New Black Friday craze? Beer releases
In Milwaukee, shopping hype gives way to brew
They’re ready for you at Lakefront Brewery, Chris Paulos.
Last year, the Milwaukee beer lover was first in line for the brewery’s annual Black Friday release by skipping Thanksgiving with the family, not passing “Go” and heading straight to the brewery.
Remember how Black Friday used to belong to shoppers? In Milwaukee, it belongs to beer.
In 2012, Lakefront Brewery started a Milwaukee tradition — releasing a specialty beer on the day after Thanksgiving. This year, a host of the city’s 33 breweries and a handful of related businesses will have special releases available that day.
Even if Chicago did it first, we’ve embraced the concept like a winter coat on a cold day. Black Friday beer events begin on Wednesday in Milwaukee.
Wednesday
Black Husky, 909 E. Locust Ave., Black Husky releases “Ahead of the Pack,” a barrel-aged stout that is not sour but tart, said brewer-owner Tim Eichinger. Wednesday hours are 4 to 9 p.m. On Friday, the dog-centric brewery will have on tap Lavender Gose, Strawberry Rhubarb Gose and an Imperial Milk Stout made with coffee, cocoa and vanilla bean. On Saturday, it’ll hold a special drawing of Black Husky beers from the cellar.
❚ The Fermentorium, 7481 WI-60 Trunk, Cedarburg, releases This Too Shall Pass, an NEIPA. The Tasting Room opens at 11:30 a.m.
❚ Sprecher Brewing, 701 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale, releases XII Dragons, a Kentucky bourbon barrel-aged Belgian Quad in 1-liter flip-top bottles. The beer will be sold in holiday gift packs along with Czar Brew, a barrelaged Imperial Stout, and Commando, a barrel-aged Scotch ale. Packs are $40 for the holiday weekend; $50 afterward when the packs also will be available in retail outlets.
Friday
❚ Lakefront Brewery, the brewery that started the local movement, 1872 N. Commerce St., starts selling at 8 a.m. Black Friday brew is sold in 22-
ounce bottles for $20, and Vintage, a barrelaged blend of Lakefront’s 2015, 2016 and 2017 Black Fridays, for $30. Vintage is limited to one bottle per customer. The Curd Wagon will be available to those lined up at 4 a.m. for food, coffee or hot chocolate. And in case you get cold, Lakefront also will be selling Black Friday beanies, T-shirts and blankets.
❚ Biloba Brewing Co., 2970 N. Brookfield Road, Brookfield, releases bottles of its Door County Cherry Lambic and a two-year barrelaged Russian Imperial Stout. The taproom is open from 1 to 10:30 p.m.
❚ Broken Bat Brewing, 231 E. Buffalo St., releases “While We Wait,” a spiced winter ale flavored with orange peel, seeds of paradise, and coriander. Available on tap. Doors open at noon.
❚ The Explorium Brewpub, 5300 S. 76th St., Greendale, opens with breakfast from 6 to 11 a.m. and the release of Holy Cowza, an Imperial Brown Ale, a rum barrelaged version of the Explorium collaboration with Cigar City Brewing and Hawthorne Coffee. The 22-ounce bombers cost $14 with a limit of four per person.
❚ Milwaukee Brewing, 1128 N. Ninth St., will release cellar-aged 2017 Gin O-Gii; 2016 Elf ’s Lament; Citron Saison; and Sheepshead Stout Pineau for $15.99 a bottle. By-the-glass timed tappings are planned. Look for Elf ’s Lament at 3 p.m.; Recombobulation Russian Imperial Stout at 4 p.m.; and a firkin of Louie’s Resurrection at 5 p.m.
❚ MobCraft Beer, 505 S. Fifth St., releases Moo-waukee, a white chocolate milk stout. Check out the label on MobCraft’s Facebook page; it sure looks like the Milwaukee Milverine. Bottles can be preordered, and they’ll be for sale in the taproom.
