Photo by Tyler Nelson
Indeed Brewing Company and Taproom Milwaukee
Just because Indeed Brewing Company started in Minnesota, don’t think that the Walker’s Point taproom is just there to sell beer from out of state. Most of the beer for sale is actually brewed at the Milwaukee location and the company is happy to call Wisconsin one of their homes.
The Milwaukee location is what’s known in the industry as a “pilot” brewery. That means they have the freedom to experiment on a smaller scale and try and hone in on variations of current batches that could use some improvement.
Photo by Tyler Nelson
“We produce beer for our taproom, then we’re basically research and development, which is really cool,” says Amanda Olson, Taproom Engagement Manager. “We made a Pistachio Cream Ale that got canned up north (at Minneapolis location) and sold completely out of in three days, during the pandemic.”
Business during the pandemic has been decent, according to Olson. They didn’t rush to open their taproom back up to the public after the announcement that bars and restaurants could at 25 percent capacity. The taproom waited a couple weeks to see feedback from the public. They are open Wednesday through Sunday now, in limited capacity, which is capped at 40 customers. They leave the front door open and have a huge garage door in their barrel room which creates a lot of fresh airflow. There are sanitizing stations located all around and the cash register is behind a large hanging sheet of plexiglass.
“We’ve been producing beer for about 10 months now, and the numbers are a little skewed because of COVID, but we’ve produced between four and five hundred barrels,” says Patrick Nickelson, Lead Brewer, who came with the expansion from the Minnesota brewery. “Everything is small-batch here. Our system is 10 barrels, but typically we make eight barrels at a time.”
The goal for the Milwaukee location was to produce about 1,000 – 1,500 barrels per year, but with the pandemic, it’s tough to say if they’ll be able to make that. The flagship brew of the Walker’s Point brewery is probably Hello, Milwaukee, an American light lager, which was one of the first beers brewed at the Milwaukee location. The beer that really put Indeed on the map is Day Tripper Pale Ale, which is still one of their best sellers.
Photo by Tyler Nelson
The taproom is doing infusions, where they take an established beer, and add another ingredient. On tap right is their Brunch Club: Berry Compote Sour Ale steeped with fresh mint.
Previously the space was a commercial bakery. If you look closely, there’s an homage to that iteration in the vestibule with found bakery tins on the ceiling. The backbar is from an old Hamm’s tide house, along with new cabinetry to match along the wide serving area.
Both Minneapolis and Milwaukee taprooms participate in Indeed We Can. Every Wednesday, each gives 100 percent of their net proceeds to a local nonprofit organization. The taproom is only open five days every week, which means they’re giving 20 percent of proceeds away. That is something to brag about. The Milwaukee taproom has chosen the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, NAMI and Hunger Task Force to donate their Wednesday proceeds to.
The latest beer to come out of the brewery is Helles Lager. The lager boasts a slightly hoppy flavor thanks to the addition of Huell Melon hops. “Refreshing and session-able, this lager is a bright summertime companion,” says the literature. As someone who got to sample the beer ahead of the release on June 25, I can confirm those claims.
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Photo by Tyler Nelson
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Photo by Tyler Nelson
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