It's happening, our sister brewery, Upper Hand Brewery, is in the process of distributing their beer below the Mackinac Bridge into the Lower Peninsula.
They have been in the process of doing so since Autumn of last year, but they are now entering a couple of new markets further south including West Michigan.
The following article on Upper Hand's website provides a list of where their beer is currently being distributed, where it is heading next along with some FAQs.
If you have any further questions about Upper Hand's lower peninsula release please contact them through any one of the following channels.
West Michigan Release FAQ:
What beers will be available?
Year-Round:
- Upper Hand Light – 6 pack and 12 pack
- Upper Hand IPA- 6 pack
- UPA (Upper Peninsula Ale) – 6 pack
Specialty:
- Lumen - 6 pack
- Dry Kriek - 500ML bottle
- Sugarbush - 6 pack
Spring Releases:
- Yellow Hex (late March-early April)
- Laughing Fish (late April-early May)
- Next Up (ships late May)
Fall release:
- Deer Camp (late September)
See Upper Hand's complete beer lineup here: http://www.upperhandbrewery.com/brands/
Will it be available at the Bell's General Store in downtown Kalamazoo?
- Yup, it will be available on 2/1/2021
- Year-round brands then will follow suit with seasonal releases stated above
What distributors will be selling Upper Hand's beer?
-
Alliance Beverage Distributing (starting early Febuary 2021)
-
Fabiano Brothers (starting early March 2021)
Why isn’t Upper Hand being released in the entire state?
- As with Bell’s it is our priority to make sure we can support our existing customers (bars, restaurants, stores, distributors) with beer before we start to move into new territory. We are confident that we can provide an uninterrupted fresh, high-quality product to both our U.P. and L.P. partners. But doing so requires planning and patience, we don’t ever want to get too big for our britches.
We are opening up territories in a staggered manner to make sure we keep to the commitments that we have already made. We do plan to stay within the Bell’s network as we move south.