The fabulous women over at Drink Michigan threw one helluva party this past Saturday night with their “Sip of Michigan” tasting event. Over 200 tickets were sold to their party at Nicky’s Willow Grill in Livonia and people who didn’t buy tickets in advance had to be turned away at the door.
Audrey Walker, co-founder of Drink Michigan said, “We were shocked and overwhelmed by the event turnout, and are very sorry that we couldn't get everyone in that wanted to attend.”
Walker, and co-founder Trisha Verma, started Drink Michigan in July of 2010 to promote and celebrate Michigan beer, wine, and spirits. It's been growing ever since.
Walker said of the successful turnout, “It just goes to prove that Michigan wine, beer and spirits are gaining steam in popularity, and the great people of Michigan are willing to drink local. The next time we do an event of that caliber, we intend to get a larger space to fit more people in a more comfortable way.”
“The coolest thing about this event for me was all the new people that we had show up. It wasn't just our circle of friends, but really creating awareness of Michigan-made beer, wine and spirits for a group of people that don't necessarily hang out on Facebook & Twitter all day,” added Verma.
Trisha Verma, co-founder of Drink Michigan.
Henry Balanon, West Bloomfield resident and one of the founders of the Detroit food website The Hungry Dudes, said of the evening, “The event was totally sweet. A bit crowded but Trisha and Audrey plan such great events that it doesn't surprise me that it sold out. It was like a mini world expo of beer, world expo of liquor, and world expo of wine."
The room might have been small for the crowd but the selection was enormous. Six different beverage distributors were pouring Michigan-made libations throughout the room. From the wineries of Black Star Farms and L. Mawby, to craft beer from Jolly Pumpkin, Short’s, and Detroit’s own Atwater Brewery, the attendees weren't going to go thirsty.
And that's just the beer!
The spirit table was just as popular, if not more so, than the beer and wine. Personally, I fell in love with Adult Chocolate Milk. It lives up to its name and I could sip on that quite easily, for far too long. Balanon agrees, "The fan favorite was definitely the Adult Chocolate Milk. If you like White Russians, you'll love it."
One of the other spirits people were buzzing about was NutLiquor, a peanut butter flavored vodka from Pandora Spirits in Temprance, Michigan. Yep, peanut butter! They say it’s like “drinking a peanut butter cup,” and I have to agree. Yum!
The event sponsor was Brass Mug Liquor in Livonia. Verma said of owner Louie Yeldo, “He's a huge Drink Michigan supporter, and we couldn't have done it without him.”
The event raised over $1000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Keep an eye on their website at www.drinkmichigan.org or follow them on Twitter or Facebook for more information. Walker tells me that they are planning some events on the East Side in April, which happens to be Michigan Wine Month.