FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Stephanie Kotschevar, Experience Grand Rapids
October 19, 2015 616-647-7065, skotschevar@experiencegr.com
EXPERIENCE GRAND RAPIDS DEBUTS BEER PASSPORT
EXGR creates a new way to experience the growing beer scene in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Experience Grand Rapids (EXGR), the area’s official destination marketing organization, has officially rolled out the Beer City Passport that will give visitors and locals the opportunity to become a Brewsader™ by collecting stamps from the participating Grand Rapids breweries until October 2016.
Beer City Passports will be free to guests who are at least 21 years of age and distributed at all 23 participating locations as well as the GoSite, which is located downtown in the Grand Rapids Art Museum. In order to become an official Brewsader™, people must collect eight stamps from the contributing breweries. Once eight stamps have been acquired, the passport will be redeemable at the GoSite. After a GoSite staff member checks the passport to ensure that it is eligible, they will provide the participant with a Brewsader™ tee shirt.
The Beer City Passport complements the Grand Rapids Ale Trail, which outlines the 40 plus breweries in the Grand Rapids region. The breweries participating in the Beer City Passport include:
- 57 Brew Pub & Bistro
- B.O.B’s brewery
- Brewery Vivant
- Cedar Springs Brewing Company
- Cellar Brewing Company
- Cranker’s Restaurant & Brewery
- E.B. Coffee & Pub
- Elk Brewing
- Founders Brewing Co.
- Grand Rapids Brewing Co.
- Gravel Bottom Craft Brewery
- Harmony Brewing Company
- Harmony Hall
- The Hideout Brewing Company
- HopCat
- Hudsonville Pike 51 Brewing Co.
- Jaden James Brewery
- The Mitten Brewing Company
- Osgood Brewing
- Perrin Brewing Company
- Railtown Brewing Co.
- Rockford Brewing Company
- White Flame Brewing Co.
During 2015 EXGR hired Grand Valley State University to conduct a study on The Economic Impact of Beer Tourism in Kent County, Michigan. From this study, EXGR learned that beer tourists visited an average of 3.7 breweries during their visit and there was $12.23 million in economic output by beer tourists annually in Kent County. This study confirmed that craft beer is a new tourism market and an economic driver. With over 13,000 visitors from outside Michigan coming to Grand Rapids annually specifically for craft beer, EXGR will continue to create new beer experiences for visitors.
“Beer tourism has been a key contributing factor in the tourism growth we have seen the past few years,” said Janet Korn, CTA, Senior Vice President of EXGR. “The Beer City Passport will give beer enthusiasts a new way of documenting and experiencing the Grand Rapids beer scene.”
Alongside the Beer Passport, Untapped will be releasing the new Brewsader badge on their application. To receive the badge on the app, users will have to drink five Grand Rapids beers.
More information on how to become a Brewsader and about the Beer City Passport can be found at ExperienceGR.com/Brewsader. Join the social media conversation by using the hashtag #GRBrewsader.
More information on The Economic Impact of Beer Tourism in Kent County, Michigan study visit: www.experiencegr.com/beer-report