❚ Raised Grain, 2244 W. Blue Mound Road, Waukesha, brings back Santa’s Sack in draft and four-packs starting at 10 a.m. The Christmas Ale is spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise and ginger. Versions have been aged in port, bourbon and brandy barrels. The four-pack is $15 on Friday; $20 if the beer is still available on Saturday. Food will be available for purchase.
❚ Third Space Brewing, 1505 W. St. Paul Ave., hosts a Black Friday Barrel-Aged Party and Liquid Layers Release starting at noon. This year’s 2018 Liquid Layers includes the regular barleywine and four barrelaged variants. The variants were aged in maplebourbon, rye, bourbon and port wine barrels, respectively. Liquid Layers is a draft-only release. Versions of the 2017 Liquid Layers also will be available, along with a Mystery in the Spirit barrel-aged beer.
❚ Urban Harvest Brewing, 1024 S. Fifth St., opens at 1 p.m. with the annual release of Imperial Chocolate Whiskey Stout.
❚ Water Street Brewery, 1101 N. Water St., (downtown location only) will have a small batch of Quetzalcoati’s Bourbon Chocolate Stout on tap. It’s a stout aged in a bourbon barrel with cinnamon, cocoa nibs, coffee beans and chili peppers.
❚ Westallion Brewing, 1825 S. 72nd St., West Allis, releases Candy Cane Lane Peppermint Stout, named for the decorated West Allis neighborhood, on tap and in bottles. The brewery opens at noon. The beer is available in 22ounce bottles for $10; $5 for taps and $15 for a growler fill.
❚ Stock House Brewing, 7208 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa, will pour MobCraft’s Moo-waukee starting at 5 p.m. Tours will be free all day.
Other beer-related events Friday
❚ Harley-Davidson Museum will host the seventh annual Black Friday Beer Fest from 4 to 7 p.m. Twenty-nine breweries will be represented. General admission is $45 and includes a food voucher. VIP admission is $65 and includes an extra hour of access, a food voucher and a museum ticket. Tickets are available at
❚ Glass + Griddle, 1130 N. Ninth St., will tap 10 stouts for Black Friday. The lineup included stouts from Untitled Art and Angry Chair Brewing, Stone Brewing, Evil Twin and Amager Bryghus, Founders, Bell’s, Against the Grain, Central Waters, and Upland. Pours begin at 11 a.m.
❚ Bilda’s Freiss Lake Pub, 4493 Highway 167 (Holy Hill Road), Hubertus, will host a Black Friday Rare Beer Tap Takeover. Scheduled beers include 3 Sheeps Paid Time Off, Founders CBS, Goose Island BCS and more, starting at 11 a.m.
❚ Stubby’s Gastrogrub and Beer Bar, 2060 N. Humboldt Ave., opens at 10 a.m. with specialty beers on draft including Great Lakes Brewing Barrel-Aged Christmas Ale, Central Waters 2018 Black Gold, Founders 2018 KBS and Founders CBS, and Indeed Rum King variant Zamboni Cold Brew. The full brunch menu will be available.
❚ Brass Tap, 7808 W. Layton Ave., in Greenfield, will tap several Bourbon County Brand Stouts and variants starting at 11 a.m.
❚ Crafty Cow and Hot Head Fried Chicken, 2675 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., will celebrate an MKE Black Out with rare brews from Bell’s, Third Space, Central Waters, 3 Sheeps, Evil Twin, Indeed, Untitled Art/Angry Chair and Pipeworks.
❚ Discount Liquor hosts special beer releases from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (or while supplies last) on Friday and Saturday. The stores are at 5031 W. Oklahoma Ave., and 919 N. Barstow Ave., Waukesha. There will be others, along with Bourbon County Brand Stout, which will be limited to one bottle per person. Discount also is expecting to get in some of the BCBS variants from Vanilla, Bramble Rye, Midnight Orange, Coffee Barleywine or Wheat Wine but not the Reserve Variant beers.
Saturday
❚ Ray’s Wine & Spirits, 8930 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa, will host Super Saturday 2018 from 7:55 a.m. to 10 p.m. with special beers including Toppling Goliath and Central Waters, whiskeys and two food trucks on hand. Check the Facebook event page for updates.