What’s brewing in the Lansing-area beer landscape

For many adults, there’s no better accompaniment to a summer barbecue, beach trip, pool party or meal out than an ice-cold beer. Locally, we’re lucky to have a bounty of craft breweries to pick up a six-pack from or enjoy a few pints at, keeping our dollars in the community while getting a taste of the fruits of passionate labor.

But how much do we really know about these breweries and the minds behind them? What sets them apart from the crowd? What are their goals? The issues they’re tackling? Representatives from the Top 5 Best Breweries from City Pulse’s 2024 Top of the Town contest, plus two of the Best Brewers from the inaugural Top of the Town People Contest, reveal this and more in the following pages. (The other Best Brewer, Kenneth “KJ” Rowan, is featured in the BAD Brewing Co. story.)

As the brewers provide insights into industry trends, personal preferences and the unique draws of their businesses, our hope is that readers find a newfound appreciation for our local beer landscape and are able to formulate plans for where to spend their summer happy hours more easily.