On a (finally) sunny Saturday afternoon, I found my way into the newly opened Urban Harvest Brewing Company. Greeting me was not only a friendly face behind a beautiful wooden bar, but the cream city brick behind it and the warm light of the sun flooding through the windows. On its second full day of business, the guys behind Urban Harvest had five beers on tap with a fresh Hefeweizen tapped while I was there making six.
Mark, co-founder of Urban Harvest Brewing, was behind the bar telling me how he and Steve have been friends for 20 some odd years and have been to The Great Taste of the Midwest together. So when Steve wanted to open his own brewery, Mark couldn’t let his buddy do it alone.
Steve, brewing on a two barrel system with eight fermenters, will tell you that he’s been dreaming of this longer than he cares to talk about, and that it’s worth every long, hard day at the brewery to make this happen. He was looking for space for two years before he found the current location while searching Craigslist. Steve said, “ It just said 'Opportunity Walker’s Point'. No price, no nothing.” And what an opportunity it has been! The space boasts Cream City brick, natural light, hardwood floors, and a small theater space hidden away.
Steve did make mention of other local brewers being extremely helpful and supportive. He said that Matt from D14 was a huge help when he had questions and that Tommy and James from Enlightened Brewing Co. stopped by and showed their support.
Mark and Steve want to make more approachable IPA’s than the West Coast “tongue scrapers”. Currently on tap:
414 Golden Ale - ABV: 5.2%: It’s a golden American Pale Ale with citrus and herbal notes, balanced with malt to make it crisp, clean and very drinkable.
Old Towne Amber - ABV:7%: A classic Amber with slightly sweet and nutty characteristics.
Black Puppy Pale Ale - ABV: 5.2%: This is a toast to past & present four legged friends. Pleasant hop aroma, with a well balanced finish.
HC IPA - ABV: 6.4%: This uses homegrown Cascade and Hallertau hops from Hales Corners (grown by Steve). This creates an easy drinking, approachable IPA.
Cork Screw IPA - ABV: 6%: This beer utilizes Cabernet Sauvignon infused oak to create this diverse brew.
The brewery is located at 1024 S. 5th Street and I highly recommend stopping in for a flight and some fresh made popcorn. The hours currently on Facebook are Fridays and Saturday from 2pm - 10 pm but I’m sure those will change soon!
As always, you can find Girl Meets Beer on Facebook and Twitter. Or if you want to share your thoughts via email: beerblog@shepex.com Also, special shout out to Mark at Urban Harvest, he’s a reader of Girl Meets Beer before I asked to interview them! HI MARK!
