Terry Foster: Detroit Is Getting Its Smell Back
By Terry Foster
@TerryFoster971
I miss the smells of Detroit.
The smell of fresh baked Wonder Bread was a joy as the family car passed Grand River and the Lodge Freeway on Detroit's west side. The Wonder Bread factory was an institution. Now it is the Motor City Casino.
Near the Eastern Market the smell of wheat and barley filled the air as Stroh's brewed its famous Detroit beer. Well we get one of those smells back. Stroh's is being brewed in Detroit again. It may not be a big deal to you younger whipper snappers but it is to me.
There are legacy foods and beverages in Detroit. That list includes Faygo pop, Vernors, Better Made potato chips, Dearborn brand sausages and Stroh's beer.
Stroh's closed its brewery in 1985 and it was a sad occasion around here. It was part of the decline of Detroit. It felt like you lost part of this town's history even though I did not drink beer at the time.
I do not know if we get the smell back. Stroh's will be brewed in a 68,000 square foot facility called Brew Detroit in Cork Town along with other local brews. It sure would be cool to tour the place for old-time sakes.
"Stroh's is Detroit," said Dan McHugh, Chief Marketing Officer of Pabst Brewing Company in a news release. "By reintroducing Stroh's Bohemian-style Pilsner and brewing in the city, we are tapping into the history and heritage of Stroh's and the innovation and hard work of the people of Detroit."
When the men walked out of the factories they often went to their local pub and enjoyed a Stroh's. It was the dominate display at Mr. Solomon's store down the street from us.
The mistake Stroh's made was trying to go national. It is a regional beer. People here loved it and understood it. But the Stroh's family did not have the budget to compete with Budweiser and Miller.
It is good to see it back. We will have to pop a cold one when it returns to your favorite restaurant.
(Foster can be reached at Terry.Foster@cbsradio.com)
