175 years ago today, Michigan became the 26th state in the union! Since then, the Mitten State has accrued a pretty interesting history. As native Michiganders, we often hear the big facts that everyone knows, like Michigan being the birth place of the automobile, an early home to Thomas Edison, and the state with the most fresh water shorline. But did you know that Michigan can also claim the oldest university in the country (University of Michigan, established 1817)? Or that Michigan is home to the second oldest brewery in the U.S. (Frankenmuth Brewery, established 1862)? Yeah, if you’re reading this blog, you probably did know that one! But here are ten more fun facts about Michigan in celebration of the big 1-7-5:

1. A person can stand anywhere in the great state of Michigan and be within 85 miles of one of the Great Lakes.
2. In fact, Michigan has the second most shoreline in the United States, second only to Alaska.
3. Michigan is responsible for more than 75% of the cherries grown in the U.S.
4. Vernors ginger ale became the first soda pop in the U.S. when a drugstore clerk in Detroit made it “by accident” in the 1860s.
5. In 1879, telephone customers in Detroit were the first in the country to receive assigned phone numbers for incoming/outgoing calls.
6. In 1929, Michigan State Police established the first police radio system in the entire world.
7. Ten years later, in 1939, Detroit’s Packard Motor Car Company rolled out the first air-conditioned cars.
8. The Detroit Zoo was the first zoological park in the country to feature cageless, open exhibits that allowed animals to live more freely.
9. The world’s largest crucifix resides in Indian River, Michigan.
10. For more than 125 years, Michigan has operated the world’s only floating Post Office, delivering mail to ships as they sail.

Michigan sure has a lot to celebrate!

And while we’re on the subject of celebrating, Frankenmuth Brewery is proud to share our 150th anniversary with Michigan’s 175th! We’ve got a BIG celebration in store for craft brew enthusiasts across the Mitten State. Because let’s face it, the craft beer industry in Michigan is one of the best in the country. While we busy ourselves preparing for our anniversary festivities, take a look at this great infographic on the Great Beer State.

Happy birthday, Michigan!

Our great state turns 175 this Thursday! On January 26, 1837, Michigan was admitted to the Union as the nation’s 26th state. Why not celebrate with a glass of your favorite Michigan beer? After all, it’s also a good way to support Michigan products and local businesses!

Frankenmuth Brewery is also celebrating a milestone of its own this year — turning 150! So we’re proud to share this celebration with a state known for crafting some of the best beer in the country.

For those of you who can’t make the trip to Frankenmuth, you can still enjoy great Michigan beer thanks to many local restaurants, bars and stores. Here’s a list of the most recent places serving Frankenmuth beer:

• Max and Erma’s in Farmington Hills, Birmingham, Auburn Hills, Rochester, Partridge Creek and Sterling Heights

• Buffalo Wild Wings in Sterling Heights

• Luxe Bar and Grill in Birmingham

• Hamlin Pub in Rochester

• Kruse and Muer in Lake Orion, Rochester and Troy

• Pine Knob Ski Resort Bar in Clarkston

• Max & Erma’s in Lansing

• Big Ten Party Stores – Tastings at all 4 Lansing stores this Friday, January 27!

• Brookshire Inn Restaurant & Lounge in Williamston
  

• Bonnie’s Place in Lansing
  

• Brothers Express Convenience Store in Olivet
  

• C & H Marketplace in East Lansing
  

• Causeway Bay in Lansing

• Charlie’s Bar and Grill in Potterville, Perry and Westphalia
  

• Darrell’s Super Market in Lansing
  

• E.L Food Co-operative in East Lansing
  

• Fortino’s City Food & Beverage in Grand Ledge
  

• Horrock’s Farm Market in Lansing
  

• Quality Dairy Co. – (13 locations)

When buying beer from a local market, it’s important to remember the proper way to store beer at just the right temperature. Get our Michigan-brewed craft beer from one of these fine local businesses, or use our beer locator tool at the upper right-hand corner of the homepage to find a location near you!

