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I was just reading in Michigan Beer Guide [[congrats to Rex and Mary Halfpenny as they go into their 15th year of publishing this fine guide) that while we have 88 breweries in the state, collectively they only have 2% of the market share in Michigan. This is shocking to me. You can find any style and flavor you want brewed right here in our state, so what is everybody drinking? Are all the people complaining about foreign cars drinking Bud and Bud Light?
I don't like beer myself, but DH is a connoisseur who will go for local brews all the time. His faves are still from Kalamazoo, but he always tries the Detroit area brews where he can get them on tap.
Larry Bell makes some damned fine beer, and he's only one of many, though perhaps one of the largest. But he doesn't have the gazillions of dollars to throw at television advertising that Anheuser Busch has.Quote:
Originally Posted by Downriviera
The national preference for the Budweiser family of products is proof that advertising works. Then, since they sell so much of that swill and it's pretty nearly water anyhow, they can sell it for much less money than what Larry [[et al.) can get away with charging.
This is, in beer terms, the same problem as the national preference for Wal Mart over a small, locally owned dry-goods store. Scale over quality.
I agree with the professor. 2% actually seems kind of high, but congrats are in order for making such inroads. I also have a feeling the number of breweries will start to fall, as some of the 'lesser' breweries' product may or may not be of the quality, as is the case with any "new industry." Remember, Michigan was one of the last states to catch on to the microbrew phenomenon, while states like Massachusetts and Colorado have weeded out most of the start-ups.
Also keep in mind, that small craft brewing is hardly a money maker. It's 100% sweat-love,[[90% of that is cleanliness, 10% technique and recipe) and unless you have a brew-pub, selling beer in barrels wholesale is barely break-even. It's only when you get to sell your own product for $4 a pint that you can start to see any return.
And yes, Larry Bell is God. Dark Horse in Marshall places well, too.
Most of the 88 probably aren't that widely distributed around the state, either. You can get Bell's almost anywhere at this point, but I'd bet that at least 70 or 75 of the 88 are companies I've never even heard of, let alone seen on the shelves in my local party store or on tap at a neighborhood bar. There's nothing particularly wrong with a small, local company selling quality beer within a small geographic area, but you won't get much statewide market share that way.
i don't always drink beer, but when I do.... its often a bells product
stay thirsty my friend......
It's a weird thing about Michigan: Even though it has a great reputation nationwide among beer-lovers, comparatively few Michiganders drink Michigan beer. Maybe it's just the sheer volume of blue-collar Joe six-packs guzzling Bud and Pabst and High Life. But some states really drink quite a lot more of their local beer. I'm thinking particularly of the Pacific Northwest. Oregonians drink a lot of Oregon beer, and about 12.4 percent of all beer sold in Oregon is Oregon-made.
http://oregonbeer.org/facts/
I have liked most of the Michigan Beers I have tried, Yet I am cheap and drink alot of Beer. Therefore I end up drinking PBR, High Life, and of course Bud. But even with that I do prefer Shiner Beer from Texas over any Beer I have had from Michigan.
I have always been a big fan of Michigan beers, you do have to search somewhat to find them. As far as the expense side of it just start Homebrewing. The quality of locally available ingredients has gone way up from when I started about 20 yrs ago and you can make some pretty great beer for usually less than a run of the mill domestic. As mentioned in another post it is easy to do and 90% of it is cleanliness.Quote:
Originally Posted by reddog289
I'm luck to have Holiday Market and Cloverleaf within walking distance and they have amazing selection of Michigan bottles. I'm blessed to be within walking distance of the Royal Oak Brewery and their awesome selection of very tasty brews, fresh from the barrel. You'll see me there a lot, and very often on Tuesdays, when the mug club gets a price break on filling their growlers. It's good value, supports the community and is a low-impact burden on the environment [[growlers are reusable!)
I'm not a beer drinker, but my husband is. He is a big fan of Dragonmead beers [[from Warren). One of his favorites from them is "Under the Kilt" a dark ale. He also likes the beer from Motor City Brewery [[they have a place across the street from the Traffic Jam). He likes their Ghettoblaster. He used to be a fan of Bell's "Oberon", but is drinking this other stuff now.
