Fermenting Culture

New vibes from the new kid on the beer block

BEER IS MORE than malt, hops, yeast and water. It is culture. It has a sense of place, it is argued about, it brings people together. And yet, if you’ve been to a brewery taproom in Milwaukee or just about anywhere, you know whose culture is represented. White folks – white guys, mostly.

It’s one of the reasons why it’s been so exciting to see Pilot Project Brewing transform the sparkling 5-year-old brewery on Ninth Street that was the biggest mistake Milwaukee Brewing Co. ever made.

Pilot Project calls itself a beverage incubator, giving anyone with a good idea for just about any drink access to everything they need to bring that idea to market without their own know-how or (extremely expensive) facility. Co-founder Dan Abel describes Pilot Project as purpose-driven, and diversifying the beer industry is one of its cornerstones. “When you lower the barrier to entry, it’s basically a creativity renaissance,” Abel says. “When you give power to the creatives, diversity of people, diversity of thought and approach and innovation start to organically happen.”

The effects on our (overwhelmingly white) local beer scene are starting to show. Two of Pilot Project’s Chicago-based partners – Black-owned Funkytown Brewery and India-influenced Azadi Brewing – are on taps and shelves in Milwaukee. Pilot Project was also set to host the second Brown, Black & Brews festival featuring beverage makers of color. And lo and behold, the crowd in the gorgeous taproom on the northwest edge of Downtown has been relatively diverse on my visits. More ideas, more people, more beer, more culture.