Introducing Panther Pale Ale
Pilot Project partnered with UWM to create it; will sell at Panther Arena, Pilot Project and area retailers.
Panther Pale Ale flyer. Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Athletics.
Pilot Project Brewing is going to college. The year-old Milwaukee brewery is partnering with the UW-Milwaukee Athletics Department to produce a new beer, Panther Pale Ale.
The collaborative brew, an American-style pale ale, will make its debut on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, 400 W. Kilbourn Ave., in conjunction with the men’s basketball home game. After that, the beer will be available for purchase from participating bars, restaurants and retail stores.
Additional contributors to the project include Craft Beverage Warehouse, the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) and UWM’s Peck School of the Arts, whose students helped design the beer’s sleek, black and orange packaging.
“Milwaukee Athletics is pleased to support this cross-campus collaboration, highlighted by an opportunity for UWM students to obtain real-world experience, further enhancing the classroom instruction,” said Amanda Braun, UWM’s director of athletics, in a statement. “This project’s success is the result of the work of many, including proud Panther alumni and our partners within the business community. We are excited to showcase the Milwaukee Panthers’ brand throughout greater Milwaukee.”
Panther Pale Ale is an officially licensed product — the latest in a trend that’s gaining momentum across the country. Within the past several years, a number of colleges and universities — reportedly around 50 institutions or more — have joined forces with local breweries to create a school-branded beer.
The partnerships are particularly popular — and profitable — for schools’ athletic departments. In October, Drake Athletics launched a beer in partnership with Confluence Brewing. Last August, Oklahoma Athletics tapped COOP Ale Works to create an official craft beer for fans.
Colorado State University, Iowa State University, New Mexico State University, James Madison University and dozens of others all have their own licensed beers.
The concept is mutually beneficial, boosting revenue for institutions via licensing fees and beer sales, while providing exposure for breweries and helping them to connect with students of drinking age.
A portion of the proceeds from Panther Pale Ale sales will go towards student scholarships and other student-centered programming at UWM.
“As a brewery incubator lowering the barriers to entry in an extremely difficult industry, we have always been interested in partnering with a university,” said Dan Abel, co-founder and CEO of Pilot Project. “We share a mutual goal of investing in the future and creating opportunities for classes of creative people that may not otherwise exist. As neighbors, partnering with UW-Milwaukee was a no-brainer. Not only do we get to make and design a great beer together, we get to celebrate with the university and alumni surrounding us!”
Craft Beverage Warehouse is printing the cans and packaging for the beer, while CLC licensed the product through an agreement with Pilot Project. The cans, featuring a cartoon sketch of a panther against a black background, were designed by Gisselle Dominguez, a senior studying design and visual communications.
Dominguez said her design, which was selected from several options submitted by students at UWM’s Peck School, is a “tribute to the vibrant energy that UWM possesses.”
Starting later this week, Panther Pale Ale will be available at the Pilot Project brewery, 1128 N 9th St., and at Panther Arena, as well as in participating bars, restaurants and liquor stores across the area.
Retailers interested in carrying Panther Pale Ale should reach out to Sales@PilotProjectBrewing.com.
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