Eagle Park Brewing logo
The question of what will happen to the Milwaukee Brewing Co. – or at least its beers – has now been answered: Eagle Park Brewing of Muskego (known for its taproom downtown near Brady Street) has acquired MKE Brewing's brands and recipes, but not their facilities.
The 25-year-old Milwaukee Brewing Co., which started in the Third Ward as the Milwaukee Ale House and later expanded to an eco-friendly downtown facility, closed suddenly this year shortly after announcing that they had lost their lease to the venerable Ale House on Water Street. The future of Milwaukee mainstays like Louie's Demise, Snake Oil, Outboard, Hop Freak and Polish Moon hung in the balance until Eagle Park's announcement today.
Eagle Park was started by two brothers, Max and Jack Borgardt, and is actually not just a brewery but also a distillery selling gin, vodka, bourbon and cream liqueur. They plan to find a new location in the city of Milwaukee to expand production for the MKE Brewing brands, and in the meantime may be serving them in their Hamilton Street taproom.
Louie's Demise beer packaging
The brands acquisition should bring a more conservative wing to Eagle Park's portfolio. Unlike MKE, whose beers have been in the more classic ale and lager styles, Eagle Park has been known for its more off-the-wall concoctions using a variety of fruits, unusual ingredients and types of hops, and styles like sours, milk stouts, and a wide variety of IPAs.
For updates check Eagle Park's Facebook page at facebook.com/EPbeer.
