Elizabeth Washington

Craft & Barrel

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🔒 Grand Traverse distillery honors late master distiller with limited edition bourbon

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – A Michigan distillery is honoring the passing of its master distiller with a limited edition cherrywood bourbon.

Grand Traverse Distillery was one of the first distilleries in Michigan. Kent Rabish founded the company, which has gone through a lot since 2005. Most recently, the company and the Radish family have been grieving over the loss of their master distiller and son, Landis Rabish.

A son of a distillery owner, Landis Rabish followed in his father’s footsteps. He s
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Did you know the most ‘pure Michigan’ spirits can be found in Traverse City?

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Some of the purest Michigan spirits are produced out of Traverse City.

Grand Traverse Distillery was one of the first distilleries in Michigan. Founded by Kent Rabish in 2005, Grand Traverse Distillery was the 35th craft distillery in the United States when it became an LLC.

While the distillery has been producing more bourbon and whiskies, the Michigan company didn’t start with those two spirits at the beginning of its liquor journey.

“When we started, we were doing vo
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Bell’s Brewery launches ‘Lager for the Lakes’ in honor of Michigan’s waters

Bell’s Brewery, out of Kalamazoo, has announced a lager in an effort to spread awareness of protecting the Great Lakes.

The Lager for the Lakes is a beer dedicated to the natural waters of Michigan. Bell’s Brewery has announced that the everyday beer is to encourage those to enjoy a day out on the water. In honor of the lager’s debut, the Michigan-based brewery will donate $25,000 to the nonprofit organization “Alliance for the Great Lakes.”

“Bell’s has made major investments in clean water in
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Short’s Brewing, Iron Fish Distillery collab to bring us Soft Parade vodka

THOMPSONVILLE, Mich. – Two Northern Michigan companies have teamed up to bring us the ultimate summer spirit.

Iron Fish Distillery and Short’s Brewing Company announced last week that they have come together to make Soft Parade vodka just in time for summer.

In a news release, Iron Fish Distillery says the two companies are both known for high-quality and innovative products -- so combining their expertise to create a flavorful spirit will be sure to please vodka and craft beer enthusiasts ali
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Mothfire Brewing Co. moving to new location south of University of Michigan campus

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – An Ann Arbor brewery is moving to a new taphouse just south of the University of Michigan’s campus.

Mothfire Brewing Co. has announced they will be moving from their Industrial Highway location to a new home off of State Street and West Ellsworth Road.

The new taproom will be a 6,000-square-foot space which will include a large patio with fire pits, rotating art installations and options for live music.

“Mothfire’s vision is all about sparking a cultural bonfire to gather t
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🔒 Can 170-year-old bourbon be salvaged from sunken cargo ship in Lake Michigan?

A little over a decade ago, the Westmoreland was discovered. This ship sank to the bottom of Lake Michigan on Dec. 7, 1854, after being lost in a storm. This ship was carrying a lot of precious cargo, from gold to booze, there were many items that went down that winter night.

The Westmoreland has been a topic of conversation over the past couple of years. I was recently told about the shipwreck and how many are still on the hunt to retrieve the several barrels that were on the ship.

Ross Richa
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Cheers! Michigan ranked No. 1 state for beer lovers

National Beer Day is April 7, and what a perfect day to crack open a brew from a Michigan brewery.

A survey done by GreatLakesStakes.com has determined that the Mitten is among the top states for beer lovers. The survey ranked Michigan as No. 1 according to quality ranking, quantity ranking and affordability ranking.

According to the state’s betting company, in 2022, six breweries in Michigan won seven medals at the World Beer Cup. The company also reported that more than 65,000 Michiganders w
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Play ball! Crack open this local craft beer at a Detroit Tigers game this summer ⚾

DETROIT – When you head to a ball game this summer, there will be a new brew that you can enjoy as you watch the Detroit Tigers hit their home runs.

Atwater Brewery out of Detroit has announced the release of D Light, a Comerica Park exclusive beer.

D Light is a light-bodied craft beer with only 95 calories and a 4.1% ABV. “Brewed for maximum refreshment, I truly cannot think of a better way to celebrate summer in the city than taking in a ballgame with an ice cold D Light in hand,” said the p
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‘Sky’s the limit with this brand’: Molson Coors announces 4 new flavors of Simply Spiked

A new lineup of Simply Spiked™ flavors will be launched later this month.

