Food & Beer Culture

On the Upper Peninsula, people eat pasties. The filled pastry came with Cornish miners into the copper and iron mines and fit neatly into a pocket. It's filled with beef, potatoes, rutabaga, or carrots. A malty, not-too-bitter ale pairs well, letting the filling shine without being overpowered. The peninsula's locals call themselves Yoopers, after the abbreviation U.P. They eat pasties by hand, and many add ketchup or gravy, something purists from Cornwall tend to frown upon.

Food comes from the lakes too. Whitefish, a freshwater fish from Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, is served fried or smoked. A dry beer with a bit of hop character cuts through the richness.

In Detroit, the Coney Dog is a staple: a hot dog in a bun, topped with chili without beans, mustard, and onions. Detroit-style square pizza has a crispy cheese-crusted edge. Both pair well with a bold IPA, whose bitterness works against the richness. On the Upper Peninsula, there's also cudighi, a spicy sausage from Italian immigrants, served as a sandwich with tomato sauce and cheese. The two most famous Coney restaurants stand right next to each other in Detroit.

Community is part of beer culture. Bell's Eccentric Café in Kalamazoo is brewhouse, concert venue, and restaurant all in one. The Michigan Brewers Guild, the state's brewery association, hosts a summer and a winter beer festival every year.

The pint, at 473 milliliters, is typically enjoyed with football on the TV. Anyone wanting to try a bit of everything orders a flight.