Stein & Dine
Local craft beer fans have something to celebrate this autumn. After a year of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Shepherd Express Eighth Annual Stein & Dine will take place 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, November 6 at the Wisconsin State Fair Products Pavilion, 640 S. 84th St. in West Allis.
A showcase of Wisconsin and Midwest-based breweries, wineries and distilleries, along with a handful of food vendors, the event featured more than 60 vendors in 2019. This year’s Stein & Dine includes live music by Midwest Americana band Burgundy Ties from 1 to 6 p.m. and indoor and outdoor lounges. Guests can try their hands at football bowling, or “fowling,” a game presented by Wauwatosa football bowling bar First and Bowl.
General admission tickets are $45. VIP tickets, which include a special tasting hour with exclusive beers and food items from 1 to 2 p.m., are $75. General admission to the event begins at 2 p.m. All attendees receive a complimentary Stein & Dine sampling glass.
Shepherd Express publisher Louis Fortis said the publication decided to host events such as Stein & Dine at a time when “alternative newspapers were under fire. If you wanted to survive as a media company, you had to get alternative revenue sources,” he said. The newspaper launched the homage to local beer culture “to basically capitalize on the strengths we had, [such as] our connections with all of the area breweries.” The first Stein & Dine was held on April 27, 2013, in the 85,000-square foot State Fair Expo Center. The event typically draws about 2,600 attendees annually.
Lots of Beer
Current Stein & Dine beer, wine and spirit vendors include repeat vendors and newcomers, among them fantasy-themed St. Francis brewpub Faklandia Brewing, City Lights Brewing, Drink Wisconsinbly, East Troy Brewing, Press Hard Cider, Domaines Vinsmoselle Wine, Third Space Brewing, Milwaukee Girls Pint Out, Great Northern Distilling and Sahale Ale Works.
Besides sampling diverse craft beers, Stein & Dine visitors can snack on sausages from Usinger’s and Vollwerth Sausage Company or try goodies from Carrie’s Crispies and Nothing Bundt Cakes. The event also features a number of additional vendors and nonprofit organization booths, among them Happy Endings No Kill Cat Shelter, Too Much Metal, Ella’s Public House, Fred Astaire Dance Studios and more.
The annual event is a big hit with visitors and vendors. “We love going to Stein & Dine,” said Maggie Skinner, leader of the Milwaukee chapter of Girls Pint Out. “In the past, we’ve sold T-shirts and poured our collaboration brew.” Skinner noted that the organization was founded a decade ago to create “a safe space for any female-presenting and nonbinary people who love beer.” In 2015, she started the local chapter of Girls Pint Out. “I loved working with the local breweries and sales reps. I quit my desk job and joined the beer industry,” she recalled.
According to Fortis, Stein & Dine helps vendors increase their customer base by promoting their products to a niche audience. “It gives them an audience they may never have been able to encounter in their everyday activities,” he added. “The people coming here like beer—they really enjoy the event. If you’re a beer aficionado, this is heaven.”
Fortis added that he will “continue to grow and improve the event” with the help of feedback from patrons.
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