Glassblowing, Cocktails Come Together at New Dearborn Bar

What happens when you bring together the world of handmade glass art and the art of handcrafted cocktails? You get a new cocktail lounge opening in Dearborn on May 9.

The Glass Academy will launch a new cocktail lounge called the Michigan Room. The bar will be open to the public and can be reserved for private events for 30 to 125 people. Patrons can enjoy beer, cocktails, nonalcoholic drinks, and wine in custom, hand-blown glasses specifically designed for serving the beverages they contain. 

Inspired by its Michigan roots, the bar will feature locally made Michigan liquor, black walnut adornments from Michigan sources, upcycled tables and chairs, and vintage lighting fixtures.

FOX 2 Detroit noted that the beverages will include Ann Arbor Distilling Botanical Gin, Ann Arbor's TeaHaus small batch lemon tonic, Detroit's Casamara Club Sodas, Dearborn Brewing drafts and seltzers, and Detroit City Distillery bourbon and rum.

As guests sip and savor their beverages, they'll get an exclusive look at what The Detroit News calls the “largest private glass studio in the Midwest.” Here, artisans work with glass in extremely hot environments in a 6,500-square-foot “hot shop.”

The 14,000-square-foot Michigan Room will also feature a retail glass gallery, where patrons can purchase glassware used in the beverage service to take home.

“We want to give glass enthusiasts and newcomers a comfortable environment to watch the exciting process of glassblowing,” said second-generation Glass Academy owner Jacob Nordin in a press release obtained by The Detroit News. “Few people get the chance to watch glassblowing up close, and the Michigan Room will provide an experience that immerses guests in the world of glass.”

The Michigan Room is housed within the Glass Academy at 25331 Trowbridge St. in Dearborn. Its hours are 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Glass-making activities in the “hot shop” will take place during these hours, and additional glassblowing demonstrations will be held on Thursdays.

Learn more about the Michigan Room on the Glass Academy's website.