Michigan Brewery Tradition TagaBrew Started In Gobles

With Michigan being home to Beer City, USA a.k.a. Grand Rapids, we are fortunate enough to live in a state that is not lacking in delicious craft beverage options. One of my favorite past times is to grab my friends and explore all the new, or at least new to me, breweries popping up in West Michigan and the surrounding areas.

Anytime I visit a new destination whether near or far, it's tradition to visit a nearby tap house and sample the local flavors. However, I'll admit that sometimes it's hard to keep track of all the breweries I've been to- and it turns out I'm not alone! That's why one Gobles, MI woman created TagaBrew.

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What is TagaBrew?

Instead of using an app or excel spreadsheet to keep track of all the breweries you've visited and enjoyed, Debi Steward and her husband Jim created a unique way to show your love and support of craft beverages with TagaBrew. Think of TagaBrew as the Pandora charms of the craft beer world. The TagaBrew website describes it as, "a copper memory tag you collect as you brewery hop!"

How Did it Start?

Debi told Kalamazoo SCORE, "During a trip to Idaho we made a point to stop at a brewery for each meal. We wanted memories of where we were but you can only collect so many T-shirts and glasses. That's when we came up with a new kind of brewery collectible." I whole-heartedly agree as I may or may not have an entire drawer full of beer koozies, most of which I rarely even use.

Where Do You Find Them?

Participating breweries across the "Tagabrew Trail" offer a copper tag and charm for purchase, typically ranging from $2.00 to $6.00. You'll usually find them on display behind the bar or in the merchandise section. What originally started in 2014 as a Michigan-based operation has now grown to include 12 states across the U.S. ranging from as far west as Nevada all the way down to Florida.

What makes collecting TagaBrews so fun is that the charm is unique to each brewery. For example, the first charm I ever collected was from Cedar Springs Brewing Company, a town known for it's Red Flannel Days, so the charm for Cedar Springs Brewing is a little pair of overalls. A few weeks ago I purchased my second TagaBrew at 3 Gatos Brewing in Wyoming and of course their charm features an adorable little kitty!

Do you collect TagaBrew? If not, keep an eye out for them next time you visit your favorite tap house!