Michigan beers are the best :P
You can get lost with Michigan beers. All are usually pretty good. To be honest while 2% market share sounds low we have alot of different breweries creating alot of different brews. I would rather have a low market share than a high one with only a few breweries. The small quantites that these beers are produced under also help out with the quality of the product. [[i.e.-oberon- tastes like shit now)
Anything from founders, new holland, short's, bell's [[although I hold a grudge against them), dark horse, the local beer company's, arcadia, dragonmead etc.etc. are all worth at least a try.
Go to a mix and match sixer place like clover leaf, westborn, beer baron in livonia among other establishments and try some out! I cna't support michigan beer enough!
The distribution of some of the beers is self-limiting. Brewpubs can only produce 5,000 barrels of beer per year. Microbreweries can only produce 30,000 barrels per year.
I'm sure there are limits to how their products can be distributed, too.
adamjab19,
Don't leave us in suspense. Why the grudge against Bells?
I spent the weekend in Ashville, NC a month or so ago and was pleasently surprised to see they had Bell's Two Hearted Ale in a bottle! In fact, our waiter "...highly recommended..." it to several surrounding tables...nothing beats a Michigan made beer when your missing home terribly, cept maybe a hot fudge creame puff sunday from Saunders, Buddys pizza...errr, you get the idea.
Paul
Bell's makes a good basic microbrew beer from what I can find in the stores. There brewpub I guess has a ton more to offer. I like their beers on occasion but as far as pushing the boundaries are concerned, which are the types of beers I am after, they are lacking a bit at least what is available on the store shelfs I come across.
Also, the grudge comes from the fact that I have heard that Larry Bell doesn't like the expanding michigan microbrew market for whatever reason. Maybe cuts into his profits. [[It's also why, I think, Lockhart's doesn't have any Bell's on tap, don't quote me on that.) I wish I could remember where I had heard/read that from because I guess if I can't prove it then it is irrelevant.
One of my favorite topics.
HUGE fan of Dragonmead. Before the smoking ban it was one of the only places that a person could go to and have some tasty libations and go home not smelling like a wet ash tray. They still allow you to bring in yer own food, have food delivered from other places or order from their in house menu that has the common standbys.
I highly suggest Earl Spit Stout, and of course Final Absolution. Yummerific!
WAB popped my micro brew cherry and have been going there ever since it opened. Great place, but sometimes it's hard to talk with people 1 foot away because the music can get a little loud depending on the time of night. However, you can't beat hanging out in their sidewalk cafe enjoying a brew and food on a nice summer day.
I think there are a few issues going on with market share. First is cost. Good beer cost more money and swill is cheap. Think fast food verses the Whitney as a broad generalization.
Next is distribution. A lot of micros can't get into as many stores as swill companies.
Next is diversity. Micros offer very diverse styles which can be very over whelming and intimidating to folks.
Next is brand loyalties. Some folks are just loyal and do not enjoy the types of taste micros offer.
Next is the hipster-doofus effect. Mircos are viewed by some folks as elitist, laden with overt snobbery.
I heard WAB has a new brewmaster.
Good post and I specifically agree with these points. Basically decades of advertising by Big Beer has conditioned us to believe that Bud Light is a beer [[which, to me, is up to argument) and that beer should taste like that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Baselinepunk
Beer mavens call the style of beer typified by Coors, Bud Light, Miller High Life, etc., as an "American Light Lager". I offered some to a friend from Australia and he said, "thanks, but I don't drink American beer; it's too much like making love in a canoe."
This mystified me, so I asked him what he meant, and in a rather angry voice he explained "It's effing close to water!"
Now that I know what real beer is, I have to agree :)
If you have been drinking Bud or Labatt Blue [[or whatever) your entire beer drinking life, go blow nine bucks on a six-pack of an India Pale Ale or an English Brown Ale or a Stout, just for the experience. You might well prefer the light lager, it's what most of us are conditioned to, but it's a great experience just to see the variety out there. There are as many styles of beer as of wine, perhaps more.
Before prohibition there were thousands of small brewerys and the lighter style lagers were not as popular. Only the big brewers survived this era, mostly by converting to making food products. I also read once that things like the six pack and lighter lagers were really marketed heavily during WWII in an effort to attract more women drinkers. I live downriver and Merchants in Dearborn has a real good selection and a little party store on Vanborn rd. in Dearborn Hts has tons of micro brews.
