Bay View Brewery Closes Taproom
Supermoon says it's not farewell, but it is a dramatic change.
Supermoon Beer Company, 3145 S. Howell Ave. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Supermoon Beer Company has closed its Bay View taproom, but the small brewery says its beer business will continue.
The family-owned brewery announced the change Monday, saying its taproom at 3145 S. Howell Ave. is now closed as the company shifts its attention toward distributing its beer to bars, restaurants and retailers.
“It’s with profound bittersweetness to report that our taproom is now closed,” the brewery said in an Instagram post. “Please note that Supermoon is still very much in business, but things are going to look a little different going forward as we center our focus on market distribution.”
Owners Rob and Maria Brennan launched the brewing side of the business in 2019 out of an approximately 120-year-old, 1,640-square-foot former grocery store building that also served as their home. The property had the unusual advantage of already being zoned to allow brewing, giving Rob Brennan, a longtime homebrewer and former employee of Illinois-based Penrose Brewing Company, an opportunity to turn a hobby and profession into a neighborhood business.
Supermoon specialized in rustic, old-world and mixed-culture beers, many requiring lengthy fermentation or barrel aging.
Its timing, however, proved extraordinarily complicated.
The Brennans began producing beer before they had built a permanent taproom, and their first batches matured just as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted businesses across the country in 2020.
Customers initially picked up bottles through a plexiglass barrier, while Supermoon later added temporary outdoor seating for release days. Plans for a full taproom were postponed during the pandemic before ultimately moving forward. The taproom opened in 2022.
“And yet, you still showed up,” the brewery said Monday. “Masked, generously and enthusiastically buying our beer from under a plexiglass screen. It was because of you that Supermoon got to exist at all, against the odds.”
The eventual taproom became more than simply a place to sell beer. Supermoon said it hosted engagements, weddings, wakes, fundraisers, trivia and game nights, birthdays and pop-ups featuring chefs, artists, musicians, authors, makers and community organizations.
“We got into this to make beer, but the greatest gift was the people—our staff and customers who rode and sustained the wave with us,” the owners wrote.
The closure represents another shift for Bay View’s, and Milwaukee’s, once-booming craft beer scene.
Nearby Enlightened Brewing Company closed its taproom and brewery at 2020 S. Allis St. at the end of 2024. Stemming from a health issue, in June 2025, 1840 Brewing Company closed its brewery and taproom at 342 E. Ward St. after nearly eight years in business.
The closures have been part of a broader reshuffling of Milwaukee’s craft brewing industry. City Lights Brewing Co., Company Brewing and MobCraft Beer also closed during a roughly year-long stretch, though the latter brand was subsequently revived under new ownership. Other breweries have continued to open or pursue new locations.
Illinois-based Solemn Oath Brewery announced last fall that it intended to take over 1840’s former Bay View space, with plans for a Milwaukee production brewery and taproom. The company originally targeted a mid-2026 opening, but the location has yet to open. Solemn Oath previewed its beers at a December pop-up at Supermoon.
Supermoon, meanwhile, isn’t abandoning beer production.
The Brennans said the next chapter will focus on getting Supermoon’s beers into the broader market rather than operating its own gathering place.
They also thanked former and current staff members Jamie, Eli, Anastasia, Meggie, Claire, Brittany and Veronica, crediting them with developing the taproom’s reputation for hospitality.
“The beer is just the thing, but it’s these people that created the experience,” the owners wrote.
The closing announcement was signed by Rob, Maria, Walt and Nellie.
“As we continue on to a new chapter—we hope that beer may continue to be the conduit to our connection,” they wrote. “We look forward to continuing to bring you high quality, unique beers—see you soon.”
In the latest published BT-100 report, a state report of brewery production and tax collections, Supermoon reported producing 12 barrels, including eight kegs and four cases. The reporting period covered the month of May. It reported 14 barrels in April and 30 barrels in March.
Supermoon Beer Company taproom in 2022. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
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