The slogan-makers at the Michigan Department of Tourism have taken the wrong approach.

They should scale back the boasts about peninsulas. Granted, they are spectacular, but we had nothing to do with those — they're just what we were bequeathed, geologically.

And their latest "Pure Michigan" campaign? The recent 800,000-gallon Enbridge oil spill into the Kalamazoo River certainly taints that sales pitch. Besides, anyone who's driven through Detroit with their mouth open will contest that one.

Instead, the Michigan Department of Tourism should have hired Ryan Cappelletti and Casey Loring, director and editor, respectively, of the new Michigan-beer-lovers' documentary, Locally Buzzed.

The documentary took Cappelletti, Loring, and six other beer-zealots in one borrowed van over 1,200 miles to 40 Michigan breweries in only eight days. The troupe's objective was to cast Michigan in a favorable — and accurate — light.

"It's not a history lesson or a how-to," says Cappelletti about his documentary. "It's a ‘this-exists-in-your-state-and-you-should-know-about-it.' It's to show that Michigan's not all gloom and doom."

Cappelletti has a point. In the midst of our state's unemployment crisis, steady brain drain, collapsing auto industry and other grim news coverage, Michigan's beer industry is upsurging — in both quality and quantity.

Off the top of his head, Cappelletti quickly cites five new microbreweries set to open in the next few months in West Michigan alone. And the already existing Michigan microbreweries continue to innovate and improve their craft productions. Eccentricities, like an asparagus beer by Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City, a doughnut beer by Dark Horse Brewery in Marshall, and a key lime pie beer by Short's Brewing Co. in Bellaire, astounded Cappelletti's crew. And, at the past World Beer Cup, seven Michigan breweries — Founders Brewing Co., Short's, Big Rock Chop House & Brewery, Bastone Brewery, Redwood Brewing Co., Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. and The Detriot Beer Co. — won a total of 11 medals for outstanding category beers.

"Everyone brings up Oregon, California and Colorado, but Michigan's the best beer state in the country," says Cappelletti. "Our breweries have styles that blow everyone else away. There are many jealous people outside Michigan."

What blew Cappelletti away, though, is how the microbreweries provided a new economic model of collaborative — rather than competitive — capitalism. Cappelletti recounted the story of how guys from Dark House Brewery drove to Arizona and back to transport brewing equipment for Arbor Brewing Co., because Arbor Brewing Co. had no way of transporting it.

"The way they see it, the craft brewers are one brewery, in it against the corporate giants," says Cappelletti. "Since prohibition ended, the Big Three (Budweiser, Miller, and Coors) have dumbed down beer, but microbreweries are fighting that together. They figure, if one microbrewery turns you on to craft beers, they turn you on to microbreweries and craft beers everywhere."

Stories like this and others can be experienced at the documentary's premiere in Three Rivers this Saturday, Aug. 21. at the Riviera Theatre. The theatre will be re-creating the film crew's trip for you while saving you the gas mileage as they offer a Michigan beer tasting before the film premieres. The tasting will feature craft beers from more than 15 Michigan breweries, including Arbor Brewing Co., Arcadia Brewing Co., Atwater Brewery, Bell's Brewery, Darkhorse Brewery, Detroit Brewing Co., Dragonmead Brewery, Founders Brewing Co., Jolly Pumpkin Brewery, Keweenaw Brewery, Leelanau Brewery, Michigan Brewing Co., Mt. Pleasant Brewery, New Holland Brewing Co., North Peak Brewery, Round Barn Brewery, Schmohz Brewing Co., and Short's Brewing Co.

If you enjoy Cappelletti and Loring's documentary, stay tuned for their next film production, a documentary focusing on high school-dropout success stories.