Cheers? Not exactly, as Michigan’s craft breweries face economic headwinds, closures

Michiganhasover400craftbreweries,accordingtotradegroupestimates.Whileexpertssaythebeersceneremainsrobust,therearemoreindustrypressuresonbrewersnowthanadecadeago,whensomesaycraftbeerpeakedinMichigan.Increasedcosts,marketsaturationandshiftingconsumertasteshaveallplayedaroleinthetumultuoussituationforbeermakersinMichigan.Beforeitcanbeservedtothirstypatrons,ittakeseightdaystocompleteabrewatBrassRingBrewing.  Inthattime,theGrandRapidsbreweryspecializingintraditionalcask-stylealesdoesn’taddanyartificialsolutionstohelpwiththeprocess.Notthatthere’sanythingwrongwithusingachemicalagenttohelpskimfoamorkeepthebeerfromgettingcloudy,co-ownerandco-brewerChrisGibbonssaid,butanaturalprocessispartofthecraft.  “It’showbeerwasservedbeforeelectricity,”Gibbonssaid. BrassRingBrewingisoneofhundredsofcraftbreweriesinMichigan,astatethat’sgrowninstatureasago-tobeerstateinrecentyears.In2023,Michiganhad418craftbrew