There is a different kind of place in town where you can enjoy a beer with friends, but there’s a twist. How much you pay for that pint may depend on people at the bar you haven’t even met, but if you are familiar with how the stock exchange works, you might have a step up on them. Kila Peeples checked out the newly opened Detroit Beer Exchange to see how this unique way to enjoy and pay for a beer works.
Detroit Beer Exchange opened this past spring to much anticipation. It had been in the works for a couple of years, but construction was halted due to the pandemic. Finally, the doors have opened, and the extraordinary happy hour is in full swing. There are over 20 beers on tap that range from locally made brews, to international beers that have captured the interest of the exchange. The prices of the beers have a set price during the day, but when happy hour starts at 6p.m., the beer exchange commences. Every 15 minutes, prices could go up or down depending on how popular a beer is or isn’t; some could also stay the same, but the fluctuation of prices could be from cents to dollars.
The Detroit Beer Exchange also has a food menu, offering American fare with a slight international flare. They have a traditional pub burger and Gochujang wings which are made with Asian sweet but spicy sauce and paired with house made bar chips. Also, there are vegetarian and vegan options, plus desserts to top off any meal.
If you need a break from the exchange, you can head downstairs to the Grand River Ballroom Arcade, where there are pinball machines, a Bocce court lined with chairs from the old Tiger Stadium, and what they call the Can Can Wonderland bar.
To hear more about the Detroit Beer Exchange, watch the video above.