9 things we love about our Great Lakes

Like many Michiganians, we have a lot of pride in our home state and the fresh water that surrounds us. On Great Lakes Awareness Day, here are nine things we love about HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior).

1. 1. 21% of the world’s fresh water. Combined, the Great Lakes have a combined 5.98 trillion gallons of water. At our current rate of production, it would take our brewery 402,508 years to brew enough beer to fill the Great Lakes.
   2. Drinking water: While we get our water at the brewery from the Kalamazoo aquifer, 28 million people (including 6% percent of the U.S. population) get their drinking water from the Great Lakes.
   3. Habitat: The Great Lakes provide a habitat for many regional animals, including fish, birds, and mammals, as well as supporting the ecology in the region.
   4. Inspiration: Lager for the Lakes, Two Hearted Ale (the river feeds into Lake Superior) Third Coast Old Ale… so many of our beers have been inspired by the Great Lakes and the culture that developed surrounding them.
   5. Longest shoreline: Combined, the Great Lakes have approximately 10,900 miles of shoreline, much longer than that of the East (2,069 miles) and West (1,293 miles) coasts.
   6. Great places to visit: Traverse City and Marquette, Chicago and Milwaukee, there are so many communities that have grown on the Great Lakes that contributed so much culture to the world at large.
   7. Always close: In Michigan, we’re never more than 85 miles from a Great Lake, or 6 miles from a body of water, regardless of where you are in the state!
   8. Great way to get involved: Want to keep the Great Lakes beautiful and healthy for generations to come? We call can pitch in. There are several ways we can get involved to support:
      1. Join or lead beach cleanups.
      2. Become an ambassador.
      3. Donate to support the cause.
   9. The best place to enjoy a beer: We’re biased here, but there’s no better place to enjoy a beer while watching a sunset than on a Great Lakes beach… and we’d recommend a Lager for the Lakes 🙂

What do you love about the Great Lakes? What’s your favorite beer to enjoy? Let us know on social.

Learn more:

• Great Lakes Fun Facts
• Facts and Figures about the Great Lakes
• Natural Resources at a Glance