Charlie Berens Guest Bartending for Charity at Central Standard Crafthouse & Kitchen Sept. 13

Central Standard Craft Distillery Co-Founders Evan Hughes and Pat McQuillan are unveiling an all-new monthly “Cocktails-for-a-Cause” guest-bartending-for-charity happy hour and the inaugural guest mixologist will be comedian Charlie Berens.

Berens, a New York Times best-selling author and the creator of the Manitowoc Minute, will mix up cocktails to benefit one of his favorite nonprofits from 5-7 p.m. on Sept. 13 at the Central Standard Crafthouse & Kitchen, 320 E. Clybourn St. in downtown Milwaukee.

To celebrate September as Brandy Old Fashion Month, Berens is teaming with Central Standard mixologists to create his personal twist on Wisconsin’s famed cocktail. All tips during the happy hour and $5 from every one of Charlie’s signature Brandy Old Fashioneds will support the Near West Side Partners (NWSP), a non-profit working with public and private partners to revitalize and sustain thriving business and residential corridors on Milwaukee’s near west side. For non-cocktail drinkers, Charlie will also be pouring his favorite beer, Leinenkugel’s, during the charity happy hour Sept. 13.

“Charlie is Wisconsin through and through and giving back to the community is in his, as well as our DNA,” Hughes said. “We couldn’t think of a better guest bartender or charity to kick off this new community-build initiative. For us, it’s all about ‘Local Helping Local.’ That and ‘Crafted Together’ are the guiding principles that we founded Central Standard on.”

Curling Gold Medalist Matt Hamilton has also agreed to make an appearance behind the Crafthouse & Kitchen bar as a “Cocktail-for-a-Cause” guest bartender in the coming weeks.

“We are honored to have Charlie and Matt among our first guest bartenders for charity,” McQuillan said. “We’re also looking for others to get behind the bar to spotlight and support their favorite nonprofits.”

To inquire about serving as a future guest bartender to benefit a local charitable cause, please email your contact information and favorite charity to info@thecentralstandard.com.

Last August, Hughes and McQuillan opened the Crafthouse & Kitchen, the Midwest’s first new urban distillery and restaurant.

The distillery’s new home, complete with a tasting room, tour operation, restaurant, private-events space and rooftop patio, replaced the formerly vacant Wisconsin Leather Building, which was built in 1874 and remains one of the oldest structures in downtown Milwaukee. In addition, the 11,700-square-foot, three-story Crafthouse & Kitchen houses a 100-gallon pot still that will produce all spirits served and sold on site.

Central Standard: Your Local Midwest Craft Distillery

Central Standard Craft Distillery, a small batch, craft distillery in Milwaukee and the fastest growing top-10 Wisconsin-based distiller, handcrafts award-winning, bourbon, whiskey, vodka and gin from locally sourced ingredients. Founded in 2014, Central Standard spirits have won 37 medals across multiple categories for their craft distilling.

“For us, it’s not about the awards or the accolades,” McQuillan explained. “It’s about making the best-tasting craft spirits with the finest local ingredients that bring to life the outdoor lifestyle of the Midwest.”

Central Standard’s portfolio of premium spirits includes Red Cabin Bourbon, Door County Cherry Vodka and North Wisconsin Brandy*. Door County Cherry Vodka is a blend of Central Standard’s award-winning 100% handcrafted vodka infused with Door County cherries, which are mellowed with a touch of local-harvested, fresh honey. North Brandy, which is handmade in small batches and aged for a minimum of two years, is finished in Central Standard bourbon barrels.

Red Cabin Bourbon is aged to perfection and then finished in California Cabernet wine barrels. Thanks to the red-wine-barrel-finishing, Red Cabin Bourbon – which won a Gold Medal at the Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits competition in 2019, delivers a complex-yet-approachable taste.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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