Cheers, Alpena!

Raise your glass in a toast!

Throw one back in celebration!

We welcome the news– reported in Saturday’s edition by Steve Schulwitz — that a new distillery could be on its way to downtown Alpena, adding to the growing “beverage tourism” industry in Northeast Michigan.

Apparently, according to the economic development and tourism officials to whom Schulwitz spoke for that story, people like to travel to imbibe. And, when they do, they like to spend money. They eat. They stay in hotels. They hop from place to place, spreading their dollars around.

Mammoth Distilling, with locations in Traverse City, Grand Rapids, Bellaire, Bay Harbor, Adrian, and Central Lake, has begun the process of opening a tasting room in the former home of the Fresh Palate in the Center Building on 2nd Avenue in downtown Alpena. The Alpena Municipal Council already has signed off on the distillery’s bid to get a liquor license from the state.

Schulwitz couldn’t reach a Mammoth official for comment on a potential timeline for when the tasting room might open.

When it does — well, we suppose we should say “if” it does — the distillery will join Thunder Bay Winery, PIF Cider, HopSide Brewery, and Austin Brothers Beer Co. in Alpena. Across Northeast Michigan, the Alcona Brew Haus in Harrisville and Knaebe’s Apple Farm and Ciderworks near Rogers City as places offering unique craft drinks.

It’s not hard to imagine hearty travelers getting a room in Alpena and hopping from place to place to give their taste buds some variety. Along the way, they’ll grab breakfast, lunch, and dinner at local restaurants and stop from shop to shop to pick up some unique Northeast Michigan-themed gifts to take back home.

That equals prosperity for Northeast Michigan businesses. That equals jobs, which equals prosperity for everyone working those jobs.

Good news.

So have pour yourself a cold one, Northeast Michigan, and join us in celebrating the booming beverage tourism industry in our region.