Rory McHarg was so intrigued by the trout label on Bell's Two Hearted Ale he tracked down the artist and made a documentary about him. The film is screening in Traverse City May 1-2, 2026.

GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:

• Rory McHarg, filmmaker, A Two Hearted Tale

Take our Michigan Beer Quiz to test your knowledge.

Have a question or story for On Hand? Submit here:

• Online Submission Form
• Call us: 734-764-7840
• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

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Ask just about any beer drinker in the state and they will tell you their favorite Michigan brewery and craft beer. That's because our state has many high-quality breweries to choose from, often ranking high among all states for craft beer culture. But why? And how did it get like this? We break down Michigan's beer history.

GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:

Mickey Lyons, journalist, historian, and "barcheologist"

Terry Rostic, founder of Black Calder Brewing Co.

Larry Bell, founder of Bell's Brewery

Got a home brewing story? Are you John Stroh? Have a question for On Hand? Submit here:

• Online Submission Form
• Call us: 734-764-7840
• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

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One listener shares memories of going to Angelo's Coney Island through the pages of his journal. Also: Patti Smith's Lafayette meet-cute, and your emails.

Have a story for us, or a question about oh-so-Michigan things?
Bring it on!

Here's our easy-to-use submission form.

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Ask 10 different Michiganders where the best coney is and you'll get 10 different answers. But where does this dog with meat sauce come from, and why do we call our diners Coney Islands? We dig into the debate about who does coney dogs best, and dig deep into the coney history.

GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:

• Damon Smith, coney enthusiast, TikTok and IG content creator, westside Detroiter with an opinion
• Katherine Yung, journalist and co-author of a book called Coney Detroit
• Joe Grimm, journalist and co-author of Coney Detroit

Got a late-night Coney Island story? A family coney dog tradition? Want to submit a question to On Hand or a story about Michigan's political history? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form
• Call us: 734-764-7840
• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

Coney picture: Flickr user Steven Depolo/Flickr

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West Michiganders Kate Lynnes once ran as a Democratic candidate for Congress against GOP incumbent Rep. Vern Ehlers, in an era when the district was deep red. Lynnes and Ehlers had a fine and cordial repertoire, but during a debate their distinct positions on whether medical marijuana should be legal made their political differences glaringly obvious.

GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:

Kate Lynnes, west Michigan resident and former Democratic candidate for Congress

Want to submit a question to On Hand or a story about Michigan's political history? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form
• Call us: 734-764-7840
• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

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"Under the oaks" of Jackson, Michigan, is a birthplace of the Republican Party. But is it THE birthplace? Ripon, Wisconsin, lays claim to the founding of the political party started by abolitionists. But the Jackson Historical Society has the receipts in favor of our Michigan community.

GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:

Maurice Imhoff, president, Jackson Historical Society

Linda Hass, author and vice president, Jackson Historical Society

Want to submit a question to On Hand or a story about Michigan's political history? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form
• Call us: 734-764-7840
• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

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We recently dug into how the robin become Michigan's state bird, and why it hasn't changed in nearly 100 years. Today, we reveal the result of our state bird poll, and hear from a listener who witnessed the circle of life unfold among the bird gathering at her neighbor's backyard pond.

GUESTS:

• Tracey Walker, West Michigander

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form
• Call us: 734-764-7840
• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

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The American Robin is our state bird - but why? You can find Robins everywhere, including most states in the U.S. So should we reconsider our state bird and pick something more unique to Michigan? Like, say, the Kirtland's Warbler? A debate!

• Vote in the On Hand state bird poll here!
• Check out our other state symbols here
• Read about the Kirtland's Warbler Alliance, a nonprofit devoted to protecting the species

GUESTS:

• April Campbell, retired M.D. and bird enthusiast based in Ann Arbor
• Jen Owen, former director for the Michigan State Bird Observatory and center coordinator for Corey Marsh Ecological Center.
• Frances Heldt, archivist for the Archives of Michigan

Cover photo by Lester Graham

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form

• Call us: 734-764-7840

• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.