Should Detroit declare itself the CRAFT BEER capital of the world?

**Goose** · October-01-10, 08:12 AM

Michigan is one of the best states for craft brewing, some of the best beer is made here in Michigan, why not capitalize on it and centralize the location.

Even within the city of Detroit there are a few good breweries.

You have Milwaukee as a beer capital, but that mostly crappy big market beer.

And some people claim Portland as the craft beer capital, but nothing official.

Detroit should make it easy for brewers to come to the city and set up shop. With all the vacant land, they might even have hop, malt, barley, farms.

and I like beer, so its a good idea.....

**p1acebo** · October-01-10, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by Goose

Michigan is one of the best states for craft brewing, some of the best beer is made here in Michigan, why not capitalize on it and centralize the location.

Even within the city of Detroit there are a few good breweries.

You have Milwaukee as a beer capital, but that mostly crappy big market beer.

And some people claim Portland as the craft beer capital, but nothing official.

Detroit should make it easy for brewers to come to the city and set up shop. With all the vacant land, they might even have hop, malt, barley, farms.

and I like beer, so its a good idea.....

That would be great, and Michigan does rank number 5 in regards to states with the most micro breweries... but Oregon ranks number 1. So why would we knowingly claim to be the craft beer capital of America when Oregon has us beat?

**Goose** · October-01-10, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by p1acebo

That would be great, and Michigan does rank number 5 in regards to states with the most micro breweries... but Oregon ranks number 1. So why would we knowingly claim to be the craft beer capital of America when Oregon has us beat?

first come, first serve, grab the title while its out there and work your way into it... make the business model attractive to set up in the city and we can soon be #1

did people really associate cleveland with rock and roll? yet they have the RR hall of fame......

**skyl4rk** · October-01-10, 09:27 AM

Detroit needs to become the craft beer capital of Michigan before it takes on the world. Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids are way ahead.

**mpow** · October-01-10, 09:29 AM

Just like Cleveland took rock and roll.

**Detroitnerd** · October-01-10, 09:34 AM

I think Michigan is in an unusual position. Oregon is well-respected in part because Oregonians are crazy about their own beers. Something like 10 percent of beer sold in Oregon is made by small Oregon brewers. Michiganders make great beer, but are more likely to drink a PBR or High Life than craft beer; something like 2 percent of beer sold in Michigan is from small craft brewers in Michigan.

**p1acebo** · October-01-10, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by skyl4rk

Detroit needs to become the craft beer capital of Michigan before it takes on the world. Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids are way ahead.

What beer does Grand Rapids brew that is way ahead of Detroit? They have Founders, that is about it. Detroit has DBC, MCBW, Atwater, Stoney Creek, D&M, etc.

**Pcm** · October-01-10, 09:49 AM

Grand Rapids DEFINATELY has Metro Detroit beat. Founders and Hopcat brew some really challenging beers.

The two most challenging breweries on this side of the state, Kuhnenn Brewing and Dragonmead aren't even within city limits. The few that are in the city, especially DBC and Atwater, seem to pander to the less discerning palette.

**p1acebo** · October-01-10, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by Pcm

Grand Rapids DEFINATELY has Metro Detroit beat. Founders and Hopcat brew some really challenging beers.

The two most challenging breweries on this side of the state, Kuhnenn Brewing and Dragonmead aren't even within city limits. The few that are in the city, especially DBC and Atwater, seem to pander to the less discerning palette.

Who cares if they brew the most challenging beer, I think we are talking about popularity in the brews. I am not knocking Grand Rapids but I don't think they are WAY ahead of the curve because some of the breweries there brew more challenging beers.

**skyl4rk** · October-01-10, 11:45 AM

What is the best quality Detroit brewery? I may have to do a taste test tonight versus Bells, Founders, New Holland, Shorts, Saugatuck and maybe a few more.

**Debbiedo** · October-01-10, 12:00 PM

How bout a little pub crawl? Atwater Street Brewery; Detroit Brewing Company, Motor City Brewery; to name a few. Who's in? Rise your hands.....

**p1acebo** · October-01-10, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Debbiedo

How bout a little pub crawl? Atwater Street Brewery; Detroit Brewing Company, Motor City Brewery; to name a few. Who's in? Rise your hands.....

I would definitely be.

**fryar** · October-01-10, 12:33 PM

Is it feasible to grow hops and barley in Detroit? I could see where it might be, since Europe's climate isn't exactly tropical, either. I should imagine you could sell it or microbrew it, if you grow it right.

**DetroitPlanner** · October-01-10, 01:43 PM

I think we should declare ourselves the Potato Chip and Faygo Capitol! And put under it Home of Vernors and Boston Cooler!

**Pcm** · October-01-10, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by p1acebo

Who cares if they brew the most challenging beer, I think we are talking about popularity in the brews. I am not knocking Grand Rapids but I don't think they are WAY ahead of the curve because some of the breweries there brew more challenging beers.

