Photo via Facebook / The Sugar Maple
The celebrity roast, that staple of ‘70s broadcast TV and more sporadic cable forays nowadays, has a current analog in Milwaukee.
Inspired by those times when Dean Martin and other entertainers would amiably snark one of their fellows, Adrienne Pierluissi has been hosting roasts of local leading lights in the city's service industry for a while now at her craft beer specialty bar and performance space, Sugar Maple (441 E. Lincoln Ave.; 509-6035). The third and latest third in the series of good-natured skewering swill be in honor Lakefront Brewery cofounder Jim Klisch at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 11.
On how closely the format hews to small screen roasts of yore, Pierluissi explains, “We try to mimic the set-up, with a podium in the middle and the panelists off to the sides. We do have an emcee and the panelists are invited up to speak with an opportunity for Jim to retort at the end.” As to what makes Klisch an apt object of roasting, she offers, “Jim is a trailblazer in the craft beer scene in Milwaukee. He paved the way for craft breweries. I have a lot of respect for how he and (his brother) Russ have taken small batch craft brewing to the enterprise it is now.”
Some people might not be very willing to be the object of an afternoon of ribbing at their expense, but Klisch “ was honored," Pierluissi says. It probably helps that the brewer and watering hole proprietor have long abetted each other’s business. “We’ve always had a friendly relationship. Lakefront beers have been on our menu since we opened in 2007,” she continues.
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Fittingly, a serving of special beer comes with the ticket price to the event honoring a special man. Pierluissi calls the afternoon’s complementary beverage, an American stout called My Turn Al, “an homage beer to a lovely man, Al, who passed in 2020. The other beers that will be offered are Riverwest Stein, their flagship, Hazy Rabbit IPA and Wisconsinite.” If that's not enough incentive for Lakefront customers and other beer aficionados to attend, Pierluissi adds, “We will have very special beers from their cellar.”
If all those exclusive brews give the impression that Pierluissi, Sugar Maple and Klisch’s roast are only for beer snobs, that’s not her intention in the least. As she welcomingly explains, “The Sugar Maple has been focusing on bringing people together. I’ve made a commitment to hosting benefits and events meant to educate and encourage us be more kind to one another. Although we love beer and the communities it fosters, we want everyone to feel comfortable visiting us, not just avid beer drinkers.”
