Classic Michigan Food and Drinks: The Stories Behind the Brands

Michigan is home to an amazing array of food and drink brands, each with a fascinating story behind it.

Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals like Kellogg’s and Post changed how the world eats, and Gerber first made baby food commercially available. But the Wolverine State is bursting with many other notable edibles, such as Faygo, American Spoon, Jiffy, Sanders and Vernors. Better Made uses Michigan potatoes for its chips. Fudge, pasties and anything made with cherries are also local standards. Others are gone but not forgotten, like Awrey’s and Twin Pines.

Authors Gail Offen and Jon Milan explore the history and stories behind all of these and many, many more.

Gail Offen is an adjunct professor at Lawrence Technological University and an award-winning advertising creative director, writer and branding specialist. She’s a frequent speaker on Michigan subjects and coauthor with Jon Milan of Grand River Avenue: From Detroit to Lake Michigan, Michigan Haunts: Public Places and Eerie Spaces and more. Jon Milan is a well-known lecturer, journalist and photographer specializing in topics related to Michigan social history, travel and music. He has five books to his credit, including Detroit: Ragtime and the Jazz Age and Old Chicago Road, as well as three titles coauthored with Gail Offen.