Wally Gobetz- Flickr CC
Last year, a Russian holding company acquired Pabst Brewing, and Milwaukeeans feared the worst. PBR has always been a beloved hometown brand, even if they closed the MKE production line back in the mid-1990s. But rejoice, PBR fans, because Pabst is coming back home.
A new brewery will be opening in 2016 at the site of the original location that opened in 1844. It won't be nearly as large, since so much of the original Pabst buildings have been renovated and developed. But that's just fine, since the plan is to brew micros. It'll be located in the decrepit looking former church-turned-conference-center at 11th and Juneau.
The best part of this whole thing? Instead of brewing old faithful PBR, the plan is to brew micros from historic recipes, as a kind of innovation laboratory, according to Eugene Kashper, chairman and CEO of Pabst. Apparently there are recipes housed in UWM's library and the Milwaukee County Historical Society that date back to the pre-Prohibition era, and Pabst plans to experiment with those formulations. That tasting room may be the only place where you'll regularly be able to taste brews that haven't been produced in over a century.
Besides the brewery and tasting room, a restaurant and beer garden is planned. Mike Eitel will be heading that up. He operates Nomad World Pub on Brady St. and was formerly a partner in the Lowlands Group restaurants. The restaurant will be about 3,000 square feet and feature Pabst brand beers, naturally.
This story has gotten a lot of national press attention as a feel good, homecoming story of a major American brand. Interestingly, many of those stories also mention hipsters' love for the brew. From what I gather, PBR is considered an ironic brand; an retro beer drank as a tongue-in-cheek homage to the working class, and a way to “stick it to the man” of more well-known brands. While I'm sure MKE has it's fair share of PBR-drinking hipsters, good old Blue Ribbon has never gone out of style in Milwaukee. We drink it unironically, and with love for a local brand. Bringing PBR home, even with just a token micro brewery, is enough to make even the roughest, burliest Milwaukeean swell with hometown pride.
Upcoming Events
July 17-19: Festa Italiana- Eat and drink your way through Italy at this popular festival. Favorites include calamari, cannoli, Italian sausages and arancini. Be sure to check out the wine tasting tent featuring Lo Duca and Corvina wines.
July 17: 25th Anniversary Celebration at Cedar Creek Winery in Cedarburg. Live music, presentations by winemakers, and wine and cheese tastings.
July 18: Firkin Fest at Cathedral Square Park. This is one of the most popular beer festivals in MKE, featuring over 40 breweries and plenty of rare beers. Tickets are still available.
July 21: A Whiskey-Fueled Evening with Fred Noe at Motor in the Harley-Davidson Museum. Dinner of four courses, including braised short ribs and smoked trout cakes, plus bourbon pairings is included in your ticket. For reservations, call 414.287.2778.
Got the scoop on alcohol-related news or upcoming events? Contact me at lacey@shepex.com or
on Twitter @BrewCityBooze.
