E310: The Heady History of Michigan Beer

Send us Fan MailThere's a lotta beer in MichiganAuthor Patti Smith joins us this week to talk about her book, Michigan Beer: A Heady History.  If you've been with for a while, you may remember our episode with Ron Smith and Mary O. Boyle discussing their book, Atlanta Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Hub of the South.  This is like that, but with much more Michigan.We start with the early days of brewing where, like most of the US, Bavarian immigrants had heavy influence.  Except in the Upper Peninsula where French-Canadians helped make spruce beer a hot item.There were a few powerhouse brewers in the 19th century across the state, many wiped out by Prohibition.  Michigan was an early-adopter of state prohibition - but also the first to ratify the 21st Amendment to end it.  I hope they learned their lesson.Modern brewing in Michigan saw the state peak at over 400 breweries, they've taken a bit of a hit with the pandemic, but their still going strong.We just brush the surface in the show so make sure to pick up the book if you want to know the full story of Michigan beer.  (The link goes to the publisher's website, 'cause they get more money that way, but it's also available on Amazon.)The Michigan Beer ListBells Tequila Barrel Aged Flamingo Fruit FightFounders KBS HazelnutOld Nation B43Jolly Pumpkin Bam NoirSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio!  Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher  | RSSFollow Beer Guys Radio: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon.  Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!