Indeed Previews Black Friday Beer Release
C.R.E.A.M., now available for preorder, evokes apple pie a la mode.
C.R.E.A.M. Honey Apple Imperial Cream Ale. Photo courtesy of Indeed Brewing Company.
Thanksgiving may be all about the bird, but Black Friday—in Milwaukee, at least—is about the beer.
What started as a novel event at Lakefront Brewery has exploded in popularity over the past decade as a growing number of local producers joined in with limited-edition releases.
More than a dozen area breweries are preparing for release day next week, including Indeed Brewing Company, whose 2025 highlight is a perfect pairing for leftover pie.
This year’s release, C.R.E.A.M., is an imperial cream ale flavored with apple and honey. The brew clocks in at 9% ABV, offering “rich, flawlessly smooth” flavor and a “complex spice finish” in a 750-milliliter wax-dipped bottle, according to a news release.
Indeed will open its Walker’s Point taproom, 530 S. 2nd St., at 10 a.m. on Nov. 28, offering a free six-ounce pour of C.R.E.A.M. for the first 30 guests, along with all-day merch specials and a 50% discount on to-go THC products from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
A specialty tapping of the brewery’s seasonal Cranberry Spruce Kölsch will take place at 2 p.m.
Pre-orders for C.R.E.A.M. can be placed online for in-person pickup Nov. 28. Those who order ahead will receive a discount and a free stemmed Indeed pilsner glass.
Thanksgiving Food Drive Offers Free Meal Kits
Community leaders will host a food drive on Tuesday, Nov. 25 to ensure Milwaukee families are stocked with staple ingredients ahead of the big feast.
Turkeys, hams and complete meal kits filled with traditional Thanksgiving side dishes will be available for pickup at Sherman Phoenix Marketplace, 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave., from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., or as supplies last.
The food drive, led by Alders Russell W. Stamper, II and DiAndre Jackson, along with former Alderman Khalif Rainey, is supported by local partners including Visit Milwaukee, Carnevor, The Firm Consulting, Feeding America, Hassan Akhtar, Miron Construction, MFA Local 215 and the Milwaukee Admirals.
“This initiative is about dignity, compassion, and making sure families have what they need to celebrate the holiday season,” Stamper and Rainey said in a joint statement. “We’re grateful to our community partners for standing with us and supporting Milwaukee families.”
Bartender James Potter
Editor: This is the fifth installment of a new series in which Urban Milwaukee will explore five ingredients and how to use them with Milwaukee chefs, growers and caterers.
When it comes to cocktails, you have to know your audience.
That’s long been a guiding principle for James Potter, whose hospitality career spans decades and cross-country moves—with influence from trends, eras and locales as much as the energy across the bar.
“No matter how creative I am, I still have to play by the rules and the palate of my guests or clients,” Potter said. “It’s taught me how to read people and to have a couple things in my back pocket.”
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Lawsuit Contesting Wedding Barn Regulations Tossed
An attempt by wedding barn owners to strike down changes requiring them to get liquor licenses has failed.
On Wednesday, a Trempealeau County judge dismissed their claim that a major 2023 rewrite of Wisconsin’s alcohol laws unconstitutionally targeted them.
The massive bipartisan bill that overhauled Wisconsin’s liquor laws created a slate of new regulations for private event venues known as wedding barns.
Starting in 2026, the law gives wedding barn owners a choice: either get a liquor license and serve it at as many events as they want, or get a special permit allowing them to serve beer and wine without a license just six times per year.
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Lakefront Introduces THC Drinks
Lakefront Brewery entered a new market last week with the launch of its first THC beverage line, High Jinx. The delta-9-infused drink—currently available in one flavor, lime lemonade—is the latest in a wave of similar brewery-made products, part of a push to keep pace with shifting consumer patterns.
It also comes as state and federal lawmakers pursue new regulations on hemp-derived THC products, including beverages, which producers warn could decimate the budding industry. Talk about stirring the pot.
Lakefront’s team spent two years developing High Jinx to “ensure a fully transparent product,” according to a news release, which emphasized the goal of delivering a consistent, predictable 10 milligrams of delta-9 THC per serving. Each batch is independently tested for potency, with lab results posted online.
“We’ve taken our brewing expertise and applied it to THC beverages, creating a drink that’s precise, great tasting, and refreshingly light,” said Russ Klisch, founder and president of Lakefront Brewery, in a statement. “It’s all about giving consumers a safe, consistent, and enjoyable experience.”
