TOP: Arctic grayling file photo courtesy of Oden State Fish Hatchery. BOTTOM: Lake sturgeon file photo courtesy of Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.
Compiled from news releases
Two Michigan makers of artisanal beverages⸻one offering spirits, the other beer⸺are selling specially crafted drinks to help the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and others reintroduce Arctic grayling and also conserve lake sturgeon in the state’s waters.
Arctic Grayling and Iron Fish Distillery
The MDNR will offer a free informational session twice on Saturday afternoon in Manistee County to discuss the status of the Arctic Grayling’s reintroduction. The sessions, beginning at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., coincide with Iron Fish Distillery’s Arctic Grayling Rye Whiskey limited release, which will begin at noon on March 22. The events will be held at the distillery, 14234 Dzuibanek Road, Thompsonville. The sessions will be presented by Ed Eisch, assistant chief of MDNR fisheries, and Alex Ontkos, inland fisheries biologist with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.
(Read more about the Arctic grayling in Michigan in the Freshwater Reporter story found HERE.)
Those interested in attending one of the sessions must register in advance, (click HERE), as space is limited to 30 per session.
A 4-5 p.m. happy hour will follow the sessions.
Iron Fish Distillery’s website states that the Arctic Grayling Rye Whiskey is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Purchasers must show proof of a donation to the Iron Fish Arctic Grayling Research Fund. To donate to the fund, go to: manisteefoundation.org/migrayling. The cost of the whiskey is $100 per bottle, plus tax, and customers 21 years old and older are limited to two bottles each.
For more information about Iron Fish Distillery’s Arctic grayling project, go to: https://ironfishdistillery.com/arcticgrayling/
Lake sturgeon and Saugatuck Brewing Company
Saugatuck Brewing Company’s Lake Street Light will be sold, beginning next month, to benefit the MDNR’s lake sturgeon program. A portion of proceeds will be donated to the MDNR’s efforts to restore the lake sturgeon’s habitat and boost its population.
Lake Street Light is a lager with 96 calories and 4% ABV. The brewery says the beer was “inspired by the beauty of Michigan’s lakes and waterways.”
According to a MDNR news release, lake sturgeon are critical to Michigan’s aquatic ecosystems. Their population has dwindled due to habitat loss, pollution and overfishing. (Read more about the sturgeon in the Freshwater Reporter story found HERE.)
“These fish have been around for more than 100 million years, which may be hard to even comprehend,” said Patrick Ertel of the habitat management unit of the MDNR’s fisheries division. “In terms of more recent generations, there are individual sturgeon in our waters today that are older than anyone reading about this partnership.”
SBC plans to extend the Lake Street Light x Lake Sturgeon Program to other Great Lakes states by collaborating with DNR agencies across the region, according to the same release.
Another successful partnership between SBC and the MDNR raised $10,000 through the Rainbow Rodeo IPA Program. The program helped to support habitat restoration projects for Michigan’s trout population. SBC also spread the message of the Rainbow Rodeo IPA trout initiative through its sponsorship of the West Michigan Whitecaps Bung Hammers game, reaching baseball fans across western Michigan.
For more about SBC’s 2025 programs, go to: saugatuckbrewing.com.
