Beer has become big business — a nearly $10 billion business — in Michigan, according to a recent report by the National Beer Wholesalers Association and the Beer Institute.
The Beer Serves America study found Michigan’s beer industry had an overall economic impact of $9.9 billion in 2020, supported more than 66,000 jobs, and paid more than $2.6 billion in wages at not only breweries, distributors, and retailers, but in agriculture, transportation, and manufacturing.
“Michigan’s independent, locally owned beer distributors are proud to work hand-in-glove with brewers big and small right here in Michigan, across the country and around the world to help them grow and thrive on a level playing field,” says Spencer Nevins, president of the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association. “This new data makes clear that Michigan is not just the Great Lakes State but also the Great Beer State, and Michigan’s beer distributors are proud to play a role in the beer industry’s continued success.”
According to the report, Michigan beer distributors employ 4,866 people in good-paying jobs with good benefits.
“Michigan’s beer distributors have deep roots in the communities they serve,” Nevins says. “That was on display throughout 2020 as our members partnered with local distilleries to produce and deliver hand sanitizer to frontline medical workers and nursing homes when there was a worldwide shortage because of the COVID-19 pandemic and supported local restaurants and their employees.”
Michigan is a Top 10 beer producer and home to some of the best-known breweries in the country, and its beer industry is poised to keep growing through a system that promotes fairness and a level playing field, according to experts.
