Beer City brewers gather for first-ever round table

GRAND RAPIDS — Experience Beer West Michigan hosted an event that was the first of its kind to take place in the state of Michigan earlier this week.

The Beer City Round Table featured a panel of 15 West Michigan brewers and brewery owners. They sat on stage at the Pyramid Scheme, forming a half circle around a keg of Kuhnhenn’s The Fluffer (a West Coast IPA that moderator Ben Darcie said was a “neutral” choice).

Those who attended got to listen to these personalities answer questions about beer and the politics and economics that surround it.

The conversation began with questions as simple as “What is your favorite part about beer?” (to which most panelists immediately replied, “Drinking it,”) and ranged to such topics as oversaturation of the craft beer market and the plausibility of using Michigan-grown hops and malt in all brewing processes.

Brewers shared opinions on some points and disagreed on others, but overwhelmingly made it obvious that not one of them was interested in the

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