Lakefront Brewery has been doing the whole Black Friday beer thing since 2011, when it released Black Friday IPA. Now, Lakefront’s event has become one of the biggest of the year. The beer-drinking throngs form a line in the wee hours of the morning, anxiously awaiting the moment when the doors swing open at 8 a.m.
This year, the craft beer faithful can fuel up on breakfast from the Curd Wagon, which opens at 5 a.m. Once inside the brewery, the early risers have four variants to choose from, all packaged in 19.2-ounce cans.
- 2024 Black Friday Imperial stout is aged in bourbon and brandy barrels
- 2024 Black Friday Triple Black IPA is hoppy gem made with Centennial, Cascade and Chinook hops
- 2024 Black Friday Imperial Brown Ale is aged in Wollersheim Winery port wine barrels
- 2024 Black Friday 5-Year Old is an imperial stout that has been aged in bourbon barrels since 2019
Tell us who you’d pick to be a Betty this year!
Lakefront got the ball rolling locally when it comes to breweries releasing special beers on Black Friday. This year, there are seemingly endless options around the area to get out of the house and away from extended family. And, you don’t have to drive to get to several of them. Beer aficionados can get their start at Lakefront and then take the Five-Three-Brew-One-Two shuttle bus, run by the Riverwest Brewery Syndicate, to the Black Friday festivities at Amorphic Beer, Gathering Place Brewing and Black Husky Brewing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Another shuttle, thanks to City Tours MKE, runs from 1 to 5 p.m. between Wizard Works, 1840 Brewing, Component Brewing, Torzala Brewing, and Indeed Brewing.
Here’s what’s happening on Black Friday, plan your holiday weekend accordingly.
1840 Brewing
342 E. WARD ST., MILWAUKEE, AND 401 N. MAIN ST., WEST BEND
- Plumpy Black, a fruited sour made with blackberries, black currants, black cherries, and lactose
- Lil Bro, a table beer made with saison yeast and brett that has a scant 3.3% ABV
- Barrel-Aged Milwaukee Medium Pastry Stout, a collab with Young Blood Beer made with raspberry, cacao and vanilla
3 Sheeps Brewing
2018 E. NORTH AVE., MILWAUKEE AND 837 NORTH AVE., SHEBOYGAN
The Beer
- The Wolf: Mexican Hot Chocolate, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout made with cocoa nibs, cinnamon, vanilla and guajillo peppers
- The Wolf: 18-Year Elijah Craig, an imperial stout aged in Elijah Craig bourbon barrels
- Top Shelf Collaborations Intramural, which is The Wolf aged in 1792 bourbon barrels
Details: Good news. Both variants of The Wolf and the Top Shelf Collaborations Intramural will be available in cans at the Sheboygan taproom and at Milwaukee’s Triple Taproom. As an added bonus, the Sheboygan taproom has a Holiday Market taking place from noon to 6 p.m. on Black Friday.
Amorphic Beer
3700 N. FRATNEY ST.
The Beer
- Infinite Measure, a porter aged in apple brandy barrels with Belgian cookie spices
- 2024 J. Henry Major Particles, a rye and bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout made with a small amount of Madagascar vanilla beans
Details: Doors open at 9 a.m. and cans of both are available for presale. Amorphic is tapping a special single barrel rye Major Particles at 9 a.m.
Black Husky Brewing
909 E. LOCUST ST.
The Beer
- Ahead of the Pack, a Belgian golden strong ale
- Timotheus, last year’s Ahead of the Pack that, according to owner Tim Eichinger, was “brewed by elves in trees”
Details: The beer is Ahead of the Pack for a reason. Black Husky’s big release is on Wednesday (Nov. 27) and not Black Friday. The taproom is open from 4 to 9 p.m.
Broken Bat Brewing
135 E. PITTSBURGH AVE.
The Beer
- 755 The King, an imperial stout
- 762* “The King”, a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout
Details: Both cleverly named beers are available in four-packs and on tap. Broken Bat opens at noon.
Central Waters Brewing
1037 W. JUNEAU AVE.
The Beer
- Double Rye Barrel Imperial Stout is a collab with Michigan standout Transient Artisan Ales and is aged in barrels from Great Lakes Distillery and Eastern Kille
- Double Rye Barrel English Honey Barleywine Style Ale also aged in barrels from Great Lakes and Eastern Kille
- 2024 Black Gold, an imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels
- 2024 Black Gold: Maple Fudge, an imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with maple syrup, cocoa nibs, and vanilla
Details: The Double Rye Barrel variants are available in 12-ounce cans and are extremely limited so it might be a good idea to get there before the doors open at 11 a.m. All four beers will be on tap.
Component Brewing Company
2018 S. 1ST ST.
The Beer
- Barrel-Aged Ho Ho Hold My Beer Christmas Ale, an ale aged in Driftless Glen barrels with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove and orange peel
- Barrel-Aged Turtle Sundae Swirled Stout aged in Heaven Hill barrels with pecans, cherries, cocoa nibs and vanilla
- Barrel-Aged Swirled Stout Proper, a limited taproom only special
Details: The taproom opens at 11 a.m. (10 a.m. for Mug Club members). Ho Ho Hold My Beer is available in cans and Turtle Sundae Swirled Stout is available in bottles. All three beers will be on tap.
