From: Huron Regional Water Task Force (HRWTF)
BAD AXE, Mich. and PORT AUSTIN, Mich., Jan. 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Michigan’s Thumb Area (northeast Michigan located along Lake Huron and at the tip of the thumb of the Mitten Shaped State), with some half billion gallons of fresh water at their disposal, has launched a multi county effort, including Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac counties to attract brewers, distillers, wineries and craft food and beverage makers.
“With an under-utilized water capacity of our Regional Water Authority, this area is a perfect location for a small brewer or other water-based industry to leverage other advantages of the area such as tourism, agriculture to grow almost any type of crop,” explained Carl Osentoski, Huron Economic Development Council.
Over the last decade, Michigan’s Thumb Area has attracted several microbreweries, distillery and winery. Port Austin located on Lake Huron, is home to Bird Creek Brewery and this year, Port Austin Orchard announced they will begin producing both hard and traditional ciders with a variety of apples from their local orchard. With Michigan producing over 900 million pounds of apples annually the number of cider makers continues to grow.
In the last six years, Michigan has maintained its status as one of the top states in the country for water dependent employment such as marine construction, ship, boat building, mineral extraction, tourism and recreation.
At the same time, the beer industry has endured a “good-bad state of the industry.”
Overall beer sales have been trending downwards, while the amount of beer sold and made in Michigan has increased six-fold. According to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission the number of microbrews in the Great Lake State has increased from 34 in 2007 to 283 in 2017. By comparison, in 2007 Michigan produced beer accounted for two percent of beer sold in the state.
“Lake Huron offers potential water driven businesses the fifth largest fresh water lake in the world,” Osentoski explained. “Our natural resource-rich environment can provide with the infrastructure for these businesses of transportation such as truck, water and rail plus labor and land.”
Additional information is available at www.thumbwater.com.
Contact: Carl Osentoski, 989-269-6431