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Monday, April 20, 2009
Visit Original Gravity Brewing Company in Milan
Brad Sancho is a mechanical engineer-turned-brewer who's betting that his little brewery, Original Gravity, will draw home-brew aficionados as well as Joe Six-Packs from near and far.
Housed in a 4,400-square-foot building at 440 County St. in Milan, the business features a network of stainless steel tanks, piping and boilers designed to turn grain, hops, yeast and water into heady palate-pleasers.
Despite a struggling economy, high prices for grains and hops, and fierce competition among behemoth brewers, Mr. Sancho, 33, hopes to tap part of a craft beer market that generated $5.7 billion last year - a year in which the microbrewery segment grew by 21 percent.
Just inside the Monroe County line, his little business will be able to brew about 217 barrels a year, or about 7,000 gallons of whatever kind of beer he or his customers fancy.
An Ypsilanti resident and 1993 graduate of Ypsilanti Lincoln High School, Mr. Sancho earned a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Michigan and most recently worked for about nine years for a diesel emissions technology center. About six years ago, his brother-in-law proposed they try to make a home brew. "I like beer, but I never thought about making it," Mr. Sancho said.
He started with beer-making kits and brewing on the kitchen stove. That evolved into a 10-gallon propane fueled system, which now stands among the much larger shiny tanks of his new microbrewery as both a reminder of his beginnings and a means for experimental and small-batch brewing.
As he developed more of a taste for brewing, he found his regular job less fulfilling.
"I didn't use any of my skills. It was mundane and monotonous and kind of robotic," he says. "There was no real creativity involved."
He researched the microbrewery concept, developed a business plan, found a willing lender and chose Milan to settle in because it's centrally located to other areas, such as Ann Arbor, Saline, Dundee and Monroe.
To read the rest of this article, click here.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
BTB Party Bus Runs on Churro Power
Party buses in Ann Arbor are are turning to clean fuels --like used vegetable oils-- to transport revellers.
Excerpt:
BTB Burrito is already Ann Arbor's go-to spot for bar-goers who crave a late-night snack after last call.
Now, BTB wants to give them a ride home, too - on a shuttle bus fueled by the waste oil that their churros were fried in.
The BTB Party Bus - a bright-red, 14-seat, former airport shuttle - is powered by a diesel engine modified to run on used vegetable oil. It's indistinguishable from a normal diesel shuttle, except for the 20-gallon tank of grease that sits behind the driver and the tortilla-like aroma that lingers near the tank and emanates from the exhaust pipes.
The homegrown mini-chain has been known best for fast, inexpensive Mexican food and a decidedly Ann Arbor attitude, from its funky interior design to its line of Hash Bash-themed merchandise. The turn toward eco-friendly transportation stems from the owners' interest in green innovation.
Read the rest of the story here and a story on Ann Arbor's two electric cars here.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Looking for Fairies in Ann Arbor
The little things in Ann Arbor continue to make a big splash around the world.
Excerpt:
Is there a truth emerging from the urban legend? There are so many fairy doors in Ann Arbor. Are we about to encounter this elusive life form?
The first fairy door discovered in Ann Arbor is documented at the Urban Fairies website.
Read the rest of the story here.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Praise Flows as Visitors Flock to New University of Michigan Museum of Art
The University of Michigan's newly refurbished Museum of Art has reopened to rave reviews in Ann Arbor this weekend.
It was no quiet "Sunday Afternoon" by Seurat, nor a chaotic "Night Watch" by Rembrandt. Instead, the painting Saturday night at the newly remodeled University of Michigan Museum of Art was of a happy crowd celebrating a community institution and its long-awaited reopening.
When the front doors flung wide at 6 p.m. sharp Saturday evening to the peal of bells throughout campus and Ann Arbor, a crowd of several hundred cheered and began pouring inside. The initial throng of visitors kept coming for a solid quarter-hour, welcomed with the soft applause of museum staffers and volunteers standing just inside the entrance.
It was first time the public has been able to step inside the museum since it closed for the $41.9 million renovation in mid-2006.
Read the rest of the story here.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
U-M fans Huddle for Look Inside Refurbished Michigan Stadium
Rich Rodriguez realized his mistake almost immediately on Saturday.
After being stopped by a parking attendant and asked if he had a reserved space outside Michigan Stadium's tunnel, Rodriguez showed his special parking pass and was able to slide into a spot, steps from the Junge Champions Center, where recruits waited.
But getting from his car to the Junge door, a distance of about 30 yards, was difficult as he was mobbed by the fans waiting in line for the free locker room tour. Rodriguez patiently posed for photos, signed autographs as he tried to walk, only getting through once a police officer helped clear a path. He insisted he didn't want to be rude but had business inside.
While he didn't expect that reception, it showed how loyal the Michigan fans are, as the line for the tour wrapped three-fourths of the way around the building for most of the 2 1/2 hour availability, with thousands being turned away simply because of time.
"This is why I wanted to bring my son," said Ty Coleman, an Ann Arbor resident, who had seen the old locker room 30 years ago when his cousin, Ron Simpkins, played. "It's an opportunity to see what Michigan football is all about, especially in an up-close view of the stadium."
Read the rest of the story here.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Meet Me in Ann Arbor!
Planning an event in Ann Arbor? Let us help! The Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau can assist you in planning the optimum instructional and/or recreational experience for attendees of your event and their families. Our professional meeting planning staff is at your service, at no cost. We cover all the bases — from preliminary planning to post-event evaluation.
We offer these services:
Submit a lead (Request for Proposal) to area hotels in all of Washtenaw County specifying planner’s meeting needs. This saves time in calling the appropriate hotels, checking availability/rates, phone tag and repeated explanation of requirements, (One Stop Shopping).
- Obtain written proposals from area hotel properties, coordinate and present bids to meeting planner and/or site committee or have hotels respond directly to the meeting planner.
- Arrange citywide site tour/inspections including hotel properties and meeting facilities.
- Provide assistance with spouse tours, group activities and excursions. Supply contact information for local event planning organizations that specialize in these activities.
- Registration assistance on-site at conventions and meetings (up to 4 hours free).
- Arrange for an information table at an event, conference or meeting for guests to receive information on dining, directions, recreation or pleasure (up to 4 hours free).
- Provide printed promotional materials on city events, visitor attractions, and accommodations, including visitor guides and maps.
- Arrange for VIP letters of welcome from state and local dignitaries, mayoral welcome at opening ceremonies (upon availability), and local media coverage.
- Provide a conference wrap-up critique based on the number of rooms utilized per hotel.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
The Shadow Art Fair
Ann Arbor is known for its Summer Art Fairs held every July, but have you heard of the Shadow Art Fair? It's a juried event that allows local artists to exhibit and sell their works in a comfortable, friendly, and supportive setting. This one-day, 12–hour event is held two times a year at The Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti. Local music, featured brews, and other special activities add a distinct flavor and sense of community to this creative showcase. The next Shadow Art Fair will be held Saturday, July 18 from noon-midnight.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Arbor Brewing’s Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti
Mmmm. Beer. Check out the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti and get a taste of some of the area's best local brews! Video courtesy of Ascalon Films.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
The New University of Michigan Museum of Art
The University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) has re-opened--with a $41.9 million upgrade that includes a complete renovation and a new wing. In this video, museum director James Steward and architect Brad Cloepfil talk about the project. Video courtesy of Ascalon Films.