Michigan-made gifts for grads
All over the state kids are donning caps and gowns while the sounds of Pomp and Circumstance fill the air. Next come the graduation parties and the inevitable gifts. Sure, there’s always cash in a card, but if you want to give something memorable that also helps the local economy, there are a surprising amount of unique local options from modest to extravagant. Grad-Themed Picture Frame:
Long Road Distillery takes top honor
Michigan has quite a bit in common with Scandinavia: peninsulas, water, fishing, cold winters, and now highly acclaimed versions of Aquavit, thanks to Long Road Distillery. The Grand Rapids-based company’s version of the popular Scandinavian spirit recently earned Best in Show honors at the American Craft Spirits Association (ASCA) Annual Distillers Convention and Vendor Trade Show in Nashville, Tennessee. If you’re not familiar with this unusual
Great brews on tap for spring
March not only marks the return of greenery and baseball, in many cases it also harkens in the release of some of Michigan’s most popular and unique brews. You’ll notice an influx of wheat and fruit in most of these offerings that are meant to make our minds dream of summer. Here are a few fresh thirst quenchers to seek out on tap or in markets
Bell’s Brewery adds 2nd generation leadership
Just two months old when the company began, Laura Bell, has been named chief executive officer of the brewing dynasty her father founded in 1985. Originally known as Kalamazoo Brewing Company, Bell’s Brewery is now considered to be the seventh largest craft brewery in the United States. The elevation of his daughter from vice president to CEO, is just the latest in a long list of
Epiphany Glass Studio collaborates to earn international recognition
April Wagner, owner of Pontiac’s Epiphany Glass Studio, partnered with Miami-based design firm Britto Charette, to craft an award-winning glass vessel. The piece is designed by Jay Britto and former Detroiter David Charette. Called Puquios, it won one of Interior Design magazine’s 2016 Best of Year awards. More than 2000 entrants from 38 countries vied for the coveted title. The award honors home products and interior
Royal Glassmakers keep tradition alive
If your summer included a visit to the Michigan Renaissance Festival, you might be surprised to discover that the Royal Glassmakers are not part of some national traveling troop. They are in fact part of a team of artisans frequently working out of a studio in Dearborn, Michigan called The Glass Academy. Glass Academy History Husband and wife, Michelle Plucinsky and Chris Nordin, originally founded Furnace