July is declared Michigan Beer Month by proclamation of the Governor

The Michigan Brewers Guild has announced that July has once again been declared Michigan Beer Month, with a formal proclamation by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

“Governor Whitmer has long supported Michigan breweries and has helped create a culture that celebrates uniqueness and contributes to the fabric of society,” notes Scott Graham, executive director of the Michigan Brewers Guild. “She recognizes and actively celebrates the impact that locally brewed beer has on the state, from the more than $1.8 billion that flows back into the state’s economy to the many jobs – both direct and indirect – that are tied to our industry.”

As a senator from Michigan’s 23rd District, Whitmer sponsored the 2014 bill allowing small microbreweries to self-distribute their beer, and as governor in 2020, she signed a bill more than doubling the limit on microbreweries’ self-distribution to 2,000 barrels. In 2023, she sat down and drank beer on air with Daily Show Host and Kalamazoo native Jordan Klepper. Earlier this year, she brewed her own Governor’s Whitbier at Bell’s Brewery – using Michigan hops and peaches. This special beer was then served exclusively at the Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism, which took place in Kalamazoo in April.

“There is no denying that beer brings people and businesses together like no other product – combining elements of agriculture, manufacturing and tourism into a vital economic driver for our communities, large and small,” Whitmer wrote in the 2021 edition of Michigan. The great beer stateMBG’s annual publication. “It’s an industry full of artistic and diverse people who are passionate about brewing a wealth of beers with strong character, flavor and even names, and continue to push the boundaries to be the best at what they do.”

The culmination of Michigan Beer Month is the 25th annual Michigan Summer Beer Festival (Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27) at Riverside Park in downtown Ypsilanti’s Depot Town. During this two-day event, visitors can sample hundreds of beers from many of Michigan’s best breweries while enjoying local food and music.

The Michigan Brewers Guild was founded in 1997 and held its first festival in July 1998. Today, it hosts four festivals dedicated exclusively to Michigan beer produced by its nearly 300 member breweries. Within the state and beyond, Michigan is known as “The Great Beer State” and ranks 8th in the nation in the number of breweries.

The Michigan Brewers Guild is a network of innovative and passionate brewers that serves as a recognized advocate for the Michigan beer industry. The Guild’s mission is to promote and protect the Michigan beer industry, with the overall goal of achieving continued growth in market share and ensuring a healthy environment for small breweries.

Michigan’s thriving brewing industry contributes more than $1.8 billion in total economic output. In terms of the total number of breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks 8th in the nation – solidifying its claim as “The Great Beer State.”