The Sugar Maple Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary with Avril Fête: A Saison Challenge Among Local Breweries

MILWAUKEE, Wis., March 1, 2022 – The Sugar Maple, Milwaukee’s Best Craft Beer Bar, is celebrating its 15th Anniversary this April with a kickoff event: Avril Fête on Sunday, April 3, 2022. Avril Fête is an annual spring brewing challenge presented by Sugar Maple owner and proprietor, Adrienne Pierluissi, who invites regional breweries to craft their own recipe for a Table Beer with a bright, floral palette and champagne-like bubbles.

Seven breweries are participating in this year’s challenge: 1840 Brewing Company, Enlightened Brewing Company, Indeed Brewing Company, Low Daily Brewery, McFleshman’s Brewing Company, Radix Fermentation, Supermoon Beer Company. Two of the beers entered will be collaborations: one from 1840 & Sugar Maple and the other from Indeed & Radix. Radix is also entering a beer on their own.

The public is invited to Sugar Maple on Sunday, April 3 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to sample each of the seven beer entries, and cast their vote for their favorite version of the Avril saison. We hope you join us in our celebration of Spring.

The Sugar Maple will be celebrating its 15th Anniversary with a series of events throughout the entire month of April. Additional event information will be released closer to each date.

04/01: Donna Woodall Trio 9:00 p.m.

04/03: Avril Fête: Saison Challenge 3:00-6:00 p.m.

04/09: 2 LIPS: Paintings by Adrienne Pierluissi 5:00 p.m.

04/10: Sugar Maple Cocktail Club Featuring Central Standard Distillery 3:00 p.m.

04/16: Steph Lippert Project 8:00 p.m.

04/17: Buy Cool Stuff : An Indoor Rummage Sale 1:00-5:00 p.m.

04/20: Trouble Makers’ Cocina Four Course Dinner w/Beer Pairings 6:00-8:00 p.m.

04/22: BackRoom Improv Jazz Series: Ballister 8:00 p.m.

04/24: Celebrity Roast: Tim Eichinger of Black Husky Brewing 4:00-6:00 p.m.

04/30: Peter Thomas and His Electric Cello 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Avril Fête Background
Pierluissi began the Avril Fête challenge in April 2017 when the beer industry was laden with too many overly-hopped IPAs and big, boozy, barrel-aged beers. She longed for a beer with great nuanced flavor and a low ABV, one that emulated the “Avril” saison from Brasserie Dupont of Belgium. Pierluissi describes her lingering memory of drinking the Belgian ale as a taste of light, effervescent floral body and champagne-like bubbles with aromas of Spring and the warmth of the sun.

Five breweries participated in the Fête’s inaugural year: Good City, Enlightened, Like Minds, Solemn Oath and Sierra Nevada. The resulting beers were so varied and lovely that Pierluissi decided to make the challenge an annual event. Four breweries participated in 2018: Explorium, Fermentorium, Gathering Place and Raised Grain. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the spring saison fest until 2022.

Avril Fête spotlights impressive local new breweries that are creating interesting flavor profiles. Pierluissi invites breweries to participate based on the styles they brew, that lend themselves to being able to create a Bière de Table between 3-5% ABV, with a light body that is not overly hopped. The contending beers are presented as a blind flight, and each consumer can then cast their vote for their favorite beer.

The Avril Fête challenge creates a camaraderie among local brewers in a safe, creative environment that fosters process and idea-sharing. The saison challenge celebrates the different solutions each brewer can come up with based on the same base parameters. The lagniappe is that The Sugar Maple gets to have these beautiful Table Beers to welcome Spring.

Sugar Maple Background
The Sugar Maple opened on April 1, 2007 with the mission to provide craft beer brewed solely in North America, including Canada. Since 2015, its mission has evolved to showcase small craft breweries, as local as possible, and to give new, up-and-coming breweries and distilleries exposure to the public. The bar focuses on educating and informing the consumer, so that each individual can support the producers of local beverages, thus supporting their communities.

The Sugar Maple has grown into much more than a beer bar. It is an active community center that elevates the local art, music and food scenes. It is a place to gather, connect and inspire. Sugar Maple regularly hosts events including beer releases and brewery showcases, pop-up beer dinners, musical performances, art openings, fundraisers for local non-profits, comedy shows, theater performances, and more!

As an active member of its community in the Bay View neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sugar Maple encourages innovation and creativity in the fermented beverage industries. Through hosting inclusive and accessible educational programs and building partnerships, Sugar Maple aims to invest in the vibrant integrity of its communities.

Visit http://mysugarmaple.com for more information.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.