Randy Sprecher

Sprecher Brewery Aims To Be National Soft Drink Leader

Root Beer kept brewery and new owners afloat during COVID pandemic.

Sprecher Brewing Announces Addition of All-Natural Beverage Category by Acquiring Ooh La Lemin Lemonade

Expansion/Purchase part of brewing company’s aggressive growth strategy

Sprecher Brewery Rolls Out New Beer Can Packaging and Brand Refresh

Milwaukee County Parks Traveling Beer Garden Returns

Rare non-casualty of pandemic has run annually since 2014.

Local Brewery Production Dips due to Virus

Tavern closures kill kegs; demand soars for canned beer.

Sprecher Brewing Closes Taproom

Building will be sold, so Walker’s Point taproom is closing.

6th Annual Milwaukee Legends Beer Dinner

Benefits the Charge Against Cancer and MADACC

Sprecher Moves to Walker’s Point

Returning to its roots, Sprecher taproom will be in old facility of failed Brenner Brewing.

Juneau Park Gains a Bike Oasis

Handy bike fix-it station donated by Barb Stein; more park improvements still to come.

A City of Beer and Festivals

Beer festivals include Sprecher's 30th anniversary. And Water Street Brewery opens fourth location.

Brewing as a Conceptual Art

Brenner Brewing has a ways to go before it functions as a working brewery. Plus: a fundraiser for the anti-Clarke candidate.

Buffett Tour on Hold

“Spirit – The Seventh Fire” has been put on hiatus.

The Inaugural

Marvin Pratt did not stand up with the crowd when Tom Barrett was inaugurated mayor, and the press has made a good deal of the slight. However, just after Judge Louis Butler administered the oath of office to the new mayor, Barrett’s first comments were to commend Pratt, and the former acting mayor did stand up and take a bow. The ceremonies were held April 20th outside of City Hall in some perfectly dreadful Milwaukee spring weather. So, who was the idiot who came up with that idea? “I’m the idiot who thought to hold it outside,” fessed up Kris Martinsek. After all, the president is inaugurated outdoors in January. However, January in Washington is not nearly as unpleasant as Milwaukee in April. The stage was set up on Wells Street, facing east. Upon the stage sat Milwaukee’s new leaders, including the mayor, the common council, the comptroller, treasurer, city attorney, city clerk and a municipal judge. Their families sat out in the street and in the adjacent park next to the Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building. Frank P. Zeidler was there himself, sandwiched between Marvin Pratt and Senator Herb Kohl. Kohl was dressed as he always is around here. He wore a shirt, a tie, a Milwaukee Bucks cap and a windbreaker. Except for the tie, he pretty much looked like the guy who harvests aluminum cans from my recycling bin. If he tried to walk on to the floor of the United States Senate in that getup, the sergeant-at-arms would toss him out. But this is Milwaukee, the “come as you are” capital of America, and he fit right in. Barrett has made a list of 18 things he wants to accomplish in his first hundred days in office. I don’t know if reducing the police overtime budget is one of them, but the men in blue were certainly racking up the hours during the interminable ceremony. The aldermen were sworn in sequentially according to district. Each alderman then gave a little speech. The last district, the 15th, is occupied by Willie Hines, who is now the Common Council president. He then gave a big speech. He began by saying, “my ascent to the Council Presidency is not a compromise or consolation prize for the African-American community.” This was an effective way to defuse speculation that his election was a compromise or consolation prize, and was a rather sharp thing to do. Hines also insisted that corruption will not taint his council. (We’ll check back on that in four years.) His delivery was generally quite good, and had a hint of religious fervor to it. Moments earlier, he did have a slip up. When Valarie Hill was about to be sworn in as municipal judge, Hines said, “The City Clerk will now come to the altar – er, the podium – to take the oath.” Also, when Hines introduced the new mayor he called him “Mayor Marvin Pratt – er, Mayor Barrett.” These things happen. The Common Council […]

Pratt’s “Reimbursement” Mystery Money

Acting Mayor Pockets $7,500 with no explanation