As far as brew pubs in the area there is Fort st. Brewery which I think sucks and Sports in Wyandotte is pretty good. Also the Oak bar in Wyan. has a great beer selection.
From what I understand regarding Lockhart's, you are exactly correct. I'll ask for an update the next time I'm there.Quote:
Originally Posted by adamjab19
I had a Grand Rapids brewed "Founders" beer last fall when I was in GR. I asked for a Michigan brewed beer in my effort to support the local economy. Funny thing was, I stumped the bartender with my request; we had to examine the label by light of my iphone to figure it out.
Traffic Jam makes some excellent beers and motor city has really improved their quality over the last two years. My favorite Michigan beer of all time is bells Uberon [[only at their brewpub in kalamazoo and seasonal to boot!). Shorts up north has crashed the scene recently, who know that opening a brewery in a tourist town would work out so well?
I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Jolly Pumpkin, widely regarded to make some of the best craft beer in the world.
Things have changed in my life since my last post.Yesterday I picked up George Wendt's book Drinking with George at Borders in the bargin book bin. Reading the first few chapters explains why I drink what I drink.
I also received a late Christmas present from a friend.Although not a Michigan beer, But Great Lakes Edmond Fitzgerald Porter isn't that bad.And lastly on the way home I stopped at Meijers for Ketchup and ended up bringing home a 6 pack of Kid Rocks Badass Beer.Which I don't see whats so bad or good about it. Tastes like regular beer to me.But it is from Michigan.
This thread has opened a can of worms.
Bell's Double IPA Hopslam.
Good stuff right there.
I have an uncle that is still a Stroh man, but he's in his 80s, so I cut him some slack. When I lived in Lafayette Park in the '80s, the smell from the Stroh brewery on Gratiot would drift over the area. What year did that brewery shut down, 1985?
Here is Charlotte, NC some bars have Bell's of Comstock, Michigan on draft. In summer I would often ask for Bell's Oberon.
How is the Atwater Brewery doing financially? I see Atwater beers on sale at Total Wines here.
Jolly Pumpkin I heard is a good place to go up in TC. So is Short's and Right Brain.
My issue with Oberon [[personal favorite) is that you really have to trust your local party store people. Since Oberon became wildly popular store owners have stocked up on the stuff. This causes a problem because they sell last year's stuff the following season which seems to take away from the tasty goodness from that great beer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by professorscott
American ADJUNCT Lager
because they use cheap ingredients such as corn and rice
Always a good and safe bet with Founders!!Quote:
Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast
To follow up Goose, not just corn and rice, but the syrupie extract of corn and rice. 55 gallon drums of rice extract weigh in over 400 pounds. They're are the chief ingredients of your Buds, Labatts, Heinekens, etc. Also the primary source of hangovers.
primary source of no flavor or full taste.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hamtragedy
To Al Publican. 85 sounds about right for Strohs closing down, That was around the time when my friends and I started to drink beer and were mad they shut down.
Muskie, I agree I need to try homebrewing again.My Brother in Law is a Beer Snob and a former home brewer. He tries to set me in the right direction. I like to play farmer in the summer.I tried growing hops with the intention of using them to brew beer. Maybe I will try again.
Baseline, what is "TC"? Traverse City? Traffic Jam? Bell's Oberon is sold on draft in Charlotte, NC but by autumn no more. It must be a seasonal beer.
Traverse city has a nice little brewing community. You have jolly pumpkin, mackinaw brewing, right brain, north peak and short's isn't too far away. Plus, much like the grapes that grow there, they are now a nice location for hop growers!Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Publican
Great thread. Beer is my passion! I brew it, drink it, travel for it etc. etc.
Al Pub -- TC does in fact = Traverse City.
Yes, Oberon is a seasonal and, to me at least, doesn't taste the same when held over for sale the following season.
What can we, as supporters of Michigan beer, do to increase the 2% market share? Next time I see a guy in the store buying a 6 pack of Bud, I'm going to ask him if he's tried Detroit Lager. Its a smooth crisp lager that tastes way better than Bud, but is similar in style. Sure, it might cost a tad more, but I'll point out the benefits and remind him that Bud is now foreign owned. If your local store or pub is not carrying Michigan brews, ask them to.
Every time I sit in a restaurant, I always ask what Michigan beers they have wither on tap or in bottle. Word of mouth is the only thing that will bump that 2% in the right direction.
