Watch for a sunny old Shell sign among the trees on Red Arrow Highway. That’s your spot. A vintage gas station where the remnants of its red-lettered slogan still cling to the yellow brick: ‘ er ice Is Our Busi ess.’  But you’re not here for gas. You’re here for Out There, a blissed-out wine bar, shop, and music venue in the tiny lakefront town of Sawyer.

Music drifts out the station doors to patio seating in the sunshine, drawing a laid-back crowd in the afternoon and an oft-packed house in the evening. The soundtrack is a motley mix of vinyl — each righteously selected for the moment from behind the bar.

The guy at the turntable is probably Michael Slaboch, who, along with wife Penny Duff and their friend Molly Kobelt, are the mindmeld behind Out There. With a combined background in music, art, food, design, and events, their warmth and camaraderie are infectious.

Gloss over the extensive wine menu, then ask for a rec. Something new, tasty, and limited production will likely surprise you, maybe an elegant low-intervention wine from next-gen Michigan upstarts Stranger Wines, or an obscure, skin-contact orange from the hills of Germany. But despite the impressive list, the vibe isn’t snobbish. Michael calls it “inclusive sharing,” stressing discovery, not ego.

The food menu is snackish: oysters, shrimp cocktail, tinned fish, fresh salads, and spreads. If you’re really hungry, order The Whole Shebang, a bodacious mezze of locally grown veg, signature dip, cheeses, and crackers, along with cured meat, fish, and chips.

“It’s stuff we like,” quips Molly about the shop, although it easily applies to every aspect of Out There. Beyond wine, you’ll find merch designed by Timothy Breen, vintage and new-release LPs, books exploring food and culture, and really anything fun, tasty, or cool the friends are excited to share.

Maybe the name gives this eclectic group permission to do things differently, to embrace the celestial, the weird, the otherworldly. “There’s so much of everyone referring to this area — Southwest Michigan — as ‘out there,'” Penny says. “There’s also the meaning of being a little outside of the norm, or being kind of crazy. Our focus is people doing things in their own way.”

And with that, a new record starts to spin and it’s time for another round.

Local Tip: Subscribe to Out There’s newsletter for early access to events like tastings, DJ sets, dance parties, local celebrity bingo, and intimate, sell-out performances by musician friends. (Jeff Parker, Bill Callahan, and Yo La Tengo, to name a few.)

words  Tal Rosenberg
images  Eric Davis
September 23, 2025