According to Molson Coors, Simply Spiked™ has announced four new flavors that will be available nationwide in a 12-pack. The four flavors are peach, strawberry peach, kiwi peach and mango peach. The signature peach will also be sold in individual 24 oz singles as well.

These Simply Spiked beverages are made with 5% real fruit juice giving the product a taste of natural flavors. The Simply Spiked™ Lemonade launched in the
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Bell’s Brewery Oberon Day to take place on Monday

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Oberon Day will take place on March 20, 2023.

The Michigan brewery is inviting craft beer lovers to “welcome back the sunshine” with the seasonal return of the wheat ale.

The craft ale will be available on tap at many bars and restaurants across the state. An updated list will be out closer to March 20 of Metro Detroit Oberon parties that will take place.

Bell’s Brewery’s Eccentric Café in Kalamazoo will be hosting a party this year on the release date with a camping theme.
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‘It isn’t goodbye for good, but goodbye for now’: Detroit tiki bar announces temporary hiatus

DETROIT – A tiki bar in Detroit has announced they are going on a temporary hiatus.

Lost River, off Mack Avenue, made an announcement on social media Thursday afternoon. The statement mentions that the bar is taking a break to figure out how to retool and reimagine the space and its potential.

“It isn’t goodbye for good, but goodbye for now.,” the bar mentions in its announcement. Lost River recently opened up a bar on top of its tiki location. The new bar is an Italian disco spot that showcas
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Get yourself a fifth of limited edition Pączki vodka for Fat Tuesday

DETROIT – Pączki and vodka lovers have a chance to celebrate Fat Tuesday with a Detroit limited edition spirit.

The raspberry Pączki Day vodka is back and will be available to the public on Feb. 3.

Last year, Detroit City Distillery sold out of this limited edition spirit in under 72 hours, and the distillery is anticipating that this year’s batch will sell out faster than ever. The vodka is made from fresh raspberry pączki from Hamtramck’s New Palace Bakery and potatoes from Michigan and Pola
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Eastern Market Brewery Co. releases 2 different flavored paczki beers for Metro Detroiters

DETROIT – Eastern Market Brewery Co.’s paczki beer is back just in time for Fat Tuesday.

Craft beer lovers can rejoice as there will be two flavors of the paczki beer made with real fruit and vanilla cream.

According to the Detroit brewery, they have doubled their production and are still anticipating that they will sell out.

Starting at noon on Feb. 1, customers who pre-order the beer can pick up a 4-pack of the raspberry and blueberry beers. The four packs of the cans run $18. The beers are
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🔒 Michigan’s Ethanolo¿y Distillation only distillery in the state to produce spirit made of honey

ELK RAPIDS, Mich. – There’s a distillery tucked away in Northern Michigan that makes a one-of-a-kind spirit -- and it should be on your radar.

EthanoloÂży Distillation, owned by Nick and Geri LeFebre, is located in Elk Rapids, about 20 minutes northwest of downtown Traverse City.

The grain-to-glass distillery has raw materials sourced within a 33-mile radius of their distilling facility. According to Nick, the company’s focused on making hyperlocal and ultra-premium products.

EthanoloÂży Distil
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Is summer almost here? Michigan’s Bell’s Brewery set date for Oberon Day

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Get the orange slices ready, Bell’s Brewery has announced the date for Oberon Day.

Oberon Day will take place on March 20, 2023.

The Michigan brewery is inviting craft beer lovers to “welcome back the sunshine” with the seasonal return of the summer ale.

The craft ale will be available on tap at many bars and restaurants across the state. An updated list will be out closer to March 20 of Metro Detroit Oberon parties that will take place.

Bell’s Brewery’s Eccentric Café in
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Detroit’s largest brewery releases new IPA using artificial intelligence

DETROIT – Detroit’s largest brewery has released a new IPA using artificial intelligence.

Atwater Brewery has used AI technology to create a craft beer recipe. The AI whipped up an IPA with a blend of Centennial, Citra, and Amarillo hops resulting in tropical and citrus flavors and aromas.

