Milwaukee Brewing Co. wants to brew four times more beer

Milwaukee Brewing Co. wants to brew four times more beer.

The craft brewery wants to increase the brewing capacity at its 1128 N. 9th St. location from up to 50,000 barrels a year to 200,000 barrels a year, according to a filing with the City of Milwaukee.

Milwaukee Brewing has filed a request with the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals to occupy a portion of its location as a large alcohol beverage facility. The zoning change would let the brewery add more shifts so it could increase its brewing capacity, the filing said.

The existing infrastructure in place can be expanded without affecting other operations nearby, the filing said. The layout was designed so capacity could be increased without modifications.

The brewery plans to add shifts to boost production. It does not plan to change the footprint of the facility. Milwaukee Brewing plans to hire 15 to 20 new employees. That would bring total employees at the site from 50 to around 75.

The total increase in employees would depend on order volume, the filing said.

Milwaukee Brewing said increasing its brewing capacity can be done with an investment of $1.5 million to $2 million. The company has already invested $12 million in the location.

Milwaukee Brewing moved into the building two years ago with a shiny new 60-barrel brewhouse. The facility is 43,000 square feet. The brewery on North 9th Street is part of a development that has office space, a restaurant and event space.

When the brewery moved to 9th Street, its CEO said at the time its goal was to be the “No. 1 selling craft beer in Milwaukee.” Milwaukee Brewing moved its main location from a much smaller spot at 613 S. 2nd St.

Milwaukee Brewing has a 10-year lease on the North 9th Street location with SSL Milwaukee LLC. The brewery, according to the lease agreement, will pay between $500,000 and $640,000 minimum annually in rent over those 10 years. It has the option to extend the lease.

Milwaukee Brewing was founded by Jim McCabe in 1997. The brewery also runs the Milwaukee Ale House at 233 N. Water St.

JOURNAL SENTINEL FILES Milwaukee Brewing Co. wants to increase the brewing capacity at 1128 N. 9th St. to 200,000 barrels a year, according to a filing with the city.