jews d

in
the

p ro f i l e

[detroit]

Diaspora

Living globally,

rooted locally

Erman Brothers Bring
Michigan To Arizona

KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

E

rmanos Craft Beer & Wine Bar in Tucson, Ariz., could seem an
unlikely place to grab a Michigan beer. But nearly 2,000 miles
away from Metro Detroit, brothers Eric and Mark Erman, who
opened the bar in April 2015, make sure to keep it on tap and in the
cooler. They play Michigan games at the bar and host the University of
Michigan alumni association, too.
“I think we’ve been accepted into the local community, but we still fly
the Michigan flag proudly,” Eric says of their hometown roots.
The bar, with its scratch kitchen, beer and wine, joins a tight-knit
community of brewers, foodies and creators that wants to raise the bar
on area food and beverages. They work together, including a recent proj-
ect that involved souring a local beer with Ermanos’ kimchi.
“We get to work really closely with the chefs to incorporate beer and
wine into our recipes. We have a fermentation and pickling program,
and we do collaborations,“ Eric says.
Getting the restaurant rolling was a labor of love, they say. Mark went
to Arizona first and did the groundwork, picking a site in an historic
shopping district called Fourth Avenue that reminds him somewhat of
Ferndale. “It’s one of the most walkable kind of eclectic areas with a lot
of authentic and independent businesses,” he says.
Eric joined him a few years later, before construction was under
way on the 1926 building they’d selected. They demolished the inside,
exposed brick, added steel and hired an architect to blend the old and
new elements. They prioritized using reclaimed wood and materials
from the demolition for the tables, the wall trim and the bar tops.
When Eric is in Michigan, he tries to stop at a deli. “Michigan delis
are something I really miss and appreciate,” he says. Mark says he likes
experiencing the seasons and seeing tall trees as well as maple leaves
on the ground. Their parents still live in Michigan, so when they go
home, they spend lots of time with family.
Eric went to Lahser High School and attended U-M. Around 2008, he
went to Colorado, while finishing an intermediate degree from Siebel
Brewing Institute. He headed to Portland, Ore., in 2013, and then to
Arizona in 2014. Mark attended Andover High School, U-M and Wayne
State University Law School. He moved to Arizona in 2011 after a visit.
The desert, people and mountains compelled him to move there.
When Mark was in law school and Eric was in college, they started
home brewing together and, as Mark puts it, “became obsessed with the
hobby.” Eric become a brewer, and Mark went on to practice law.
“We always wanted a beer-centric place that brought together our
favorite components from our favorite hangouts in Detroit and Ann
Arbor,” Mark says. “In Ann Arbor, one of my all-time favorites was Arbor
Brewing Company. Ashley’s, meanwhile, is one of Eric’s favorites.”
And when they want a taste of home, the brothers don’t have to look
far — they also incorporated the zip sauce from hometown restaurant
Lelli’s into their burger. “A lot of people don’t know it’s a Michigan thing,”
Mark says. “We call it the Zip Burger.”
No matter the task, the brothers enjoy working together. “It’s definitely
brought us closer together,” Eric says. “We’re happy with how things have
turned out and we wouldn’t trade it for anything.” •

If you know an expat Detroiter with strong ties or influences from the D who could be
featured, send an email to Karen Schwartz at myfavoritemitten@gmail.com.

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June 1 • 2017

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