Lakefront Brewery Reveals Black Friday Releases
Plus: New tavern opens, The Daily Bird flip-flops and a 'digital food hall' for Bay View.
Black Friday 2024. Image courtesy of Lakefront Brewery.
In Milwaukee, Black Friday isn’t just about shopping — it’s about beer, especially the limited-edition releases from Lakefront Brewery.
Each year, hundreds line up for hours to get their hands on the specialty brews from Lakefront, 1872 N. Commerce St. In fact, the waiting has become a tradition in itself, with the brewery providing food and entertainment for those in line.
Now in its 14th year, the upcoming Black Friday sale will feature four beer varieties — Imperial Stout, Triple Black IPA, 5-Year-Old Stout and Imperial Brown Ale — but in smaller quantities than previously offered.
Only 2,000 cans of the traditional Black Friday stout and 1,000 of each varietal will be available for the sale, which will take place Nov. 29. The beer will also be available on tap at Lakefront’s main bar.
“We have created three barrel-aged beers that have been aging all year and a triple IPA that are all world class and that are only available on Black Friday,” said Russ Klisch, president and co-founder of Lakefront Brewery, in a statement. “Besides the great beer, I always look forward to spending time with folks out in line where there’s an unmatched level of excitement.”
This year’s varieties will be sold in 19.2-ounce cans, with no limit on the amount purchased per customer. For more information on the flavors and characteristics of the individual beers, see the Lakefront Brewery website.
While the brewery won’t open its doors until 8 a.m., customers are known to begin lining up much earlier than that. They can expect sustenance for the wait courtesy of the CurdWagon, which will begin serving breakfast items and cheese curds — one in the same for some — at 5 a.m.
The brewery’s gift shop will open early, offering exclusive deals on memorabilia and apparel. Additionally, those who purchase a minimum of four Black Friday cans will receive a complimentary souvenir glass.
Lakefront also announced the return of its Warm Hearts Community Coat Drive, benefiting students at George Washington Carver Elementary. Those who donate a laundered, gently used coat suitable for youth ages 3 to 14 years will receive one bottle/can of a prior year’s Black Friday brew. Customers can stack donations for a maximum of two bottles/cans per donor.
As an extra perk, the Riverwest Brewing Syndicate is running its shuttle bus between Lakefront Brewery, Black Husky Brewing, Gathering Place Brewing Company and Amorphic Beer from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Coffee Truck Joining Southside Food Park
Just months after first hitting the streets of West Allis, Elevate Coffee is ready to raise the (espresso) bar at Zócalo Food Park.
The mobile café, operated by Ana Gonzalez, plans to take up residence at the southside dining hub, 636 S. 6th St., according to a license application filed Tuesday.
Elevate’s menu focuses on classic coffee and espresso drinks—americano, cappuccino, latte, mocha, macchiato—as well as cold brew, chai, matcha and a selection of smoothies and blended frappes.
Gonzalez also infuses her menu with flavors inspired by her Mexican heritage. Signature lattes include horchata, tres leches and dulce de leche, while non-coffee drinks such as atole and Abuelita Mexican hot chocolate cater to a broad range of tastes.
Kinship Plans Food Center, Community Hub at Holton and Locust
“Food is the entry point at Kinship.”
And in a few years, Kinship Community Food Center hopes to have a brand new front door for people to enter.
The organization is working to build a new headquarters and community-facing facility on a vacant lot at the southwest corner of N. Holton and W. Locust streets. The nonprofit intends to purchase the site from the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM). The grass lot is currently excess space at the northern edge of Holton Terrace, a nine-story, 120-unit public housing building at 2825 N. Holton St.
The new center would include a free “public market,” a commercial kitchen, administrative offices, a community room, a greenhouse and food storage. It would take the shape of a two-story, 28,000-square-foot building on a one-acre site, 421 E. Locust St.
Hunger Task Force’s Mobile Market Receives Boost From Antetokounmpo Family
The weather was cold and drizzly on Wednesday when Alexander Steven Junior stepped out of his southside apartment for a trip to the market. Luckily, he didn’t have to go far.
Junior and many of his neighbors at Mitchell Court apartments purchase their essentials from the Mobile Market, an amenity provided by Hunger Task Force.
The store, housed inside a converted semi trailer, is stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, eggs, meat, bread, juice and pantry staples from partnered grocer Piggly Wiggly.
“For the basics — vegetables and fruits and deli — this is where I go,” said Junior, who patronizes the market year-round.
Molson Coors Closing Milwaukee’s 10th Street Brewery
Pour one out for craft beer.
Brewing giant Molson Coors, the parent company of Miller Brewing Company, confirmed Wednesday it will shutter its 10th Street Brewery near downtown Milwaukee and the historic Leinenkugel’s brewery in Chippewa Falls.
