Enjoy some great Michigan craft beverages during February, whether you’re marking Black History Month, celebrating Valentine’s Day, or just looking for a great drink. This is a great time of year to support the Michigan beverage business by visiting a local brewery, winery, or distillery or choosing a beverage you haven’t tried yet at your locally owned market.

Meet Michigan’s Black-Owned Beverage Businesses
Discover Black-owned beverage businesses this month, including those that have blazed a trail by being first in the state.

• Michigan’s first Black-owned brewery’s motto is ‘dope beer for dope people.’ Sample Black Calder Brewing’s Bougie Caramel Cake Stout or Basketball in Pelican Bay + Swayze IPA, available at BroadLeaf Brewery and Spirits. 
• Wine aficionados on the east side can check out Tecumseh’s Black Fire Winery and Brewery, the state’s first Black-owned winery. Heading west, Kalamazoo is home to Twine Urban Winery, a tasting room featuring Roché Collection wines by Nicole Triplett, Michigan’s first Black female licensed winemaker. 
• If you prefer spirits, try Detroit-based Anteel Tequila, the first tequila brand in the world owned by a Black woman.
• To sample a variety of Michigan-based, Black-owned beverages in one place, plan to attend Taste of Black Spirits on Saturday, Feb 19, 2022, in Detroit. Motu Viget wine and spirits and Opulence Wine, among many others, will be on offer.

Valentine’s Day Beers & Spirits
Looking for a special brew for the holiday? There are countless great Michigan beers to choose from; here are just a few that seem particularly apt for Valentine’s Day. 

• Brewery Vivant’s Blood Orange Love Shadow is a blend of the brewery’s Love Shadow and a pastry stout; expect chocolatey, rich character with an orange citrus bite.
• Atwater Brewing’s Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale features a nutty profile and added chocolates of varied depth. The result is a rich but not overly sweet experience that should satisfy both beer and chocolate enthusiasts.
• Can’t decide between chocolate and vanilla? Try Drafting Table’s Bourbon Barrel Mean Vanilla Bean, an Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels featuring Madagascar vanilla beans along with chocolatey flavors provided by the malts. The Detroit Free Press called it ‘one of the finest stouts this state has seen yet.’
• And for an aptly named gift, it would be hard to go wrong with any selection from Big Hart Brewing Company or Valentine Distilling.
• Not in the mood for romance this year? Bell’s Cold Hearted might be just the brew for you. 

Try a Specialty Valentines Cocktail
Celebrate romance in the Mitten State with the Michipolitan. Created by cocktail book co-author and Michigan Radio regular Tammy Coxen, the Michipolitan is a local alternative to Carrie Bradshaw’s signature Sex and the City Cosmopolitan. 

Michipolitan

2 oz Ugly Dog vodka

1/2 oz Ann Arbor Distilling cranberry liqueur

1/2 oz New Holland Clockwork Orange liqueur

3/4 oz lime juice

Garnish: orange twist

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a coupe. Garnish.

Wine Events
Oenophiles looking to plan a date night have plenty of options, thanks to Michigan wineries. 

• Cherry Creek Cellars, in the heart of the Irish Hills, hosts Winter Date Night dinners on Thursday, Feb. 10, and Friday, Feb. 11, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The gourmet four-course meal is served in private, candlelit, heated igloos for two to six people, and features a bottle of wine hand-selected for each party by owner Patrick Spensley.
• On the Leelanau Peninsula, Black Star Farms hosts its Valentine’s dinner on Saturday, Feb. 12; seating is limited, so buy tickets ahead of time. 
• Or if you’re closer to the Old Mission Peninsula, celebrate at Chateau Chantal, where your evening begins with a cellar tour followed by dinner, wine, and dessert. The event is limited to 36 guests, so make reservations ahead for Friday, Feb. 11, or Sunday, Feb. 13.
• On Saturday, Feb. 12, Fenn Valley hosts Vino-Tines, where you and a date can enjoy a flight of 6 wines, cheeses, and chocolate. Guests also receive souvenir sparkling wines flutes filled with chocolates and a flower for your valentine.

Forgot the Card?
Send a last-minute greeting with a Bell’s Beerintine. 

Cheers from the Michigan Beverage Collective
Cheers to all the Michigan beverage distributors, brewers, vintners, and distillers who spoil us with endless exceptional beverage options year-round. However you choose to spend your February, we hope it will include a selection of Michigan craft beverages.