I am partial to Sherwood Brewing Company on Hayes just north of Hall in Shelby Twp. They dont distribute at all so you have to go to see what I think is the best in the business around here. Dragonmead and Kuhnhenn's on Mound in Warren are great as well.
Check out the movie Beer Wars to see what the big guys do to try and keep the overall market share of craft brewers in the single digits. They take a look at 4 different brewers [[Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head being one of them) and ask for their insights on the struggles they have trying to compete with MillerCoors/Inbev. It's available on Netflix.
I just might do that. I heard they did an episode of a beer that is made with people's saliva. As in they split in the brew in order to use their enzymes to break down the proteins.Quote:
Originally Posted by Detromb21
Your australian friend was regurgitating a very old monty python joke. [[much funnier when they do it.)Quote:
Originally Posted by professorscott
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_WRFJwGsbY
It is. Bell's Winter White is good too, though. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Publican
Calling all Michigan beer lovers......
Check out the Michigan Brewers Guild [[Mock) Winter festival in Grand Rapids on Feb 26th...over 250 brews from 45 brewers...And Anheiser Blech is not invited! Wheeeee!
I wish I could go, but my schedule is way to busy this semester ><.Quote:
Originally Posted by ellsa
I missed the Detroit Beer Fest at the Eastern Market, so I am really looking forward to this one..although I am afraid I am going to look like the abominable snow woman...all those layers..hope the porties are heated!
January 29th is the Westborn Winter beer fest at royal oak music theater that benefits charity.
I just got back from traffic jam with a growler of their IPA, good stuff.
Kuhnhenn's in Warren off of Mount and Chicago is my favorite joint. Their Loonie Kuhnie is one of my favorites, and they always have great seasonal stuff to try.
"What can we, as supporters of Michigan beer, do to increase the 2% market share?"
Hey, I'm trying ... I'm trying!
Frankly, I think it's cost. Anheiser Blech [[great one, plac) and Swiller Genuinely Sucks is just cheaper.
Typical beer drinkers think with their pocket books as well. If Butt Wiper is next to a fine 6 of Scotty Karate; Butt Wiper it is.
Ha ha, I'm trying too. I think I might have kicked it up to 3% last night. I'm increasing the share of Better Made chips as well.
I can't wait for spring every year so I can get my Oberon fix. Over the past 10 years I have turned into a total beer snob. I will always go for the local beer where ever I am. Last week on vacation I had the pleasure of drinking Kona Brewery's Wailua Wheat and Longboard Lager. Both were good. When I can't get a local one in a style I like I'll fall back on Sam Adams seasonals. It's a great time to be a beer lover in America.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Detroitnerd
Agreed - I live in Portland now & the beer here is really fantastic. Bells is a great example of a good Michigan brewery & personally I've always like Atwater [[The Vanilla Porter in particular) but the beer here out west is just fantastic. I'm particular to the Rogue Public house down the street from me & the Full Sail Sessions is a high quality lager which I refer to as the Labatt Blue of the PNW.
/fun side note, when I lived in Raleigh - two local bars used Atwater Vanilla Porter in a combination with Framboise for a really delicious after dinner drink
What are they doing differently in Oregon to garner a 12% market share?
I'm seeing Michigan Beers in more places where I'd never seen them before. We still need to ask for Michigan brewed beers in all establishments, even when you know they don't carry any. Just picked up some Shorts Bellaire Brown Ale.
When I was at a bar in Grand Rapids last year, I specifically asked for a Michigan brew, and ended up with a Founder's beer. I always try to support Michigan products when I am back there.
That's a good question. Maybe they were on the leading edge. Michigan brewers had to work hard all through the 1990s just to loosen the state's restrictions on brewing. I think they had a headstart out there. Also, Michigan's population is a little older and more old-school, I think.Quote:
Originally Posted by Downriviera
Some good bars for Michigan beer would be Foran's Grand Trunk, Ashley's, Sidetrack Inn, Slows, Berkley Front, etc. I think some of the more unusual places that sell their own product would be Dragonmead and Kuhnhenn.
Don't forget Jerry's Park Bar!
The Summer Beer Festival in Ypsilanti this past weekend was off-the-charts. Two days of tasting some of the best damn beer I've ever encountered...many of the brewer's do special beers for this party, and two hits were a COLLABORATION between breweries [[which I'd NEVER heard of before). Both were available at the Short's booth way in the 'Back Forty'...a new zone for the Festival.