“I can’t wait for everyone to try one of the first Artificial Intelligence designed beers. AI technology has the potential to impact and revolutionize many industries, including the brewing industry, in the
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Raise a glass: Bell’s VP of brewing, quality leaves Michigan company after 21 years

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – A Michigan-based brewery announced that their vice president of brewing and quality of over 20 years had announced his resignation.

Bell’s Brewery’s John Mallett has been with the Michigan brand for 21 years, and according to the company, the craft beer icon is taking a break.

Mallett plans on stepping down from the industry in late February. According to Bell’s, Mallett first joined the craft beer community over 35 years ago and has been all over the country revitalizing th
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New Italian cocktail bar Apt. Disco opens on Detroit’s east side

DETROIT – If you’re looking for a place to wear your boogie shoes, you need to check out Apt. Disco tucked in the upstairs of a building on Detroit’s east side.

The new cocktail bar is located above its sister bar Lost River on Mack Avenue, and held a soft opening on Dec. 2.

The theme of the bar is in the name: It’s an Italian disco bar that plays music from the 70s that makes you want to shake what your mama gave ya. Customers have to enter through Lost River and find the secret doorway to he
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Traverse City distiller announces new headquarters, jobs for Michiganders following expansion

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Traverse City Whiskey Co. is expanding in northern Michigan, resulting in the opening of 100 new jobs and a new headquarters location.

The project is being supported by $750,000 from the Michigan Business Development Program’s performance-based grant and is expected to generate $20 million. The new headquarters is aimed to provide a unique immersion of the distilling industry and whiskey culture, according to co-founder and president of the company, Chris Fredrickson.

Th
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‘Most accurate taste of Detroit’: Here’s how to try Detroit City Distillery’s honey bourbon

DETROIT – Detroit City Distillery is kicking off the annual sale of its Honey Bourbon and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Honey in collaboration with Bees in the D.

The owner of Detroit City Distillery, Michael Forsyth, said that this bourbon is the most accurate taste of Detroit that you can get.

The honey used in this spirit is harvested from bees that live on the rooftop of Detroit City Distillery’s whiskey factory.

Bees in the D and the Detroit-based distillery have been working together for about fi
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🔒 Now open: Michigan’s first self-serving taproom in Royal Oak

ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Michigan’s first self-serving taproom has finally opened and is located in Royal Oak.

Lincoln Tap owned by the beer lovers of Eastern Market Brewing Co. and Ferndale Project opened this month and is the state’s first self-serving tap room.

The idea of this kind of brewery has been in the works for a while. In July, Michigan passed a bill where businesses can allow customers to self-serve beer, cocktails and wine.

This newest brewery, which is located in the old Roak Brewing
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Carbon dioxide production shortage in Mississippi puts pressure on Michigan’s beer industry

Michigan’s craft beer industry might be facing pressure at the taps as a carbon dioxide shortage in Mississippi could greatly impact local production.

One of the nation’s largest gas production hubs that produces carbon dioxide has been contaminated. It’s located in Jackson Dome, Mississippi.

The president of Advanced Cryogenics sent NBC News an email stating that a possible shift in the geology of the region near Jackson Dome has released contaminants in gas wells. The contaminants have disru
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🔒 Enjoy a paloma at a Shinola Hotel bar in Detroit while supporting endangered agave plants

DETROIT – Evening Bar, a cocktail bar in the Shinola Hotel, is partnering up with Tequila Tromba to spread awareness on endangered agave.

For all of September, all proceeds made from the bar’s signature paloma using Tequila Tromba will be donated to help raise money for endangered agave to be replanted. According to the Tequila brand, with every 100 bottles sold, Tequila Tromba will plant a wild, endangered agave.

National Geographic state that agave flower spread seeds only once in their life
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New Holland launches a fall spin on a fan-favorite brew

HOLLAND, Mich. – New Holland is debuting a fall/winter version of a claimed fan favorite next month.

Lightpoint Peak, a low-calorie white ale, will be the Michigan brewery’s latest fall launch.

Similar to the original beer Lightpoint, Lightpoint Peak is brewed with coconut water, honey and orange peels. The beer has a 3.7% ABV.

New Holland has recently been named as one of the top 50 craft breweries in the country.

What to know about Michigan’s ‘popular barbecue beverage’: Touring the Miller
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