Vogue: Milwaukee is Cool

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Sprecher has some of the worst beer I have ever tasted.

Their Amber is average IMO, as is the Hefe.  The Mai Bock and Abbey Triple are excellent. Pilser is meh (but aren't they all).  Can't really comment on the Black Bavarian or IPA as I tend to avoid those styles.  I'm not usually into stout much but really like the Irish Stout.  They used to have a Brew Pub Brown which I didn't care for. So YMMV.

[Jay Bee]

Dr. Blackheart religiously reads Vogue, heyner?

[Spotcheck Billy]

Their Amber is average IMO, as is the Hefe.  The Mai Bock and Abbey Triple are excellent. Pilser is meh (but aren't they all).  Can't really comment on the Black Bavarian or IPA as I tend to avoid those styles.  I'm not usually into stout much but really like the Irish Stout.  They used to have a Brew Pub Brown which I didn't care for. So YMMV.

Sprecher's Oktoberfest and Mai Bock (and Black Bavarian) used to be fantastic until Randy made the compromise he had promised he never would, they started pasteurizing all of their beer and killed the taste. He had stated making soda would subsidize his brewing and he would never make the change.

[warriorchick]

Late to the game in what way? Lakefront was killing the game in 2000 at least and that pre-dated the craft beer boom.

I was drinking craft beer in 1986 in Boston.  A co-worker's brother owned the brewery and we thought he was nuts to take on Big Beer.

And that doesn't even count the fact that back then, Sam Adams was considered craft beer.

[Spotcheck Billy]

I was drinking craft beer in 1986 in Boston.  A co-worker's brother owned the brewery and we thought he was nuts to take on Big Beer.

And that doesn't even count the fact that back then, Sam Adams was considered craft beer.

Sprecher started here in 1985 although originally we could only take it home in resealable 1 liter flip-top bottles with a deposit

[GooooMarquette]

I feel like that can be said for a number of cities, both large and mid-size.

Yep.

[GooooMarquette]

I was drinking craft beer in 1986 in Boston.  A co-worker's brother owned the brewery and we thought he was nuts to take on Big Beer.

And that doesn't even count the fact that back then, Sam Adams was considered craft beer.

It’s hard to keep track of what really still counts as craft beer anymore.

It seems like good ones either get too big to be considered “craft” for very long or get bought by one of the big conglomerates. Is Sprecher small enough to still be considered a craft brewery?

[real chili 83]

Toured Sprecher in 1987 with the late Greg Raffensperger (‘83) on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Tour took about 20 minutes, then the guide poured some beers for us. Just fantastic. Guide said that someone at the brewery was getting married, showed how to work the taps, and took off.....for three hours. Around 4:00, someone stopped down in the tap room to let us know he’d be heading home in a bit, but we should help ourselves to a few more.

Wow, and we went to Zur Krone (sp) for boots after that.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Dr. Blackheart religiously reads Vogue, heyner?

Dude, the manscaping tips are worth the subscription alone.

[brewcity77]

+1  and the Abbey Triple

The Abbey Triple is excellent. Love that beer.

[MU82]

To be fair, Denver, Chicago, Portland are all larger than MKE but a fair point that MKE was a slow starter (except that Sprecher and Lakefront are older than most craft brewers), but there has been an explosion in recent years although some have already gone out of business (Brenner, Horny Goat).

