When Three Bridges Distillery & Taproom expanded into the space next door at 240 E. Main Street in downtown Midland, Michigan, they needed a bar system capable of supporting a growing craft spirits program — one that could move fast, stay organized, and hold up under volume. They turned to the same name that built their original taproom eight years earlier: Glastender.
Three Bridges has become one of mid-Michigan’s most recognized craft distillery and taproom destinations — and if you’ve been to Midland, you know it. The taproom anchors downtown, drawing locals and visitors with a rotating lineup of hand-crafted spirits. What started as a single taproom footprint has grown into a multi-room operation, and that growth required a bar build that could match the pace of the program.
The System: Efficiency as the Organizing Principle
The goal was simple: create a bar that can handle volume and keep service moving.
The new bar features two Glastender draft towers — a Pipe Pass-Thru 12-faucet and an Undercounter 12-faucet — a direct match to the depth of Three Bridges’ tap program. High-profile reach-in refrigeration and cocktail specialty ice freezers give bartenders immediate access to the precise temperature and ice format each drink demands, without leaving the work zone. Backbar refrigeration keeps the full bottle lineup organized and within arm’s reach. The line also includes a Champion undercounter rotary glass washer — keeping glassware cycling through service continuously, removing a common bottleneck in high-volume taproom operations.
Glastender underbar system, backbar refrigeration, and speed rail — Three Bridges Distillery expansion, Midland, MI
Installation Overview — Glastender Underbar & Backbar
What’s Next: The Elevation Line and the Speakeasy
The new bar is open and operating — but Three Bridges isn’t finished. A dedicated Speakeasy room is already constructed on-site, currently not yet open to the public. When it opens, it will be outfitted with Glastender’s Elevation Line — an industry-advancing line featuring a 36” high work surface, six inches higher than traditional underbar equipment. By raising the work surface height, customers get a better view of the bartender crafting cocktails, while also providing an ergonomically improved work surface for bartenders. The Elevation install is slated for later this year, making Three Bridges one of the first operations in the region to showcase the full Elevation lineup.
A Win for Customer-Focused Foodservice
This project is an example of what a long-cycle manufacturer partnership actually looks like in practice: first-call credibility built over eight years, deployed when an operator is ready to grow. That kind of continuity — from the original spec through two build-outs and a third on the way — is what Glastender’s presence in Zink’s portfolio is built to support.
Spec Your Next Bar with Glastender
Zink represents Glastender and a full portfolio of premium bar equipment across the Great Lakes region — backed by 40+ years of foodservice expertise, 10 Culinary Centers, and a team built around your operation’s success.
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