has always had an excellent variety of beer styles. Sure, some breweries made their name via IPA and hazy in particular, but they still had lagers, pilsners, and assorted ales. Cripes, at Barrel + Beam, they don’t even make an IPA. 

What Actually Changed?

Honestly, I think the Michigan beer industry is now right-sized for the communities it serves. In some respects, parts of Michigan are underserved and likely in need of a brewery, while some areas have way too many, leading those with weaker product offerings or less stable financial footing to close shop.

Licensing Impacts On Beverage Selections

Folks are also looking for more beverage options such as wine, cocktails, or NA beer. Sadly, due to a variety of licensing requirements and existing licensing regulations, some breweries can’t offer spirits, wine, or NA beers. Without going into the details of licensing (which I’m no expert in), a different license is required for spirits, another for wine, and, in some cases, if the brewery doesn’t make the NA itself, they can’t serve another brand. 

This licensing setup seems overly complex. Beverage options are what people are after, and a straightforward licensing approach for Michigan breweries would go a long way toward sustaining those businesses. 

Flattened Wages and Inflation

One aspect that MLive touches on, but I don’t feel gets quite enough attention, is wage stagnation and rising costs. We all know that the cost of a night out keeps rising, and a new report by the James Beard Foundation confirms that most restaurants raised prices between 5%-10%. Add in a continued drop in consumer confidence, and we find overall that more folks are going out less. This means they aren’t hitting as many restaurants or breweries as they used to.

Piling on, until this year, wages haven’t kept up with inflation. I think the reality is that most folks are making the same amount of money as costs have continued to rise. This hurts beer enthusiasts and the breweries they love. 

Breweries, like other hospitality businesses, have attempted to absorb the rising costs of everything from grain to aluminum cans. However, there is a limit to what a business can absorb before being forced to pass on costs to the customer.

Why Community Is The Real Story

In an accompanying reel, MLive mentioned that breweries are pivoting to becoming community spaces that offer more than just IPAs. Anyone who follows craft beers knows that any brewery worth a damn has always offered way more than IPAs.

The part that sort of made me wince, or perhaps do a double take, was the notion that breweries are becoming community spaces. It comes across as saying that breweries are just now becoming community hubs. Breweries have long served as community hubs, dating back to before Prohibition, and many of the local breweries weathering today’s challenging economics and shifting drinking trends are those that have consistently been community-forward.

The breweries that I love to visit actively cultivate a deep sense of community and belonging. They have been and continue to be places where you gather. Michigan craft beer has found its footing. The breweries still standing aren’t chasing trends or headlines; they’re serving their communities and continuing a love story that was never about explosive growth in the first place. Michigan craft beer has grown up, and that is something to raise your glass and celebrate.

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