Dig into the history of Michigan food companies like Kellogg, Faygo, and Jiffy, with authors Gail Offen and Jon Milan. Classic Michigan Food and Drinks will definitely leave you craving Michigan staples like fudge, pasties, and anything cherry-flavored!

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About the Book:

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, ingredients, and fascinating stories behind all of these brands and many, many more.

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About the Authors:

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-related subjects and co-author of several books: Grand River Avenue: From Detroit to Lake Michigan (Arcadia Publishing, 2014) Iconic Restaurants of Ann Arbor (Arcadia, 2016) and Michigan Haunts: Public Places and Eerie Spaces (Arcadia, 2019) Gail is always curious to see, eat, and write about what's around every corner. Her favorite moments in writing this book include eating a Better Made potato chip right out of the fryer, a just-made caramel at Sanders and freshly roasted salt-and-pepper cashews at Ferris.

Jon Milan is a well-known lecturer, journalist, and photographer specializing in topics related to Michigan social history, travel, and music. He is a professional pianist and spent his career as a corporate communications manager and freelance journalist. He has five books to his credit, including "Detroit: Ragtime and the Jazz Age," Arcadia, 2016; and "Old Chicago Road," Arcadia, 2011, as well as three titles co-authored with Gail Offen. He readily admits this book has been the most challenging, but also the most rewarding, given the many fascinating people they've met and the wonderful products they have sampled over the many miles they have traveled.