I was talking to one of The Livery's inspirations last night at the Park, and she said they were going to expand their market beyond the Michigan borders...something like 8 states! Look for String-of-Ponies Pale Ale in cans soon.
Also, if you can believe it...I heard at the Beer Fest that one brewer who makes an Indian Pale Ale is building a brewery IN INDIA! My friend told me the couple who owns it called him on his birthday for a toast from around the world! How amazing is that?!
So yeah, the fantastic brewers of Michigan are making a bit of a reach and stretch...and I love it.
This Fall's Festival in Eastern Market will be bigger and even better than the previous two years. Not sure, but they MAY be taking it indoors.
Cheers and more,
John
A shame I couldn't make it out to Ypsi this past weekend. But I'll see you at Eastern Market!!! :)
The issue with market penetration for micro brews is rather involved and the central issue goes back to the repeal of the Volstead Act.
Before Prohibition there were hundreds of small brewers across the State. Many of them were tied to German social clubs or what we call Brewpubs today. They were neighborhood gathering places for both social and political activities. WW1 soured a lot of folks on the idea of Germans getting together and speaking their language. Combine distrust of the Hun, the Cary Nation crowd, and the Suffragettes and you get a Dry State.
When the Act was repealed the underlining concerns were still strong and that is why Michigan has a Liquor Commission under the direction of some exceedingly arcane laws. One such law is related to distribution and the fact that brewers are not allowed to ship directly to retailers. IIRC, Distributors can only carry certain brands, hence the Bud truck won't carry Miller products and since trucks have limited space the desire to carry hundreds of obscure beers is not in the best interest of the Distributor.
I might be a little foggy on some details, but the bottom line on why microbrews don't have a bigger piece of the pie all relates to arcane Distribution regulations and the local tastebuds which prefer mass market beers.
Great history, Gnome. Thanks for that.
I'd argue that tastebuds have little sway in this fight, LOL.
If that were the case, no national brews would sell. Period.
I'd say it is more about comfort. Same dynamic that allows chains like McDonald's to prosper...folks KNOW what they're gonna get, even if it is pretty lame, and usually choose it over the unknown diner next door. I used to be that guy.
Only beer I'll consume beyond the craft beers from around the state is Guinness, but even THEY almost lost me with the Labatt's debacle. Their quality and taste went down considerably during that short time, but they corrected it. Thankfully.
But I'd also say the average Oregonian is more progressive and open-minded than the average Michigander...at least those related to Joe SixPack. Heck, don't they have mass transit there, too?! LOL!
Cheers
During the recent government shutdown in Minnesota one effect was that bars, restaurants and I think retail stores were not able to get resupplied. The state government plays some role in the liquor/wine/beer distribution process. This disruption was cited as a reason why the legislators and governor should resolve their problem ASAP.
While that made sense, what didn't make sense to me is why the government ought to be in the supply chain at all. Take the government out and let one business [[brewer/winery/distiller) sell to another [[distributor or retailer), like most any other industry.
I've lived in states that had much more government involvement in the retail sales of alcohol. What a hassle. Limited outlets, hours and brands. So get the government out of my beer mug.
And stay out of my STASH, too, damnit!
Buying beer in Minnesota is a pain...and the almost universal ban on selling before noon on Sundays is quite telling.
Lingering effects of meddlers...and self-righteous folk who think they know better than you.
That could be a complete other thread...
My favorite beer and it's priced right.Quote:
Originally Posted by 9936Sussex
Thanks for the history lesson! Just to add the three tier system does limit more microbreweries from taking off and really putting their product out there beyond their brew pub. Not that every brewery wants or needs to distribute but to have a better option would be nice. I know of people who literally brew up about a kegs worth of beer and sell it and then do it again and again as they need it or sell it in other states of course. It's called a nanobrewery.Quote:
Originally Posted by gnome
Det_ard- I may be wrong but it seems that michigan is really, really involved with liquor sales more than just setting prices. I seem to remember reading somewhere that retail in a sense is buying the liquor from the state of michigan it seemed. Regardless the state does have a stranglehold on the liquor retail industry.
