Kid Rock to have his own craft beer
Michigan brewery to make it happen
This one’s for you, Kid Rock.
The Michigan Economic Growth Authority approved Tuesday a state tax credit valued at $722,957 so that the Michigan Brewing Co., a Webberville brewer of craft beers, can produce a new product line: a craft beer for musician Kid Rock.
Bobby Mason, the owner-brewer at the Michigan Brewing Co., said he hoped to have the Kid Rock branded beer on the shelves by mid-springtime. The beer’s name, style and pricing are yet to be decided. Kid Rock is working closely with Mason on the design, naming and style of the beer, Mason said.
“He’s working on designing the beer, he’s giving me direction, he’s tasting the beers,” Mason said. “It’s his idea, it’s his concept. I’m just working with him to make it happen.”
The company plans to invest $7 million in the project, which is expected to create 394 Michigan jobs, including 161 directly by the company.
The village of Webberville is considering an abatement to support the project.
Among the issues yet to be decided: Will the new lager be a premium-priced brew or a drink priced for Kid Rock’s working-class fans? Mason said it’s also yet to be decided how many different beers will be part of the new product line.
“It’ll be one beer starting out, and we’ll just see where it goes from there,” he said.
Currently, the brewery employs eight people, who produce 100,000 barrels of beer a year. Mason said he hopes to sell 100,000 cases a year of the Kid Rock-branded beer and add more than 150 new employees over the next two to five years, including positions in sales, packaging and production.
