Miller Park adds craft beers
New bar to tap 24 brews from 17 state breweries
Milwaukee’s Miller Park is diversifying its choice of suds by opening a craft beer station.
A new ballpark bar, called Local Brews, will debut opening day on the Loge Level with 24 tap beers from 17 Wisconsin breweries.
Local Brews is part of food and a beverage overhaul that includes 11 new concession stands, a number of portable stands and kiosks, and two fullservice bars.
Milwaukee breweries Lakefront, Third Space, MobCraft, Raised Grain, Milwaukee Brewing and Good City will be represented. Madison breweries One Barrel and Karben4 will be available, along with Wisconsin Brewing from Verona, O’so from Plover, Central Waters from Amherst, Hinterland from Green Bay, Lake Louie from Arena, Tyranena from Lake Mills and Ciderboys hard cider from Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point.
Local Brews also will pour Miller Lite and Leinenkugel’s Anniversary Lager, a collaboration between the brewery in Chippewa Falls and Hofbrau in Germany.
The addition of craft beers was a logical and fan-driven shift.
“The market for craft beer has grown, and this is a response to consumer tastes,” said Rick Schlesinger, chief executive officer for the baseball Brewers. “We think this is going to be the proverbial home run.”
In focus groups, fans asked for more choice of craft beers and didn’t seem aware of previous craft beer offerings, Schlesinger said.
Wisconsin brewers were happy to oblige. An estimated 50 breweries brought samples, which were tested and shared by members of the Brewers staff. Seventeen breweries were chosen.
“It was a democratic process,” said Carl Nolen, president and CEO of Wisconsin Brewing Co., who poured the brewery’s Badger Club Amber for select Brewers fans during an announcement of the new brews held at the Historic Miller Caves on Tuesday.
Judges looked at each brewery’s tapper knobs, checked the beer names and tasted the beverages, he said. Wisconsin Brewing will pour Badger Club Amber for opening day on April 3.
Waukesha’s Raised Grain Brewery is bringing its Doc’s Red IPA, a lighter version of its award-winning Paradocs Red Double IPA.
“We’re the smallest brewery in the craft brew section, but it’s the biggest opportunity for us this year,” said Nick Reistad, one of the brewery’s founders.
Brewers fan and seasonticket holder Pam Peplinski of Muskego helped with the selection.
“I always wanted to see something else at Miller Park,” said Peplinski.
She doesn’t think the new brews will detract from the beers named for the baseball park.
“We ended our tasting having a Miller Lite,” she added.