1840 Brewing Company’s Kyle Vetter believes slow is the way to go when it comes to producing their quality, old world beers with modern twists. Due to the limited quantities of beers they produce, they are only open during their public beer releases, held on the second Saturday of each month.
The brewery is located at 342 E. Ward St. in an inconspicuous space in Bay View. There’s no signage, and Vetter relies primarily on word-of-mouth and social media promotion. The brewery’s VIP members (similar to crowd-sourced investors) pay a yearly membership fee and receive access to private release parties and other perks. VIPs also get first crack at all the beer made, whereas if one comes in on a public release day, some beers might be sold out.
There are no taps in the warm, wood-lined space; beer is sold by the glass or in 750-or 500-milliliter bottles. Family style seating at the bar allows for plenty of socialization, and customers can see the barrels where the beer is aged. The space can also be rented for parties and events.
Since opening this past August, 1840 Brewing Company has released about 20 varieties. Vetter partners with other local breweries to get wort (unfermented beer) made with his recipes and ingredients. Vetter and his full-time employee, brewer Tyler Killips, transport the wort to 1840 Brewing Company and pump it into barrels or stainless steel tanks. Yeast is added, and the fermentation process begins.
“We’re mostly a yeast-driven brewery, so we use a mix of wild yeasts and a cocktail of other brewers yeast to create different nuances and unique flavors,” Vetter said. He owns 1840 Brewing Company with his wife, Stephanie. Their Labrador retriever mix, Lily, also greets visitors. Vetter developed an appreciation for craft brewing while living in Colorado, which started experiencing a boom of craft brewers in the early 2000s. Vetter was influenced by creative concoctions such as Tommyknocker Craft Brewery & Pub’s brown ale with maple syrup. He worked at Ska Brewing, and later at Aspen Brewing Company, while he lived in Colorado.
1840’s February IPA release, named “The Twenty Third” in honor of the Olympics, is easy-drinking with lower carbonation and subtle grassy, fruity notes. It’s a divergence from their usual juicy, fruit heavy IPAs. Other past releases include “Rickety Elevator,” a saison made in collaboration with The Crafter Space and Company Brewing; and Sumerian Origin, kettle-soured wheat ale fermented in either chardonnay, bourbon or cabernet barrels.
“I want to do things that are not being done in Milwaukee,” Vetter said. “And being a small business, there’s no board of directors breathing down our necks, so we have that flexibility to sometimes make risky decisions.”
1840 Brewing’s March release was made in an unconventional way: They took staves from a freshly dumped bourbon barrel and put them into a stainless steel fermenter. They poured the wort over the staves, added the yeast and let it ferment with the bourbon staves in the tank. Ingredients such as cold brew coffee and cacao nib tea were later added. “Now we have this reverse-engineered bourbon barrel chocolate coffee stout, made in a completely non-traditional way,” he said.
There are usually two to four beers available for each monthly release. 1840 Brewing Company’s Facebook page has information and videos on what the brewery is currently working on. Upcoming releases include a wine-beer hybrid that was nearly a year in the making. Vetter said he’s frequently asked when certain beers will be available, but like most great works in progress, it cannot be rushed. “The beer’s ready when it’s ready,” he said.
For more information and to learn of upcoming releases, visit facebook.com/1840brewing/ and 1840brewing.com.
