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Traverse Tall Ship Company Offers Multi-Day Autumn Excursions Aboard the Schooner Manitou

(TRAVERSE CITY, Mich) — Pure Michigan is blessed with the Great Lakes—the largest bodies of fresh water in the world. You’re invited to turn off your cell phone, set your email on autoreply and set sail on the inland seas for one of the multi-day excursions aboard the Schooner Manitou. 

The Traverse Tall Ship Company is once again offering a series of educational, entertaining and relaxing multi-day cruises throughout the fall color tour months of September and October. During these trips, guests enjoy a stress-free get-away, while visiting quaint coastal villages and soaking up the panoramic views of the northern Michigan shoreline. Leave your busy schedules and the daily grind in the wind as you head out on the freshwaters of Grand Traverse Bay for an experience like no other.

Excursions with remaining availability for this fall include:

6-Day Explorer Cruise (September 7-13, 2016) – Cost: $939 per person.
Join us on a longer cruise and fully embrace the rhythm of wind, wave, and shipboard life. This one books quickly!

4-Day Michigan Craft Beer Cruise (September 15-19, 2016) – Cost: $769 per person.
Michigan has made a name for itself as one of the premier craft brew states in the country, and considers itself the “Great Beer State” with more than 200 breweries throughout two peninsulas. What better way to partake of these fine beverages than from the deck of a beautiful vessel resting in a peaceful harbor!

Chef and craft beer aficionado Amy Sherman will serve as host and guide as we enjoy tastings with hors d’oeuvres, followed by specifically designed food pairings with dinner. After graduating from Aquinas College, Amy Sherman found her true calling in the kitchen. A 20-year restaurant veteran, she’s held every job possible, from ravioli runner, prep chef, book keeper, waitress, to manager, sous chef and pastry chef.  She has taught cooking classes throughout West Michigan, runs a catering company called Two Chicks and an Oven, and with her husband runs the local food company, Farmlink. As the host of the Great American Brew Trail, she drank her way across Michigan, one pint at a time. She currently hosts a podcast called “Behind the Mitten” with MLive’s John Gonzalez and was recently added to the Mlive “Best Of…” Team. She also leads culinary adventures here in the states and Europe.  Her main job, however, is being mom to three ruffians in Grand Rapids.

4-Day Star Gazer Cruise (September 22-26, 2016) – Cost: $769 per person.
We’re excited to be joined by Mary Stewart Adams, director of theHeadlands International Dark Sky Park, who will guide us through a journey of the night sky. Mary is a star lore historian, storyteller and author who has been immersed in the history of star knowledge for nearly 30 years. She led the initiative that resulted in International Dark Sky Park designation for the Headlands property in Emmet County, MI, which later resulted in the State of Michigan passing legislation to protect the night sky over an additional 23,000 acres of state park and forest land.

Mary writes and speaks extensively to local, national and international audiences on our relationship to the night sky and its cultural consequences, and has received numerous honors for her work. In addition, she is a member of the International Dark Sky Places Committee of the International Dark Sky Association, protecting and designating dark sky sites around the world. Mary’s weekly radio program “The Storyteller’s Guide to the Night Sky” airs during Morning Edition on Interlochen Public Radio every Monday. Mary makes her home under the starry skies of Harbor Springs, MI.

4-Day Explorer Cruise (September 29-October 3, 2016) – Cost: $749 per person.
A shorter version of our season starter cruise, this trip should also offer up a bit of fall color along the shoreline.

As one of the largest sailing ships on the Great Lakes, the Manitou is a replica of an 1800s “coasting” cargo schooner. A traditional two-masted, gaff rigged, topsail schooner, Manitou measures 114 feet in length with more than 3000 square feet of sail.

There is plenty of space for sitting and moving around the decks while under sail. While aboard the Manitou, passengers are free to leave the sailing to the experienced crew or lend a hand and learn the arts of the sailor. An excursion aboard the Manitou allows you to remove yourself from the trappings of modern life: no TV, phone (cell phones are discouraged), internet, email and definitely, no itinerary.

Trips are limited to 22 individuals, with accommodations provided in 11 double-bunk cabins. Fare includes lodging, all meals and sailing activities.

To make reservations for any of the 2016 Manitou sailing adventures, call toll free 800-678-0383 or order tickets online. Gift certificates are also available. For additional information about the Manitou, including its corporate charters, log on to www.TallShipSailing.com.

Traverse Tall Ship Company is located at 13258 S.W. Bay Shore Drive (M22) in Traverse City and shares a dock with the fleet from the Maritime Heritage Alliance, creating a unique nautical experience for the area.

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PRESS RELEASE FOLLOWS

(LANSING, MICH)—Tickets are on sale now for the 5th Annual Beerfest at the Ballpark on Saturday, April 30, at Cooley Law School Stadium.