The history of brewing beer is intertwined with many different people and locations, making it extremely hard to pinpoint an exact date and place of where it officially began. Historians say there was beer on Noah’s Ark and that the Egyptians prescribed beer for medicinal purposes, but the modern brewing process as beer enthusiasts know it today was established in Germany around 1420. Michigan breweries have been following the lessons of the Germans ever since when creating beer recipes in our own modern facilities.

One of the most popular Frankenmuth Brewery beers, the Munich Style Dunkel Lager, falls in line with the tradition of the best lagers from Bavaria’s capital, Munich. The Dunkel, which means “dark” in German, is known as a beer that uses darker roasted malts and often has a nutty, chocolate flavor that sometimes veers toward the edge of coffee-like delight. Frankenmuth’s spin on the Dunkel is a captivating beer that features flavor notes that brings to mind raisins, pumpernickel bread and nuts, but with an underlying hint of smokiness. It packs only a slight punch with a 5.1% ABV, but this makes it easier to tip back a few glasses in one sitting.

Despite the light lager, or pilsner, being born in the Czech Republic, it gained world notoriety when the Germans began brewing it afterwards. The Frankenmuth Pilsner follows the classic German plan, down to the very specific brewing process and the traditional purity method. The only ingredients that Frankenmuth uses are malted barley, water, German hops and German lager yeast. The beer that results from our brewery vats is one that is crisp and airy, with a light yeast flavor and a bit of spice.

Unlike many other microbreweries, Frankenmuth Brewery is concerned with following the age-perfected tradition created by their German forefathers, while still allowing Brewmaster Jeff Coon weave in his modern magic. With one eye on old school tradition and the other looking at the future of craft brewing, Frankenmuth is focused on making tasty, German beer.

Despite the harsh economic times that have hit Michigan, some industries, such as local breweries, are in the midst of booming success stories. Yet, state laws regulating just how much beer Michigan breweries could produce had stifled the growth of some in the brewing industry. Seeing the need for deregulation, Governor Snyder signed an act into legislation last month that lifted the cap on the amount of beer breweries could produce in a year.

The advancement of the state’s brewing industry is a sign of changing economic tides. The Brewers Association states that “craft brewers currently provide an estimated 100,000 jobs in the U.S.” And with Michigan ranking number 14 of breweries per capita, it’s possible that the increased amounts of brew can mean an increased number of jobs for the state.

Frankenmuth Brewery President Haithem Sarafa is excited about the possibilities that the law has opened up for his brewhouse. “We welcome changes to any antiquated regulations which stifle Michigan’s breweries or other businesses to grow and expand their market shares.”

For over 20 years, Zehnder’s Snowfest has brought over 200,000 visitors to the Frankenmuth area for a festival of abominable snowman-type proportions. Outside our brewhouse, Frankenmuth Brewery is getting in on the action by displaying a Michigan beer-influenced ice sculpture for all to see.

Starting January 25 and lasting until January 30, Snowfest patrons will be able to take in the sights of the snow-covered city, which will be filled with ice carvings from both professional and amateurs alike. There will be several competitions going on to celebrate the art of sculpting and carving. Here at Frankenmuth Brewery, we’ll be sporting a gigantic ice growler. As the beloved beverage carrying case of the brewery and its patrons, this growler looks to equal the size of 20 actual growlers, give or a take a few beers.

While the ice growler won’t be filled with actual beer, a step inside the Frankenmuth Brewery will alleviate any fear of there being a lack of brews in the area. After a few drinks and dinner, take some time to walk the town and enjoy the rest of the festival’s wintertime delights including live entertainment, intricate snow carvings and kids activities. In addition to all of the cold weather fun, a fireworks display will fill the sky over Zehnder’s on January 28 and warming tents will be located all over downtown Frankenmuth. Perfect for families and beer enthusiasts alike, Snowfest 2012 is sure to be a snowy success.