Bell’s Brewery, Inc. issued an automatic, voluntary recall Dec. 23 on specific bottles of Mercury: The Winged Messenger which may contain a slight glass defect on the outside lip that could result in small pieces to become dislodged from the bottle.

This recall only applies to bottles purchased in specific counties in Michigan (listed below), not the entire packaging run. It does not affect purchases made in any other state or those purchased at the Bell’s General Store in downtown Kalamazoo.

This recall was initiated after a customer contacted Bell’s directly about an issue when removing the crown. No one was injured. An internal investigative process was immediately initiated which traced this potential defect to a single pallet of glass bottles received by Bell’s.

Bell’s does not manufacture its bottles and has been working with its supplier to further protect the safety of its customers.

“We have zero tolerance for any glass defects and while the chances are small that this could come up again, we are doing everything we can to address this situation and making sure all bottles are immediately pulled from store shelves and distributor warehouses,” said Laura Bell, Bell’s Vice President.

If anyone has purchased Mercury in the counties listed below and still has unopened bottles, they should not drink the beer.

Customers should also not attempt to return the beer to the store it was purchased at.

Those in possession of these Mercury bottles should contact the brewery directly via a special form on its website: bellsbeer.com.

Customers in the Kalamazoo area can also return unopened Mercury bottles to the Bell’s General Store for an exchange, based on availability.

“We will do everything in our power to try and make this right. Quality is first and foremost in all areas. We will work to ensure this does not happen again,” Bell said.

Anyone who has consumed beer from an affected bottle and becomes ill, or shows signs of complications, should see a physician immediately.

Affected counties: Allegan, Antrim, Barry, Benzie, Berrie, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Clare, Clinton, Eaton, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Kent, Lake, Leelanau, Lenawe, Livingston, Macomb, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Missaukee, Monroe, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oakland, Ocean, Osceola, Ottawa, Shiawassee, St. Joseph, Van Buren, Washtenaw, Wayne and Wexford

ABOUT BELL’S BREWERY, INC.

Bell's Brewery, Inc. began in 1985 with a quest for better beer and a 15 gallon soup kettle. Since then, we've grown into a regional craft brewery that employs more than 290 people over a 20 state area, in addition to Puerto Rico and Washington DC. The dedication to brewing flavorful, unfiltered, quality craft beers that started in 1985 is still with us today. We currently brew over 20 beers for distribution as well as many other small batch beers that are served at our pub in Kalamazoo, the Eccentric Cafe. Our ongoing goal is to brew thoughtfully, creatively and artistically. We strive to bring an authentic and pleasant experience to all of our customers through our unique ales and beers. For more information, please visit bellsbeer.com.

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