Photo: Gathering Place Brewing Co.
Gathering Place Brewing Co. taproom
Gathering Place Brewing Co.
Gathering Place Brewing Company (811 E Vienna Ave.) is a taproom and brewery in the Riverwest neighborhood. They opened in 2017 with two main goals: to make quality European-style beers with an American twist and to be a community center gathering place—hence their name. In 2019 they initiated their $1 for Milwaukee Program where a portion of sales is contributed to non-profit groups making a difference in the community. Each month a new local nonprofit receives 20% of online and taproom sales from each Thursday of that month.
I spoke with Joe Yeado, the founder of Gathering Place Brewing Company, who kindly shared the backstory. A home brewer since 2007, he loved entering competitions. When he lived in D.C. he entered and won awards in Sam Adams Regional MidAtlantic Competitions in 2013 and 2014. That helped convince him to learn more about the business side of brewing.
He and his wife returned to Milwaukee, having met at Marquette University, to work for a non-profit. He knew he would follow his dream of starting a brewery. It was only a matter of time – funding was necessary. One can only go so far with 5-gallon carboys in the pantry or basement. And once that was obtained – Gathering Place Brewery was launched. (In case you wondered – his wife continues to work for a non-profit organization.)
Loyal Following
Corey Blodgett is the head brewer. He was lured away from the Westcoast where he had worked professionally for 20 years. They turn to European traditions especially for some of their inspired lagers. All of their beers have a loyal following.
In 2019 they hosted a special festival, Lager and Friends, with entries from breweries around the country. It’s been an annual event, that went virtual in 2021 because of COVID. In 2022 the invitational festival was held at the Old Heidelberg Park Beer Hall in Glendale. Lager lovers can visit Lagerandfriends.com for further information.
And for the beer lovers they’ve established a Member’s Society offering exclusive monthly bottles of one-off beers made on their small-batch pilot brewing system. Two different beers are produced each month and packaged in 500 ml bottles, available to members only; bottles that are not claimed are available for sale in their taproom.
The whole family is welcome at the Gathering Place and they've games for the children as well as grownups. Food trucks are typically there for special events, and they plan to offer taproom snacks in the near future. In the meantime, patrons can bring in their own food or order out for delivery. Arrangements can be made for parties and events from company holiday events to a one-year-old's birthday party.
Every Monday there’s a trivia contest starting at 7 p.m.
In conjunction with CheeseheadTV out of Green Bay, they’re now bottling a Cream Ale especially brewed and designed for Green Bay Packer backers wherever they may tailgate or support their team.
A planned satellite taproom in Wauwatosa (7208 W. North Ave.) is now scheduled to open by the end of October.
For further information, hours, and directions please visit their website: gatheringplacebrewing.com.
And please remember to drink responsibly.
