Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced that all Michigan bars and restaurants will need to be closed starting at 3 p.m. today. Regardless of whether you believe this is warranted or excessive, it is the law and these businesses are required to shutter until further notice.
This may provide an inconvenience for most, but for the owners and staffs of these establishments, the hardship is real and the eventual impact unclear at this point.
However, many of our tour partners will still be serving food to go, filling growlers, and selling packaged beer during specified hours. You can also purchase gift cards, brewery merchandise, and mug club memberships in person or on their websites. Patronizing the craft breweries, brewpubs, and craft bars that you love during this crisis is crucial to their future.
So, if you have a regular haunt or two you like to visit, calculate what you would've spent these next couple weeks and spend it on carry-out, merch, gift certificates - whatever will help keep the businesses open and the staff paid.
This will end and I want us ALL still standing at the conclusion.
As for Michigan Brew Tours, our upcoming tours will follow the Governor's directive. But if the businesses are open, we are touring. Let's hope that's sooner rather than later.
Cheers!
John