LANSING, Mich. - The Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau (GLCVB), along with numerous partnering businesses, is pleased to announce a new entertainment option in the community; Makers and Shakers - Greater Lansing's brand new beer, wine and spirits trail.

"The Greater Lansing area is home to over a dozen craft wineries, microbreweries, cider mills, and distilleries," said Tracy Padot, Vice President of Marketing Communications for the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau. "The formation of the trail gives the GLCVB the opportunity to market these different entities as one unique leisure offering."

Visitors to the area will be encouraged to tour local wineries and learn how the special soils and lake-effect weather allow Michigan growers to produce unique wines. Most facilities offer free tastings, giving visitors the perfect opportunity to discover a new favorite varietal. Those traveling with family will be pleased to learn two of the nearby wineries are also home to cider mills that feature seasonal tractor rides, corn mazes, and pumpkin patches. Participating wineries include: Burgdorf's Winery, Country Mill Farms and Uncle Johns Cider Mill & Fruit House Winery.

The Greater Lansing area also has a growing number of unique craft breweries. Whether it's enjoying a microbrew in a historic building or bringing out your inner foodie as you pair made-from-scratch foods with freshly crafted beers, there are breweries offering unique beers for every taste. Participating breweries include: Bad Brewing Company, EagleMonk Pub and Brewery, Harpers Restaurant and Brewpub, Ellison Brewery, Old Nation Brewing Company and Midtown Brewing Company.

The discerning whiskey or vodka drinker can sample small-batch spirits in one of Lansing's four different distilleries. For those who want to learn how spirits are distilled, East Lansing is home to the Michigan State University Artisan Distilling Program, which hosts two-day workshops. Participating distilleries include: American Fifth Spirits, Red Cedar Spirits, Sanctuary Spirits and Sleepwalker Spirits & Ale.

The GLCVB is offering a special promotion through the end of the year. Visit and collect stamps at 10 of the 13 locations on the trail then send in the completed card for a free commemorative gift! Cards are available in a special Makers & Shakers brochure available at all the participating locations listed above, or at the Greater Lansing Visitor Center at 500 E. Michigan Ave., Suite 180, Lansing.

Find further information, maps, video and related details about the Makers and Shakers Trail at www.lansing.org/makers-shakers.

The mission of the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau is to positively impact
the area's economy by marketing the region as a travel destination.

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