Distribution is getting better. You can buy Michigan craft beers at Kroger and Meijer. The craft brewers have a lot of great events that craft enthusiasts flock to. But what about those that are brainwashed from advertising by the mass market brewers. I think the craft brewers need to do a better job at educating/de-programming these drinkers. In store tastings will help, and I think a change in the law allows this now or will soon. I'll keep doing my part, talking them up and asking for Michigan beer every place I go.
I've noticed that too. Meijer has started stocking the Great Lakes Ale brand whose Christmas Ale is to die for.Quote:
Originally Posted by Downriviera
Sure beats some cheez whiz on a stale cracker that seems to be what you usually are offered at in store tastings.Quote:
Originally Posted by Downriviera
Classic beer joke: Why is drinking Budweiser like having sex in a canoe? Cuz they are both f**king close to water. Ba-dump bump, ching!
Hhaha..welcome to the Forum, Chalray!
Stromberg2
Bells is very popular here in the DC area due to all the former-Michigan folks.
I looove Founder's, and I can't wait to have this baby so I can drink some good beer again :)
Youngsters on The Forum have probably never heard of Sebewaing Beer, brewed at one time in Sebewaing, Michigan..The old Golden Pheasant label. If there was ever a more mediocre beer brewed, it has yet to cross my lips. Holding a glass up to the light, a chemist once said to his friend, "I am sorry, but your horse died of diabetes". I can't believe it is still around!
German advertisement for no-alcohol beer for pregnant women.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alley
Attachment 10289
As to why microbrews don't garner a bigger marketshare I think first and foremost is perception. They assume beer is beer and all beer should taste roughly the same. They have no idea what the different types are. Most aren't willing to do the experimentation necessary to find what they really like. Then there is the problem of microbrews having a limited distribution. Again, people aren't willing to experiment on new brands.
On the positive side, I was recently in the Phoenix area and was happy to see several Bell's brews offered at local restaurants.
Maybe the recent move to cans by the craft brewers will increase market share. Some of them are making cans only. Not sure why this is. I get the convenience of cans. But for taste, which is what craft beer is all about, it's hard to beat a bottle. I drink some of the mass beers in cans and I can always taste a bit of a tinnyness. Its nice to have a choice, though.
Portland has the largest breweries per capita in the country. I think there are 36 breweries and brew pubs in the city. I can get a lot of Michigan beers in Philadelphia. You see Bell's, Founders, Dark Horse, Jolly Pumpkin, and New Holland regularly on tap out here. It's nice to see them expanding and reaching out to other parts of the country but it is sad that more Michigan bars don't carry Michigan beers. That was how I used to gauge which bars I went to in Detroit and Lansing. Who carried good or Michigan beers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Detroitnerd
Cans actually provide better light protection for beers. Brown bottles do a good job but cans are 100% light proof. The "metal taste" you are referring to is not from the beer or the inside of the can. It's from your nose being pressed against the top of the can and breathing in the metal smell. Cans are lined with liner so the beer never touches aluminum at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Downriviera
Jeff, the brewer for DC Brau, is from Michigan and used to brew at Grizzley Peak in Ann Arbor. DC gets lots of Michigan beer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick
When going out to a restaurant or pub I think beer drinkers are willing to pay a little extra for a craft brew because they perceive it as special treat. When at home many probably stock the cheaper national brews.
In my estimation, Michigan craft brewers produce roughly 12 yums to every ONE yuck...and most often, at least at the beer festivals, it is a WOW. There were plenty of wows at the Ypsi beer festival.
THAT is what will grow Michigan beer acceptance, for anyone daring to go beyond Bud Light.
If you know you prefer lighter lager style beer, or if you know you're going to have more than one or two beers in a sitting and the heavier stuff will cause problems, give Bell's Lager of the Lakes a try. Whatever your preference in beers, chances are there's a top-of-the-line Michigan-made product in that style.
The numbers for 2012, which can be found in the Michigan Beer Guide, show craft beer sales for Michigan at 3.9%. Craft beer is at 6.5% for the total US market. So still to many here in Michigan being swayed by mass brewer advertising. I think there are still too many people who think craft beer is all strong flavor and high alcohol. There are plenty of Michigan brewed craft beers that are similar to the mass market brews, they are just made way better and actually do taste better. Now we have farms in our state growing hops and barley, too. Never been a better time to support Michigan made beer. Friends don't let friends drink Bud Light.