Dead Bird Brewing
1728 DR. WILLIAM FINLAYSON ST.
The Beer
- Beanut Putter Imperial Oatmeal Stout made with roasted peanuts
Details: Cans of Beanut Putter go on sale when Dead Bird opens at noon. They’re also hosting a Die Hard Christmas Pop-Up because Die Hard is a Christmas movie, of course.
Eagle Park Brewing
823 E HAMILTON ST. AND S64 W15640 COMMERCE CENTER PKWY.
The Beer
- Fly By Night, an imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels and with Ugandan vanilla beans
- Naughty Water Reserve, a barleywine-style ale aged in bourbon casks for four years
- Naughty Water Figgy Pudding, a barleywine-style ale aged for more than two years in bourbon casks and then on almonds, figs and orange peel
- Koko Creme Pie, an imperial stout with maple syrup aged in bourbon casks for two years and then aged on cream of coconut, graham cracker and dried banana
- Immortal Soul: Southern Hemisphere, an imperial IPA with Riwaka, Nelson Sauvin, Galaxy and Motueka hops
- Dragonfruit Orange Mango Slush overfruited sour ale made with dragonfruit, orange and mango puree
Details: The long list of intriguing brews is available in cans and on draft at both Eagle Park locations. The Hamilton taproom opens at 8 a.m. and Muskego at 11 a.m.
Enlightened Brewing Company
2020 S. ALLIS ST.
The Beer
- Cosmic Nihilism Czech Dark Lager
- Rough Draught Series Latte Larry, a stout made with cold brew coffee
- Rough Draught Series Rope It Stan, an Irish stout
- Rough Draught Series Do You Respect Wood?, a stout made with bourbon infused oak spirals
Details: Enlightened opens at noon and Sweet Smoke BBQ will be there providing sustenance.
Explorium Brewpub
5300 S. 76TH ST. AND 143 W. ST. PAUL AVE.
The Beer
- Milwaukee County Stout aged in Basil Hayden Toast barrels
- Milwaukee County Stout aged in Heaven Hill 10-Year barrels
- Milwaukee County Stout aged in Henry McKenna 10-Year barrels
- Milwaukee County Stout aged in Russell’s Reserve barrels
- Milwaukee County Stout aged in Widow Jane Rye barrels
- Barrel-aged William 1066 Salted Caramel Barleywine
Details: The Greendale taproom opens early at 6 a.m. and the Third Ward location starts the day at 9 a.m. Both will have a $20 brunch buffet and $20 bottomless bloodies and mimosas. The canned variants listed above are being released at the two brewpubs. Explorium is also releasing variants at Bottle Shop Grafton (double barrel-aged in Buffalo Trace and Brown Sugar Rum barrels), Brewed Omen (Driftless Glen), Consumer Beverage (1792 Bourbon), Niemuth’s (Clyde Mays), Tenuta’s Deli (Copper & Cask), Three Cellars (Smoke Wagon), The Stillery (Blanton’s) and Woodman’s (1792 Bourbon).
Faklandia Brewpub
3807 S. PACKARD AVE.
The Beer
- Mantaycore, an imperial stout brewed with hazelnut, cinnamon, and coconut
Details: Mantaycore is available in 16-ounce cans when Faklandia opens at noon.
The Fermentorium
7481 WI-60 TRUNK, CEDARBURG
The Beer
- Sweater Weather Imperial Stout
- Salted Caramel Sweater Weather Imperial Stout made with 100 pounds of salted caramel
- Underwater Panther Triple IPA made with honey
Details: Just like Black Husky, The Fermentorium is getting a jump on things by having their big release day on Wednesday. The brewery is also releasing Strawberry Cheesecake Vortex, a sparkling water infused with Delta-9 THC.
Foxtown Brewing
6411 W. MEQUON RD.
The Beer
- Just Enough, a mocha stout aged for one year in a Heaven Hill barrel and then for a year in a George Dickel barrel with cocoa nibs and coffee beans
- After Years, a rye wine which is aged in a whiskey barrel and then an apple brandy barrel
- Similar But Different, a gin barrel-aged imperial American wheat ale made with tea and wit spices
Details: Bottles of each will be available at 11 a.m. when Foxtown opens.
Gathering Place Brewing Company
811 E. VIENNA AVE. AND 7208 W. NORTH AVE.
The Beer
- Grim Maker Belgian Quad
- Affogato Stout, an imperial milk stout made with coffee
Details: The Riverwest taproom opens first at 10 a.m. and the Wauwatosa location starts pouring at noon. Both beers are available for preorder now.
Good City Brewing
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
The Beer
- BFG, an oak-conditioned barleywine
- Rainbow Roll, a double IPA made with malted barley, oats, wheat, rye and with Mosaic, Galaxy, and Sultana hops
Details: The beers will be released at all Good City taprooms. Members of the Good Citizen program can preorder on Wednesday.
