Craig Manning | Author

Short’s Holiday Battle Plan Variety Pack

Dec. 7, 2024

We adore this holiday variety pack from Short’s Brewing Company for three reasons: A) the beer is terrific. Whether you’re looking for simple styles (“Thirsty for More,” a refreshing New Zealand-style lager, or “Oh-Kay,” one of the best Short’s IPAs… Read More >>

Welcome to Walloon Watershed

Nov. 30, 2024

Do something different.

From the start, that was the goal husband-and-wife team Matt and Meghan Thatcher were chasing with Walloon Watershed, a new restaurant and bar that opened Walloon Lake in September.

Mission accomplished. From the design of the space to the cocktails, … Read More >>

Stormcloud Brewing's Moonrunnr

Oct. 12, 2024

If you’re a craft beer fan, you’ve probably noticed that one of the biggest trends of the moment is breweries creating alternate versions of their most popular beers. Think the Oberon Eclipse, a fall/winter variant of Bell’s Brewery’s beloved summertime wheat ale. Fr… Read More >>

The Future of Grand Traverse Mall

Oct. 12, 2024

With a dozen of the Grand Traverse Mall’s retail spaces vacant, one anchor recently out the door, and another anchor store rumored to be on its last legs, the question bears asking: Are the last days of the Grand Traverse Mall upon us?

A mall directory from 1997 lists 96 diffe… Read More >>

Birch & Maple’s Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Sept. 14, 2024

In one of our favorite episodes of the beloved sitcom Friends, the recently-married Phoebe decides to take her new husband’s last name—only to get sidetracked when she realizes she can change her name to anything she wants. She opts for the colorful “Princess Cons… Read More >>

Eight Extraordinary High School Athletes to Watch in 2024-25

Sept. 7, 2024

If you’ve kept tabs on local high school sports over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed a few trends. A lot of school records are getting broken, for one thing, some of them after having stood for decades. The area has also produced a whole slew of state championship wi… Read More >>

Designed for Success: Learning At 33-1/3 Revolutions Per Minute

Aug. 3, 2024

Learning Morse code. Finding an effective yoga routine. Getting better at photography. Figuring out a game plan for getting into college. Mastering a foreign language.

These days, no matter what you want to learn, help is only a Google search away. From blog posts to podcasts to You… Read More >>

Loco Boys' Senorita Sunshine

July 20, 2024

Nothing’s better in the summertime than the refreshing taste of a crisp, cold, crushable beer…except for maybe a fresh, limey margarita. Sometimes, deciding between these two libations as your summer drink of choice can be tough. With one of its newest and most popular beers, T… Read More >>

Interlochen’s Crown Jewel: How a Northern Michigan Arts School Helped Forge a Pop Star

July 6, 2024

Pictured: Juel Kilcher, aka Jewel, at Interlochen Center for the Arts in the early 1990s.

In the spring of 1992, an Alaskan teenager named Juel Kilcher walked across the stage at Kresge Auditorium and graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy. Four years later, she had a top-… Read More >>

Brewery Terra Firma's Manitou Amber

June 8, 2024

There are so many fun, exciting beers on the tap list at Traverse City’s Brewery Terra Firma that it’s easy to overlook the Manitou Amber. But here’s a reason to give this old standby some love this month: According to Terra Firma President John Niedermaier, June 2024 mark… Read More >>

Where Did DEI Go?

June 1, 2024

In 2020, DEI was everywhere. From governments to businesses to sports teams, nearly every entity was thinking about diversity, equity, and inclusion with new levels of reflection, urgency, and intent.

Four years later, things look different. The inciting incident that triggered a gl… Read More >>

Northern Michigan’s Most Iconic Eats, 2024 Edition

May 4, 2024

Rich, chocolatey fudge has been a staple in northern Michigan for decades. Authentic Vietnamese pho is a more recent addition to the local food scene. But what do these two (very different) culinary delights have in common? Both are part of the 2024 class of Northern Express’… Read More >>

Amazon Is Coming to Town

April 20, 2024

One of the world's biggest companies is setting up shop in northern Michigan.

In January, details emerged about Amazon's plans to build a new distribution center in Gaylord. Since then, the e-commerce giant and its contractors have been hard at work on the new 42,500-square-foot fac… Read More >>

What’s Trending in Weed

April 13, 2024

Cannabis culture is alive and well in Michigan.

According to the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA), 2023’s marijuana sales averaged out to $305 in cannabis spending per Michigan resident, a higher per capita rate than any other state in the country. What are all those … Read More >>

Stone Hound Brewing's Devil's Dive Doppelbock

March 23, 2024

Legend has it that this German beer style originated in the 17th century by Berlin monks, who relied on the dark, full-bodied brew to sustain them through the fasts of Lent season. Some reports say that the monks even gave the beer the nickname of “liquid bread.” To this day, yo… Read More >>

Hop Lot's Woad Warrior Scotch Ale

March 9, 2024

An undervalued but wonderful style of beer, the Scotch ale is known for its full-bodied character, rich maltiness, subtle sweetness, and delicious flavor notes of caramel, roasted toffee, and stone fruit. It’s a perfect beer for this kind of in-between season—not as dark and hea… Read More >>

Five Defining Moments and Five Defining Beers

March 9, 2024

Joe Short was too young to buy beer, so he started making his own.

That’s the humble (and somewhat illicit) origin story of Short’s Brewing Company, which opened its doors in downtown Bellaire 20 years ago this April. Two decades on, Short’s is a craft beer titan&m… Read More >>

Mundos Roasting & Co.'s Peanut Butter Latte

Feb. 24, 2024

We don’t know about you, but when the temperature dips, we love to warm up with a good latte. This year’s not-so-wintry weather hasn’t changed that fact, and Mundos has had our back all season with a special menu of seasonal latte treats. Our favorite of the bunch? The dec… Read More >>

Out of the Frying Pan, Out of the Fire

Feb. 17, 2024

Two years ago, the Great Lakes Culinary Institute (GLCI) was a massive money-losing operation for Northwestern Michigan College (NMC)—to the point where the college was questioning whether the beloved-but-expensive program should be eliminated entirely.

Instead, NMC doubled do… Read More >>

North Peak Brewing's Scout

Feb. 10, 2024

Hazy IPAs have been the in-vogue beer style for so long that it’s sometimes hard for any one beer to stand out from the crowd. Enter North Peak’s Scout, which, unlike many hazy IPAs, offers a perfectly balanced drinking experience. It’s less bitter and piney than your trad… Read More >>