Remembering Whispering Jeff

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The Milwaukee brewing scene is mourning the loss of Jeff Platt, better known as Whispering Jeff, on March 23. He was tall, he was loud, he was brash, and he was seemingly everywhere that there was beer going on in the Beer City—and always with a beer in hand. Whispering Jeff was not known for whispering, that's for sure, but he was a fixture at brew fests, events and breweries, and a tireless promoter for all things beer, as well as music, in Milwaukee.

A former beer columnist for the Shepherd Express, Jeff was the publisher, editor and chief bottle washer for his own newspaper, Cream City Suds, which covered beer and brewing news in southeast Wisconsin. He later expanded to include wine and spirits under the name Sudsville.

Jim Klisch of Lakefront Brewery remembered Platt: “This is a guy who had no money, was disheveled in appearance and would piss off as many people as those who would tolerate him. Regardless, here we are discussing him. What made him unique was his unwavering passion for beer, breweries and the people who worked in the industries. He was always a source of information which was in more cases than not accurate. Jeff was everywhere seeing his bands, attending events and visiting bars and breweries. His energy was amazing! I’m five years younger than him and couldn’t keep up. Plus he did all this on the bus! He had an unique ability to know where the happy hours were and who would buy a couple, three beers for him.

“He left an impression. What can I say?  He was consistent and always there. He may not have been very coiffured but always consistent."

Todd Krueger of Sand Creek Brewing remembered him, “Well, in Chicago he showed how he would do anything to write about beer. Ride the train from Milwaukee, bus around Chicago, hostel to save money in Chicago. He loved talking beer so much he was willing to do it. Crashing on hotel room floors, bumming rides. He was everyone’s friend. He was loud, brash and always easy to find at a festival!”

Platt was the organizer of the annual Blessing of the Bock, which is only weeks away on April 14 at the Falcon Bowl in Riverwest. Tim Eichinger of Black Husky Brewing said that he and other local brewers were concerned that it would be in jeopardy of being cancelled, so they have started a group to make sure the event goes forward, as well as a memorial for Jeff.

Russ Klisch of Lakefront Brewery, along with other local brewers, came up with a summary of Whispering Jeff’s legacy: “Whispering started out as a belt buckle salesman for someone else but did get into the business himself making belt buckles and other pewter swag. He also organized trips to Chicago for holiday markets and other events. But he was best known for starting the Cream City Suds Beer Magazine, which turned into the Cream City Suds, Wine and Spirits.

“I never remember him writing a bad word about anyone and critiquing the breweries by omission. Or if you were written about, he felt you were worthy. He was a big supporter of craft beer throughout his life, from talking up various beers from being a bartender at the best craft/import beer bars, to his magazine, to being President and longtime member of the Museum of Beer and Brewing, to running the Blessing of the Bock for several years. He always had his ear to the rail and would gather information from all the breweries/bars/events he would visit and would tell you the latest news on the industry anytime you visited with him. This would normally cost me a free beer when he visited Lakefront, but I always felt it was worth it.”

According to Eichinger, if people want to come out and recognize Jeff’s contributions, come out to Blessing of the Bock, which is a benefit for the Riverwest Investment Co-op. It’s scheduled for April 14 at Falcon Bowl from noon–4 p.m. $30 gets you unlimited beer samples, a brat from Usinger's, music by Polka Don and Becky and of course the Blessing of the Bock beer by Jim Klisch. "We will do a short recognition for Jeff but will respect that Jeff would just want us to drink and have a good time." Black Husky is also planning a memorial after Blessing of the Bock.