Photo: Indeed Brewing Company - Instagram
Indeed Brewing Company UpTop
Indeed Brewing Company UpTop
Since expanding into Milwaukee in 2019, Minneapolis-based Indeed Brewing Company (530 S. Second St.) and Milwaukeeans have developed a mutual fondness. The craft brewer, whose local operations also serves as a pilot facility, is in the midst of operating the UpTop rooftop bar, a pop-up bar located across the street from the taproom at 507 S. Second St.
Tom Whisenand, who co-owns Indeed along with Nathan Berndt, says despite the upheaval and uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 felt like a return to normal. “I feel like we are back on the path we originally started on,” he says. “The city of Milwaukee and the Walker’s Point neighborhood have been good to us. We’ve seen growth in our taproom in Milwaukee, and growth in sales of our beer throughout Wisconsin.”
Because Indeed Brewing’s Milwaukee location serves as a pilot facility, Whisenand says they can do trials of smaller batches of beer. They have a team focused on development. “We had a number of new beers that have originated in Milwaukee. Our brewing staff, along with and others on our team, come up with ideas, and we brew them in Milwaukee and serve them in our taproom there. You get to try beers under development.”
When developing new beers, the Indeed Brewing team considers popular styles and what people enjoy in the taproom. New summer releases include Modern Age Session IPA, which will join Indeed Brewing’s year-round brew lineup. It includes citrusy notes of orange, pineapple, mango and berries. Catering to the lower alcohol beverage trend, Session only contains 3.8% alcohol-by-volume (ABV). It includes Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy and Strata hops.
The new Brightside Sea Salt & Lemon Lager (5.2% ABV) offers hints of lemon and sea salt in a refreshing lager. It’s a dream for those that enjoy exploring the wide world of craft lagers, along with shandy aficionados.
Expanding Milwaukee’s Rooftop Bar Scene
The untapped views of Milwaukee’s skyline and Lake Michigan, along with a desire to make the most of the outdoors during our way-too-short summer season, have driven businesses to move up and make to most of rooftop spaces. Indeed Brewing had previously operated a pop-up rooftop bar on top of the Clock Shadow Creamery building, also in Walker’s Point.
For this season, Whisenand developed a friendship with the owners of the Eagleknit building, a recently renovated five-story structure that once housed Eagleknit brand knit headwear during the peak of Milwaukee’s manufacturing days. Today, the building hosts commercial office space, along with a rooftop deck as an amenity for its tenants.
“We got to know the owners of the building and asked them if we could do a pop-up there,” says Whisenand. “The rooftop has a strikingly beautiful view of Milwaukee.”
UpTop will be open through October, weather permitting. It can be an adventure to find, but the general directions consist of leaving Indeed’s taproom and crossing the street to the Eagleknit building, and riding the elevator to the top. Guests can the view, fresh summer breezes and a selection of eight beers on tap, along with a selection of canned beer and non-alcoholic options.
It’s on Whisenand’s radar to eventually construct a permanent rooftop bar on their own building. But for now, they’re looking for creative ways to add outdoor space until they build capital to modify their building for a permanent rooftop bar.
Each Tuesday, Indeed Brewing, through their Indeed We Can charitable initiative, donates to a local nonprofit selected by their staff. After covering expenses and overhead, the selected nonprofit receives 100% net proceeds.
Whisenand says that Indeed Brewing has no plans to expand into other cities at this time, but instead is committed to making each brewery successful and becoming part of Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point community.
“We want to make great beer and provide good jobs. We believe in Walker’s Point as we see it continue to grow and become a destination as a great place to live, work and have fun. There are businesses that have been there for a long time, and we’re excited to be part of that.”
For more information on Indeed Brewing, visit indeedbrewing.com.