The closures are a cost-cutting move for the publicly-traded company, which reported a quarterly net sales decrease of 7.8% and a 39.1% drop in quarterly income to $331 million.
They also come as the brewing giant is about to end a long-time brewing agreement with Pabst.
‘Digital Food Hall’ Planned for Bay View
For nearly nine months, the only constant at the former Blackwood Brothers Restaurant and Social Club has been change. A new proposal, however, may signal future stability.
Crave Kitchens, a digital food hall, hopes to bring a handful of its brands to the Bay View restaurant space, 3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., with menu items ranging from Southern barbecue to poke bowls.
Unlike traditional food halls, which separate distinct restaurants into individual vendor stalls, digital food halls operate multiple concepts from a single kitchen.
At its upcoming Milwaukee location, Crave Kitchens plans to feature The Twisted Cactus, serving Mexican cuisine; The Pit Stop, a Southern barbecue restaurant; and a healthy bowls concept, which is not yet named.
The Daily Bird Returns
The Daily Bird gave Milwaukeeans a scare Sunday when it announced an indefinite closure beginning Nov. 4. But after just two days away, the coffee shop is set to reopen Nov. 7.
“We’re back,” The Daily Bird shared in one of its signature yellow Instagram posts. “Thank you for your patience and support while we took a little break.”
The coffee shop plans to resume its normal hours on Thursday, opening from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a full range of coffee and espresso drinks, teas, pastries and ice cream.
It will also direct 100% of bumper sticker sales toward recovering wages lost during the closure.
New Bars and Restaurants That Opened in October
October arrived with the smell of fresh bread and warm cinnamon at Lincoln Warehouse, where Stephen Blanchard opened his first brick-and-mortar bakery early in the month.
Now several weeks into the venture, Blanchard and his wife, Christine Burke, are ramping up production at Stephen’s Breads, located on the third floor of the warehouse at 2018 S. 1st St.
The bakery, which spent the past year on hiatus, specializes in sourdough products ranging from artisan bread to chocolate chip cookies. As the business settles into its new space, the couple plan to introduce regular pizza nights as an expansion to the current menu of loaves, pies, muffins and other baked goods.
Stephen’s Breads is currently open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with plans to extend hours on Friday evenings and possibly add weekend hours in the near future.
New Tavern Opens in Walker’s Point
A new bar from the owner of Draft & Vessel quietly opened in Walker’s Point last week. The establishment, called Pomeroy, may be a new addition to Milwaukee’s tavern scene, but it salutes the old guard.
Billed as “a history bar with antique Milwaukee vibes,” Pomeroy, 723 S. 2nd St., is outfitted with weathered wood, salvaged windows and other on-theme decor. But it does more than just look the part.
“I wanted to lean more into the original founding history of Milwaukee,” said owner Nathaniel Davauer, noting that he took inspiration from the city’s past, as well as a sense of connection to one of its co-founders, Solomon Juneau.
“[Pomeroy] is my great-grandparents’ name,” he said, noting that his ancestors, like Juneau, were of French descent, but came to Milwaukee via Canada, where they made their living through fur trapping.
New Glarus Brewing Company Expanding
Katherine May’s handprints are all over New Glarus Brewing Company. Literally.
Her parents, Deb and Dan Carey, co-founded the brewery in 1993.
“I grew up in the brewery,” May said. “I got to put my (handprint) in some of the concrete for their projects.”
Now, she’s their in-house architect. For over a decade, May has overseen construction projects at the brewery — including one with her 5-year-old son’s handprint. Recently, she helped design a $55 million addition to New Glarus Brewing, which will include doubling the size of their brew hall and adding a smaller pilot brewery to feed a spirit distillery.
Public Museum Dinner to Showcase Indigenous Cuisine
An upcoming event at Milwaukee Public Museum will draw attendees into the world of Indigenous cuisine, inviting diners to explore Native American heritage through the lens of food.
Jessica Walks First Pamonicutt, executive chef at Ketapanen Kitchen, Chicago’s first Native American pop-up kitchen and catering company, will prepare a feast for the museum’s Native American Heritage Month Dinner on Nov. 14.
Beyond the dishes on the table, Pamonicutt said she hopes the meal will serve as a recipe for connection.
“Bringing people together, having conversations, sharing culture — these are all healing aspects associated with food,” she said. “You see so little of that today.”
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
Now Serving
-
Wine Academy Launches Spanish Scholar Program
Nov 3rd, 2024 by Sophie Bolich
-
Supper Club Concept Returning to Barnacle Bud’s
Oct 27th, 2024 by Sophie Bolich
-
New Third Ward Restaurant Adds Brunch
Oct 20th, 2024 by Sophie Bolich
