Still broadcasting from Milwaukee, where day 2 of WordCamp Milwaukee 2013 brought not only a bonanza of geektacular mind candy, but also an afternoon bacon bar and an entire evening of free beer. Before waxing poetic about free beer, it’s worth noting the obvious genius of a bacon bar; it should be a mandatory feature of all gatherings longer than 2 hours, including weddings, funerals, business meetings, and court hearings.
At any rate, following 10 hours of WordPress edification, we were turned us loose at Milwaukee Brewing Company, conveniently located 3 blocks down the street. Though food ran out just as my colleagues and I walked in the door, fine ales flowed freely for the duration of the evening. In either a brilliant or reckless move by conference organizers, we were each handed a pint glass to be refilled without limit.
As mentioned in a previous digression, Milwaukee Brewing Company has been around for a fair bit (since 1997), but only recently adopted its “MKE” brand identity and current lineup of beers. As noted above, beer was dispensed without limit, so I was fortunate enough to “sample” most of them. The only problem is, well…I sampled most of them. Here’s what I remember of it:
Hop Happy (Year-round, 7.7% ABV, 51 IBUs): Tasty IPA with plenty of hops (Columbus, Cascade, Fuggle), and a bit of malty sweetness. Bonus: it was served with a light dusting of freshly-ground hops, courtesy of a repurposed pepper grinder. No kidding. More at: http://mkebrewing.com/beer/hophappy/
Booyah (Year-round, 6.5% ABV, 20 IBUs): Farmhouse ale formerly known simply as Milwaukee Brewing Co. Farmhouse Ale. An exemplary specimen; one of my favorites for hot summer days. More at: http://mkebrewing.com/beer/booyah/
Outboard (Summer seasonal, 6.5% ABV, 13 IBUs): Cream ale; highly reminiscent of Lake Louie Coon Rock. That’s about all I remember. More at: http://mkebrewing.com/beer/outboard/
Black Iron (Summer seasonal, 7.5% ABV, 48 IBUs): India Black Ale. I bet it was delicious. More at: http://mkebrewing.com/beer/blackiron/
Milwaukee Brewing Company
| Location: | 613 S 2nd St, Milwaukee, WI |
|---|---|
| Established: | 1997 |
| Specialties: | Tasty beers in pretty packages |
| More Info: | http://mkebrewing.com/ |
| My Take: | The beer was free, but I would’ve paid money for it. Definitely worth a stop – tours on Fridays and Saturdays, which include lots of free beer and a token for more beer. |