If that's the case, then how do you propose to compare Detroit brewers with anyone else? By volume? If that's the case, then we are still way behind a lot of other towns in terms of volume.

If you're going on popularity, then Bell's is arguably the most popular Michigan brewery. If that's true, then we should declare Comstock, MI the craft beer capitol of Michigan.

**p1acebo** · October-01-10, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by Pcm

If that's the case, then how do you propose to compare Detroit brewers with anyone else? By volume? If that's the case, then we are still way behind a lot of other towns in terms of volume.

If you're going on popularity, then Bell's is arguably the most popular Michigan brewery. If that's true, then we should declare Comstock, MI the craft beer capitol of Michigan.

I would agree that Bell's is probably the most popular Michigan brewery, but it has a combination of volume and quality. I don't think you would compare strictly on volume, especially since that wasn't what I was referring to. I was simply saying that how challenging it is to brew a certain beer shouldn't be the only criteria to measure micro breweries... especially since I don't think a lot of people take that into consideration anyways.

**Pcm** · October-01-10, 05:09 PM

I apoligize. My reference to volume was directed towards the amount of breweries in the area, not the quantity of different beers a particular brewery has in their arsenal.

I agree that none of these criteria should be sole determining factors of the original topic at hand. However, the fact that GR brewers offer more complex beers, in my opinion, is an indication that the region is simply more prepared for varying types of breweries to set up shop [[preparing it to be the craft beer capitol of MI).

**fryar** · October-01-10, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by Goose

first come, first serve, grab the title while its out there and work your way into it... make the business model attractive to set up in the city and we can soon be #1

did people really associate cleveland with rock and roll? yet they have the RR hall of fame......

Folks, what are you going on about GR for? Or Comstock? Goose has made it pretty clear that he thinks you can be only reasonably proficient and claim superiority, and then make something of that. By simply referring to itself as the craft beer capital of the world, Detroit can market itself, maybe gain some craft beer conventions, maybe gain some other conventions where the conventioneers like beer, and so on.

It's not a bad idea. You just announce it, but it's helpful if you can back it up. Most growth in craft beers, maybe? [[grasps at straws)

**bigtreble** · October-01-10, 05:38 PM

Pure Michigan: Detroit Breweries:

Breweries City Miles
Atwater Block Brewery Detroit 0
Detroit Beer Company Detroit 0
Motor City Brew Tours Detroit 0
Motor City Brewing Works Detroit 0
Traffic Jam & Snug Restaurant Detroit 0
Dragonmead Microbrewery Warren 11
Fort Street Brewery Lincoln Park 11
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company Warren 11
Sports Brew Pub Wyandotte 11
Valentine Distilling Co. Ferndale 11
Woodward Avenue Brewers Ferndale 11
Bastone Brewery Royal Oak 13
Lily's Seafood Grill and Brewery Royal Oak 13
Royal Oak Brewery Royal Oak 13

Detroit Beer Mapping Project

**Goose** · October-01-10, 05:56 PM

its not just for beer conventions and the like

but think of the number of available large space warehouse type properties that would be perfect for large copper fermentation tanks....

and vacant land, ready to be turned into hop heaven....

you really don't have to be #1 to claim you are the capital... claim it, and they will come.... [[field of dreams)...

i envision beer gardens similar to those found in germany.... and ice beer gardens, like the ice hotel in norway [[or is it finland??)

when out of staters buy bells beer, they like it, read where its from - michigan - do you really think they envision Comstock??? no - its Detroit they think of.....

**Awfavre** · October-07-10, 05:13 PM

It's not a bad idea, actually. If you consider some 25-30 breweries are located in Metro Detroit & the surrounding area, you can make a valid claim the area has the most breweries in Michigan. Besides, if a place like Port Huron can make the claim it's the Maritime Capital of the Great Lakes in spite of shipping/receiving no cargo, Detroit can be the Beer Capitol of the World.

As for quality & difficulty, Founders, Bell's, New Holland, HopCat, et al. make amazing beers, but there are many amazing beers produced by Metro Detroit breweries, big & small. It really is a great place to be if you're a craft beer lover. How lucky are we?

PS: Goose, I've found when most people see Bell's, they don't think Michigan, they think Kalamazoo.

Paddington · October-07-10, 05:41 PM

I've tried the Detroit are brewers and some of them were extremely bad. Bell's from Western Michigan is OK.

I get the impression that people here haven't travelled much. Detroit, a city with pride! We have microbrews? Yeah, so what? So do a lot of small towns. None of Detroit's microbrews are particularly well regarded.

Detroit might as well declare itself "the palm tree capital of the world" or the "polo capital of the world" or all kinds of other goofy stuff that one could think of.

**canuck** · October-07-10, 06:09 PM

By all means, make it the craft beer capital, just dont think of calling it the Kraft paper capital of the world, I just cant see it being much of a drawing card