Emily Miller, Detroit’s first female Cicerone Certified Beer Server, has recently returned to Michigan after living in Brussels, Belgium, for several years. Emily has put together plans for Detroit’s first craft beer focused retail tasting room, providing a wide-range of high-quality brewed options to the city. The store, The Collective Tap, is a semi-finalist in the 2012 Hatch Detroit contest. Through the contest, participants pitch business ideas for the city of Detroit, and the winner will be awarded $50,000 to help jump start their idea.
The philosophy behind The Collective Tap is promoting enjoyment, education and engagement of craft beer. More than a store, it will offer a rotating selection at the tasting bar for customers to sample prior to purchase, as well as a variety of tasting classes and events, ranging in style to suit the first-time craft beer drinker to the seasoned home brewer.
Emily is also working to strengthen the bonds in Detroit’s community through her Tapped into Detroit program. The store will feature a local non-profit to raise awareness of the organization’s work in the city every month and a certain percentage of the month’s profits with be donated to the organization, and they’ll host a monthly tasting event as a fundraising opportunity.
To help make Emily’s dream a reality, and to bring amazing craft beer and knowledge on it to Detroit – vote now! And every day until the 17th. The top 4 entries will make it on to the finals and the winner will be announced September 26th. Good luck Emily!
Hatch Detroit is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) organization that champions and supports independent retail businesses in Detroit through funding contests, education, exposure, and mentoring.