Here's the BA list:
•Third Space Brewing  - 1505 W St Paul Ave, Milwaukee
•Black Husky Brewing  - 909 E Locust St, Milwaukee
•Eagle Park Brewing  - 823 E Hamilton Street, Milwaukee
•3 Sheeps Brewing  - 1327 Huron Ave, Sheboygan
•1840 Brewing Company  - 342 E Ward St, Milwaukee
•Raised Grain Brewing Company  - 2244 W Bluemound Rd, Waukesha
•Good City Brewing  - 2108 N Farwell Ave, Milwaukee
•Rustic Road Brewing Company  - 5706 6th Ave, Kenosha
•Like Minds Brewing Company  - 823 E Hamilton St, Milwaukee
•City Lights Brewing Co.  - 2200 W Mt Vernon Ave, Milwaukee
•Silver Creek Brewing Co.  - N57 W6172 Portland Road, Cedarburg
•Lakefront Brewery, Inc.  - 1872 N Commerce St., Milwaukee
•Biloba Brewing Company  - 18720 Pleasant St, Brookfield
•Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery  - 740 N Plankinton Ave, Milwaukee
•The Fermentorium  - 7481 Highway 60, Cedarburg
•The Explorium Brewpub  - 5300 S 76th St, Ste 1450A, Greendale
•Delafield Brewhaus  - 3832 Hillside Dr, Delafield
•MobCraft Beer  - 505 S 5th St, Milwaukee
•Brewfinity Brewing Company  - N58W39800 Industrial Rd Ste D, Oconomowoc
•Public Craft Brewing Company  - 716 58th St, Kenosha
•Milwaukee Brewing Company  - 613 S 2nd St, Milwaukee
•Company Brewing  - 735 E Center St, Milwaukee
•Enlightened Brewing Company  - 2018 S 1st St, Milwaukee
•Urban Harvest Brewing Company  - 1024 S 5th St, Milwaukee
•Big Head Brewing Co.  - 6204 W State St, Wauwatosa
•St. Francis Brewery & Restaurant  - 3825 S. Kinnickinnic Ave, St. Francis
•Sprecher Brewing Company  - 701 West Glendale Avenue, Glendale
•District 14 Brewery & Pub  - 2273 S Howell Ave, Milwaukee
•Water Street Brewery  - 1101 N. Water Street, Milwaukee
•Milwaukee Ale House  - 233 North Water Street, Milwaukee
•Water Street Brewery  - 3191 Golf Road, Delafield
•R' Noggin Brewing Co  - 6521 120th Ave, Kenosha
•Lithia Brewing Company  - 825 Schoenhaar Dr., West Bend
•Bavarian Bierhaus  - 700 W Lexington Blvd, Glendale
•Pabst Milwaukee Brewing  - 1037 W Juneau Ave, Milwaukee
•Riverside Brewery And Restaurant  - 255 South Main St., West Bend
•Chameleon Brewing  - 701 West Glendale Avenue, Glendale
•Miller Brewing Co.  - 3939 West Highland Boulevard, Milwaukee

Thanks for this, WJ.

I was out enjoying a couple of beverages with friends today and Milwaukee came up as a subject. They knew I went to Marquette and asked what the craft beer scene was like there. I had to fess up and say that I did not know because I haven't been back there in a few years. So now you've answered for me. Wow ... that's some list.

We moved from Chicago to Charlotte in 2010. When we got here, there were 2 breweries. There are 50. A 25-fold increase in only 8 years! Amazing.

I'd say my goal is to try them all, but a new one opens every 5 minutes so that makes it tough!

[NorthernDancerColt]

Dr. Blackheart religiously reads Vogue, heyner?

But should he read the JournalSentinel?

So Vogue gives Brew City a needed shot in the arm....and leave it up to the hometown newspaper to feature how Milwaukee, SE Wisconsin, and Madison all lag far behind MINN and the Twin Cities on internet speeds.

[Spotcheck Billy]

It’s hard to keep track of what really still counts as craft beer anymore.

It seems like good ones either get too big to be considered “craft” for very long or get bought by one of the big conglomerates. Is Sprecher small enough to still be considered a craft brewery?

Craft is a misleading brewery label as that just means any brewery that makes less than 6,000,000 barrels/year. Craft is often confused with "micro-brewer" but that label is limited to less than 15,000 barrels, anyone that falls between the 15K and 6MM is then a "regional" craft brewery.

[jsglow]

Switching off the craft beer angle for a second.  One of the things that MKE historically struggled with was the fact that nobody ever left and nobody ever entered.  That had the effect of having the locals get a bit too myopic.  You know, like complaining that parking downtown was $5 and that they needed to reserve more than 15 minutes to get from their driveway to their seat at the Bradley Center or Miller Park.  The more recent influx of outsiders has finally allowed Milwaukeeans to better appreciate just how great they've got it.  It's truly a special place, especially if you can get away in the winter for a break from the weather.

When I left in 1984 I didn't think I'd ever be back.  Don't feel that way at all anymore.   

