MARQUETTE – Blackrocks Brewery from Marquette has announced that they will increase production and distribution this summer.

The brewery will grow their total production by 60 percent to 7,000 barrels/year and enter the South East/Metro Detroit region of Michigan.

Imperial Beverage, based in Kalamazoo, will be distributing their brews in this area.

Blackrocks started in December 2010 with a 1-barrel brewhouse producing 270 barrels in their first year and 2012 saw the addition of a 3-barreI system.

In 2013, they purchased a former Coca Cola bottling building in the city of Marquette and scaled their operations to a 20-barrel brewhouse producing 4,500 barrels by the end of 2014.

Currently, they distribute primarily in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with a smaller portion of their product in northern lower Michigan and the Grand Rapids area.

Blackrocks offers 51k IPA, Grand Rabbits Dry Hopped Cream Ale, Coconut Brown among other seasonal and limited releases in cans.

Imperial Beverage will began distributing Blackrocks in the Metro Detroit area on May 19.

Going forward, Blackrocks Brewery will have representation and distribution statewide, a company spokesperson said.