Blues and Brews: Michigan Craft Brewers Work to Promote Health for Employees

Julie Bitely

| 2 min read

Friends at a long table with pitchers and glasses of beer.
If you seek a pleasant craft beer, look about you. This adaptation of Michigan’s motto might never become official, but that doesn’t make it any less true. If you live in the Great Lakes state, you’ve probably heard about our booming beer industry and a frosty pint is certainly within driving distance if you’d like to do some, ahem, research. As of this writing there are 224 breweries listed on the Michigan Brewers Guild website. The non-profit corporation dedicated to advancing the status and sales of Michigan-made craft beer estimates that the industry contributes more than $144 million in wages to the state, with “a total economic contribution of more than $277 million.” We rank fifth in the nation in terms of the sheer number of breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs. The brewing community is filled with passionate people devoted to producing a quality product that’s enjoyed by fans in local taphouses or far-flung locales. Many Michigan breweries partner with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for their health insurance needs. The employees and staff working the production lines and pouring the IPAs and porters make the brewery business what it is, often impacting the culture and vibe of your favorite watering hole. Keeping those employees happy and healthy is top of mind for many brewery executives and we wanted to find out how they do it. With this post, we’re excited to launch an occasional blog series called “Blues and Brews”, which will explore the ways our brewery customers work to create a culture of health in unique and innovative ways. Find out how your favorite brewery keeps their customers healthy and happy:
Photo courtesy of Arcadia Ales.
MI Blues Perspectives is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association