National Pop-Ups Returning to Milwaukee Bars
Milk may be the traditional pairing for Christmas cookies, but Santa Claus surely wouldn’t turn down a sugar plum mai tai—and neither should you.
The tiki-inspired Sippin’ Santa pop-up returns to Pufferfish this week, blending tropical drinks with holiday cheer for the third year running. The rooftop bar at 411 E. Mason St. hosts Sippin’ Santa’s sole Wisconsin location in 2025, with an official launch set for Nov. 21.
“This year is our biggest year yet,” Pufferfish owner Jc Cunningham said in a statement, teasing new mugs and cocktails like the Pineapple Upside-Down Cask and Wreck the Halls, which join menu favorites such as Jingle Bird and Holiday on Ice.
Both indoor bars—the main bar and the FishTank—will be open and serving the full holiday menu throughout the pop-up, which continues until the end of December. Meanwhile, Pufferfish’s upper deck has been fully winterized with space heaters and a fireplace, offering a rooftop escape regardless of the weather.
Soban Has Big Expansion Plans
Just seven months after launching their flagship restaurant in Hales Corners, Soban owners Solki Lee and Hyelim Song are preparing to expand with a second location in downtown Milwaukee.
Urban Milwaukee broke the news earlier this month that fast-casual Soban is slated to open at 776 N. Milwaukee St., replacing Ouzo Cafe, which closed in October.
More than just a new business, it’s a novel concept for the city, offering authentic Korean dishes in a customizable, mix-and-match format—similar to models at Chipotle, Qdoba and other multinational chains.
But Lee never set out to change the local dining scene. From the beginning, his only focus has been to serve. “I used to be an engineer, but I changed my career entirely,” he told Urban Milwaukee over a heaping plate of purple rice and beef bulgogi, adding that hospitality has always come naturally.
Assembly Bill Blocks SNAP Payments for Candy, Soda, Energy Drinks
With the government reopened and uncertainty about federal food assistance payments fading, Republicans in Wisconsin are holding a vote this week on a bill restricting what recipients can buy with that money.
Under the proposal up for a vote in the Wisconsin Assembly Wednesday, soft drinks, candy and energy drinks would no longer be allowed to be purchased using money from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
Republicans behind it say it’s about improving low-income residents’ health and argue taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for junk food. Critics call it an effort to punish people living in poverty.
Under the legislation, “candy, soft drinks, or energy drinks” would be off limits for anyone using federal food assistance, which in Wisconsin is known as FoodShare. In order to enforce the new restrictions, the bill requires the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to apply for a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A New Chapter For Funky Fresh
In the decade since its founding in 2013, Funky Fresh Spring Rolls has become a household name throughout Milwaukee—first at farmers markets, festivals and counter-service eateries and more recently as a brand under Palermo Villa.
Earlier this year, the company’s frozen retail line was on the verge of a national debut. But last week, a joint announcement revealed Funky Fresh would pause production, effectively halting the plan for a nationwide rollout.
Founder TrueMan McGee said several factors shaped the decision, including fizzling talks with potential partners and decreased sales at Harris Teeter, an existing customer. “We’d kind of seen some writing on the wall that maybe the spring rolls in their current state weren’t the next move for us,” McGee said. “Sometimes the best ideas don’t come at the best times.”
Palermo leadership acknowledged the shift in a Friday news release, attributing the pause to “extensive retail trials and customer feedback.” Despite consumer testing and multiple reformulations, “the major retail opportunity we anticipated did not materialize and sales at existing accounts did not support the continuation of the line,” said Jasper Fallucca, vice president of corporate development for Palermo. “That said, we remain committed to innovation with TrueMan at the helm as we regroup and look forward to future product developments for the brand.”
Get Fresh! Cafe Proposed For Brewery District
A new operator plans to revive the shuttered cafe space at 1259 N. 10th St., providing a new destination for specialty lattes, smoothies and made-to-order meals in The Brewery District.
The future Get Fresh! Cafe is proposed to open in early 2026, filling the storefront that has in recent years housed Boiler House Cafe and Bon Bon Shop. The latter, a boba cafe, closed in 2024.
Years before gaining legs as a catering company and pop-up, Get Fresh! began like many restaurants: as a craving.
“I was hungry for something different when I got off work one day, and the offerings weren’t there,” owner Sydney Newman told Urban Milwaukee, noting that fresher alternatives to fast food were hard to come by at the time. Get Fresh! was her answer.
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