Alcohol Marketing in Grand Rapids
Experience Grand Rapids counts more than 150 beverage producers in Kent County, and the county had 21 breweries, 6 distilleries and 4 wineries on payroll in 2023. We help Grand Rapids breweries, distilleries, cideries and bars turn the Beer City reputation into weeknight regulars, release-day lines, private bookings and wholesale conversations, while staying inside the ad rules that apply to alcohol.
Taprooms, tourists and city licensing
A drink scene people travel for
USA Today named Grand Rapids America's best beer city every year from 2022 through 2025, and a 2019 study commissioned by Experience Grand Rapids put the economic impact of beer tourism in Kent County at $38.5 million, with about a quarter of overnight beer tourists arriving from outside Michigan. Producers can market to people planning a trip as well as to neighbors.
Opening means City approval
In the City of Grand Rapids, new brewer, distiller, wine maker and tasting room licenses need City Commission approval. Seven City departments review each application, the City tells applicants to plan for about 90 days, and only then is it forwarded to the State. Sites in the Downtown Development District or a Corridor Improvement District get an extra board review. Opening-day marketing has to fit that clock.
Festivals and the Brewsader app
The Winter Beer Festival fills LMCU Ballpark each February and the Beer City Brewers Fest runs every fall. Every brewery in Grand Rapids and Kent County takes part in the Beer City Brewsader app, which rewards check-ins at eight and at 30-plus breweries. Showing up well in the app, on maps and at the festivals keeps a taproom on visitors' routes.
Selling drinks under rules
Ad networks police alcohol
Meta and Google limit alcohol ads by age, location and wording. Campaigns built to those limits from the start avoid days lost in review.
Weeknights belong to locals
Visitors fill Saturdays; regulars fill Tuesdays. Neighborhood targeting, trivia nights, food-truck calendars and a mug club keep the quiet nights moving.
Wholesale needs follow-up
Distributor reps and bar managers juggle dozens of brands. Logging every sample drop and tasting, with a reminder to check back, keeps a small producer on their radar.
For brewers, distillers and bars
Areas we serve
Taproom and tasting room promotions can be pointed at drinkers of legal age in these areas:
- Downtown Grand Rapids
- Heritage Hill
- Eastown
- East Grand Rapids
- Wyoming
- Kentwood
- Grandville
- Walker
- Ada
- Rockford
Questions and answers
The City says to expect its own review to run around 90 days, covering seven departments and a City Commission vote, before the application goes to the State for processing. Serving on site also means contacting the Kent County Health Department first. We schedule launch marketing around those steps.
They do, as long as campaigns follow Meta's alcohol policy, which sets age and location limits and forbids certain claims. Our campaigns follow those rules, keep the creative on the taproom, food and events, and steer clear of wording that tends to trigger rejections.
Through the places visitors plan their trips: search results for Grand Rapids breweries, map apps, the Beer City Brewsader app and festival listings. Experience Grand Rapids reports that about 25 percent of overnight beer tourists in its 2019 study came from outside Michigan, so trip-planning audiences are worth testing.
Sources
- Experience Grand Rapids: Grand Rapids is a destination for beer tourism (December 16, 2025)
- Experience Grand Rapids: Grand Rapids craft breweries (June 29, 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns: Kent County, MI (beverage makers, bars, salons, fitness, furniture, physician offices, ad agencies)
- City of Grand Rapids: Apply for a liquor license
Checked 2026-10-31.