Hartland resident Gail Often, along with co-author Jon Milan, will be doing a presentation about their new book — “Classic Michigan Food and Drinks: The Stories behind the Brands” — at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the Brighton District Library, 100 Library Drive in Brighton.
Did you know that 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 Michigan 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.
Offen and Milan explore the history and stories behind all of these and many, many more.
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.
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 Offen.
