Sprecher Root Beer Bash
Randy Sprecher was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War and stationed in Augsburg, Germany. He fell in love with German beer and, as necessity is the mother of invention, started brewing German style beer when he mustered out and returned to California in 1972. The die was cast. He then studied fermentation science at UC-Davis. California didn’t appear to be interested in microbreweries so he secured a post as supervisor of brewing operations at Pabst’s Milwaukee brewery.
He left Pabst in 1984 and established Sprecher Brewing Co. at 701 W. Oregon St. in Walker’s Point. He and his friends designed and built a direct gas-fired brew kettle, a process they still use for their beers and sodas. When a canal retainer wall fell into the Menominee river in 1993 the brewery relocated to a renovated elevator cab factory in Glendale.
I met him swimming laps in the Shorewood High School pool. I’m a homebrewer and we swapped stories and beers. I certainly couldn’t top his beers and have a long list of favorites compiled after several tours of their facilities in Glendale.
Sprecher retired in 2020, selling the brewery to a small team of Milwaukee investors to insure that a great Milwaukee beer will stay in Milwaukee. Today, Sharad Chadha serves as CEO and Randy’s daughter Kecia Sprecher continues to serve as vice president carrying on her father’s tradition started in 1985.
And Soda, Too!
Sprecher Root Beer float
I do have a confession. I rarely drink soda but save at least one of my beer tokens from the tour to sample their sodas. The ginger ale stands your tongue up on edge. And their root beer made with Wisconsin Honey is amazing. And now there are plans for a hard root beer with a 5% ABV.
They’re hosting the “World's Largest Root Beer Float Festival” with free Sprecher floats for all in the Bay Shore Town Center on August 6. You can find more information online here. Their root beer continually wins prizes worldwide.
Sprecher sponsors Milwaukee County’s Traveling Beer Garden, which to date has donated more than a quarter million dollars for park improvements. The brewery’s Glendale offers both tours and an on-site indoor taproom and outdoor beer garden.
Please visit their website at sprecherbrewery.com for more information about their beers and sodas as well as hours, tours and directions.
And please remember to drink responsibly.