Beerfest at the Ballpark is an outdoor beer, cider and mead festival with live acoustic music hosted by the Lansing Lugnuts and promoted by I’m A Beer Hound. Festival hours are scheduled from 3-8 p.m. with special VIP entry starting at 2 p.m. Tickets are available atBeerfestAtTheBallpark.net, LansingLugnuts.com or by visiting the Cooley Law School Stadium Box Office.

Attendees will have the opportunity to taste 250+ craft beers from 55 Michigan breweries in addition to ciders, meads and – new this year– wines from 15 Michigan cideries, meaderies and wineries. Live music will be provided by Donny Brown of The Verve Pipe, The Black Barn Band and Mark Warner.

Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door and include entry, a logoed tasting glass, and 10 tasting tickets. VIP Tickets may be purchased for $40 in advance, $45 at the door, and include early entry to the festival, a logoed tasting glass and 15 tasting tickets. Additional tasting tickets will be available for purchase on the day of the event.

A special package is also available, offering VIP tickets and benefits to both the upcoming Beerfest at the Ballpark and this autumn’s Beerfest at the Ballpark for $70.

You must be 21 years of age to attend. Ground transportation will be readily available via iCab Taxi Service and a $5 Designated Driver ticket will be offered on the day of the event. Area hotel accommodations can also be found at Lansing.org.

A portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit Old Newsboys, a local charity that provides shoes for deserving school children.

 

For more information, including a full list of the attending brewers, visit BeerfestAtTheBallpark.net.

 

About the Lansing Lugnuts
The Lansing Lugnuts, Class-A Affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, ‘Go Nuts’ as they enter their 20th season in Michigan’s Capital City. Featured in USA Today and on CNN for their successes, the Lugnuts make their home at beautiful Cooley Law School Stadium. Built in 1996, Cooley Law School Stadium continues to be a key component in revitalizing Lansing’s downtown while providing fun, affordable, family entertainment to fans in Mid-Michigan and beyond. Find them online: www.lansinglugnuts.com

 

About I’m a Beer Hound
I’m a Beer Hound is a Michigan Beer News Website, App, Event Promotion Group & Membership Card featuring discounts at over 90 beer bars, breweries and restaurants statewide.  Find them online: ImaBeerHound.com or Facebook.com/ImaBeerHound.

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Michigan Brewers Guild Announces 2016 Board of Directors

 -PRESS RELEASE FOLLOWS-

(KALAMAZOO, Mich) – The Michigan Brewers Guild recently elected its 2016 Board of Directors at its annual meeting, January13, at the Kalamazoo Radisson Plaza Hotel. Each board position is a two-year term, elected in alternating years (4, 3).

 

The conference was a record-breaker in many ways for the organization, with more than 450 attendees and nearly 60 vendors in the allied member Trade Show. The Guild also reported a record 201 member breweries during the Annual Meeting—an increase of 53 members since the previous January.

 

This year, four people were elected to the Guild board:

  • Ryan Cottongim, Owner of Witch’s Hat in South Lyon, was elected to his first term on the board, and will serve as the organization’s secretary.
  • Ron Jeffries, Owner of Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Dexter, was elected to his fifth term on the board during the history of the organization. He was a founding board member, serving from the organization’s formation in 1998 through 2003, and again in 2007-2008.
  • Scott Newman-Bale, Vice President of Short’s Brewing Company in Bellaire, continues to serve as Treasurer, was reelected to his fourth term and will once again serve as the organization’s treasurer.
  • Kristy Smith, Owner of Axle Brewing Co. in Royal Oak, was elected to her first term on the board.

 

Additional board members include:

 

  • Eric Briggeman, Director of Brewing Operations at Rochester Mills Production Brewery, continues his sixth term on the board and will continue serve his eighth year as Guild President.

 

  • Isaac Hartman, “Ambassador of Great Beer” from New Holland Brewing Company, continues his fourth term on the board of directors.

 

  • Garry Boyd, Ringleader & Managing Partner at BarFly Ventures (HopCat & Grand Rapids Brewing) continues his first term on the board and chairs the association’s sustainability committee.

The Michigan Brewers Guild was formed in 1997 and held its first festival in July 1998. Today, the Guild hosts four festivals dedicated exclusively to Michigan craft beer produced by its 201 member breweries.

 

Michigan’s thriving brewing industry conservatively contributes more than $144 million in wages with a total economic contribution of more than $277 million. In terms of overall number breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks #5 in the nation – thus supporting its claim as “The Great Beer State.”

 

The Michigan Brewers Guild is the network of innovative and passionate brewers that serves as the recognized advocate for the Michigan craft beer industry. The mission of the Michigan Brewers Guild is to promote and protect the Michigan craft beer industry with an overarching goal to help craft beer acquire 20% of the market by 2025.