Discourse Bringing Experimental Drinks to Radio Milwaukee
First cafe there since Stone Creek left in 2020 will have food, patisserie, January opening.
Sean Liu (left) and Ryan Castelaz of Discourse Coffee. Photo courtesy of Radio Milwaukee.
Discourse Coffee is poised to expand in early 2024 with a new location at Radio Milwaukee, restoring a cafe presence to the building for the first time since Stone Creek Coffee‘s pandemic-era departure.
The partnership is a natural fit; Radio Milwaukee and Discourse are both in the business of storytelling. The connection is clear for the radio station, which paints a picture of the city’s art and culture landscape through music and local coverage.
At Discourse, however, stories are constructed through layers of flavor. Co-owner Ryan Castelaz has even created a title for the concept: narrative drink making. Some of the cafe’s most popular concoctions equate to liquid translations of cherished memories, he said. Moonwater, for example — a cafe favorite — was inspired by night swimming in Door County.
Castelaz, who leads Discourse with his business partner, Sean Liu, said the upcoming cafe will be a “full evolution” of the team’s ultimate vision for Discourse. That includes a menu of traditional coffee and espresso drinks, as well as more adventurous options — all with an emphasis on locally-sourced and housemade ingredients including bitters, powders and scratch-made syrups.
Offerings will run the gamut from no-nonsense pour overs and teas to experimental drinks inspired by the city’s music scene and personalities at Radio Milwaukee.
Past creations, such as Odd Duck, featured candy cap mushrooms, toasted fenugreek, sweet soy sauce and sous vide coffee. Another drink, Motorhead, melds pork fat and apple caramel, root beer bitters and granny smith apple powder.
At the upcoming cafe, all beverages will be available on their own for carry-out, or as part of a sit-down tasting experience, during which guests can observe each step of the drink-making process.
Cocktails, beer and wine are also on the menu, along with a selection of refreshing, low-to-no-proof spritzes made with recipes perfected during the tenure of Discourse’s former aperitivo bar, Spritz, in Sister Bay.
The all-day cafe will offer a seasonal food program of sandwiches, salads, soups, snack boards, pastries and desserts courtesy of pastry chef Frankie Hartmann. A kitchen buildout is expected to take place later this fall. Renderings for the space will be available in late 2023.
Radio Milwaukee is located at 220 E. Pittsburgh Ave., in Walker’s Point. The headquarters plays an integral role in community building, said Maxie C. Jackson III, executive director at Radio Milwaukee. Filling the vacant cafe space will work to further enhance that.
“Having a place for folks to gather, connect and share ideas is the reason why we own and operate our own space,” she said in a statement. “Since the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been missing a tenant in our cafe space and we are thrilled to have found a partnership in Discourse Coffee that we are confident will add to the neighborhood and serve our listeners.”
The new cafe is slated to open in January, 2024, but guests won’t have to wait that long to get a sneak preview. Discourse will host pop-ups in the future cafe space during Radio Milwaukee’s fall membership drive, operating from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on October 2-6 and 9-13.
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