[Benny B]

As was Wasatch Brewery in Utah, 1986.  Greg is an MU alum. Plus, he pokes the Mormons with his Polygamy Porter and Evolution Ale.

“Where’s the beer? Where are the breweries?” Those were among the first thoughts Greg Schirf had after moving to Utah from Milwaukee in the early 80’s. Incredibly, drinking and brewing were all but forbidden. Greg took matters into his own hands and did what any self-respecting midwesterner would do: He started a brewery. Wasatch was the very first brewery in Utah – and one of the first craft brewers in all of the U.S. – brewing award-winning brews since 1986.

In 1988, Greg Schirf proposed another bill to the Utah Legislature making brewpubs legal in Utah and opened the first brewpub at the top of historic Main Street in the resort town of Park City. Wasatch continues to misbehave, turning out naughty beer after naughty beer year after year.

https://www.wasatchbeers.com/

"Polygamy Porter... Take some home to the wives!"

It's my favorite non-MU t-shirt in my entire wardrobe.

[Lennys Tap]

The more recent influx of outsiders has finally allowed Milwaukeeans to better appreciate just how great they've got it.  It's truly a special place, especially if you can get away in the winter for a break from the weather.

Agree 100% - as long as we stipulate that "winter" in Beertown begins on Halloween and ends on Mother's Day.

[jsglow]

Agree 100% - as long as we stipulate that "winter" in Beertown begins on Halloween and ends on Mother's Day.

It's going to work out perfect for us Lenny.  Chick will need to be honest on our taxes with 6 months plus 1 day in Nevada.   

[mu03eng]

Agree 100% - as long as we stipulate that "winter" in Beertown begins on Halloween and ends on Mother's Day.

Honestly, I think the winter doesn't really become unbearable until mid-January through May....obviously not great, but with the holidays and fun winter activities not being boring yet plus the ability to work from home on snowy days I really enjoy all months in Milwaukee except half of January, all of February, April and a good part of May (March Madness cures all in March).

[Benny B]

Here's a nice little nugget of wisdom for all y'all to ponder:

There's no such thing as "cold."  Cold doesn't actually exist.  Cold is merely a descriptor for a relative lack of heat.  Heat is something.  Heat exists.

So when you complain about cold, you're really complaining about wanting more of something you don't have (and never will if you don't get off your keyster), which is pretty much tantamount to being an envious, ungrateful, petulant 3-year old in a playroom full of toys.

Which also probably explains why there's no shortage of generosity, kindness and gratitude in Minnesota.

[jsglow]

Honestly, I think the winter doesn't really become unbearable until mid-January through May....obviously not great, but with the holidays and fun winter activities not being boring yet plus the ability to work from home on snowy days I really enjoy all months in Milwaukee except half of January, all of February, April and a good part of May (March Madness cures all in March).

Plus you know eng that chick is going to look at the hoops schedule and put together winter trips to maximize #mubb games.

[mu03eng]

Here's a nice little nugget of wisdom for all y'all to ponder:

There's no such thing as "cold."  Cold doesn't actually exist.  Cold is merely a descriptor for a relative lack of heat.  Heat is something.  Heat exists.

So when you complain about cold, you're really complaining about wanting more of something you don't have (and never will if you don't get off your keyster), which is pretty much tantamount to being an envious, ungrateful, petulant 3-year old in a playroom full of toys.

Which also probably explains why there's no shortage of generosity, kindness and gratitude in Minnesota.

That's like saying global warming is just increasing entropy.

[muwarrior69]

Dr. Blackheart religiously reads Vogue, heyner?

Maybe he saw it in Rocket's office.

[warriorchick]

"Polygamy Porter... Take some home to the wives!"

It's my favorite non-MU t-shirt in my entire wardrobe.

The first time I saw that beer, their slogan was "One just isn't enough".

[Marquette Gyros]

Which also probably explains why there's no shortage of generosity, kindness and gratitude in Minnesota.

Unless you're from outside of Minnesota. 

[Marquette Gyros]

I feel like that can be said for a number of cities, both large and mid-size.

Yeah, but I'm trying to figure out how this is a bad thing. (Except for brewery owners who are late to the game and undifferentiated.)