Indeed Brewing Co.
530 S. 2ND ST.
The Beer
- Spumoni Imperial Cream Ale made with pistachios, cherries and chocolate
Details: Bottles are already available for presale. Pickup begins at 10 a.m. on Black Friday.
Lion’s Tail Brewing
8520 W. NORTH AVE.
The Beer
- Punch Bowl Imperial Sour
- Churro Bourbon Trail Stout, a barrel-aged stout made with cinnamon and turbinado
- Bourbon Trail Stout aged in Elijah Craig bourbon barrels
- Bourbon Trail Stout aged in Weller bourbon barrels
Details: Lion’s Tail is open from noon to 11 p.m. Besides the beer, they’ll have deals on a lot of cool Lion’s Tail merch.
New Barons Brewing Co-op
2018 S. 1ST ST.
The Beer
- Crispy Cabin Vibes, a maple bourbon and rye barrel-aged doppelbock made with maple syrup.
Details: New Barons opens at 9 a.m. for bottle pick up. They’ll have coffee, pastries and live music.
Ope! Brewing Co.
6749 W. NATIONAL AVE.
The Beer
- Barrel-Aged S’more Imperial Stout aged in maple and whiskey barrels with chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers added
- Barrel-Aged Blackberry Full Send Barleywine aged in double-oaked bourbon barrels with blackberries
- Barrel-Aged Cherry Vanilla Oh My Quad aged in whiskey barrels with cherry and vanilla
- Barrel-Aged Full Send Barleywine (Single Barrel) aged in a bourbon barrel
- Barrel-Aged Maple Imperial Stout aged in a maple whiskey barrel
Details: Ope! is starting the fun at 9 a.m. and they’ll have breakfast available. Each beer is available in pint cans. The Full Send Barleywine Single Barrel and Maple Imperial Stout are part of a members-only presale. They’ll both be on draft on Black Friday and cans will be available to the general public if supply is available.
Perspective Brewing
7508 W. GREENFIELD AVE.
The Beer
- Lactarius, an imperial stout made with candy cap mushrooms
Details: Perspective opens at 10 a.m. Lactarius will be available on tap and in four-packs.
Raised Grain Brewing Company
1723 DOLPHIN DR., WAUKESHA
The Beer
- Santa’s Sack Christmas Ale brewed with nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and star anise
- Left-Handed Monkey Wrench, an imperial stout aged for more than three years in Old Fitzgerald bourbon barrels
- Doc’s Old Fashioned Brandy Barrel-Aged Imperial Red Ale made with spices, orange peel and cherries
- Doc’s Old Fashioned Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Red Ale is the same brew as above but aged in bourbon barrels for more hints of vanilla and oak
Details: Doors open at 11:30 a.m. for another year of Santa’s Sack. The ale is available in cans. Left-Handed Monkey Wrench is bottled, and Doc’s Old Fashioned cans are available in a mix pack of two of each.
Sahale Ale Works
1505 WISCONSIN AVE., GRAFTON
The Beer
- Maple Warm Fuzzies, a double bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout aged with Wisconsin maple syrup.
- The Leap Beer, a barleywine that has been aged in rum, cherry brandy, and rye whiskey barrels.
Details: Maple Warm Fuzzies will be released in cans on Wednesday at 5 p.m. and it will also be available on Black Friday. On Black Friday, there will be just 45 cans of The Leap Beer available, so get there when Sahale opens at 3 p.m. to get one.
Third Space Brewing
1505 W. ST. PAUL AVE.
The Beer
- Cellar Stash, a two-year barrel-aged imperial stout
- That Escalated Quickly, a bourbon barrel-aged barleywine
- Far Fetched, a New Zealand IPA
Details: Four-packs of each are available when Third Space opens at 11 a.m. Pints of a few standard Third Space beers are $5 all day.
Torzala Brewing Company
2018 S. 1ST ST.
The Beer
- Sound-On-Sound Imperial Amber aged on bourbon barrel oak chips and made with Belgian rock candi, sea salt caramel, cinnamon sticks, pecans and cocoa nibs
- Squash Blossom Harvest Ale made with roasted pumpkins
- Dinámica Dolores, a chili rauchbier
- Lumberman Red Ale (part of the Ship Pack)
- Rusty Maple Starboard, a maple märzen (part of the Ship Pack)
- Captain Santa Belgian Dubbel (part of the Ship Pack)
- Irish Blonde Ale (name TBD, part of the Ship Pack)
Details: Ship Packs are mixed four packs that include a Lumberman Red, Rusty Maple Starboard, Captain Santa, and an Irish Blonde. The other releases are available on their own. Torzala opens at 10 a.m.
Urban Harvest Brewing
1024 S. 1ST ST.
The Beer
- 2021 Imperial Chocolate Whiskey Stout
- 2021 Whiskey Porter
- 2022 Big Ring Bourbon Red
- 2022 Brown Mumbler, a bourbon brown ale
- 2022 Two Naught Naught, a chocolate bourbon espresso amber
- 2022 WhiScotchsin, a whiskey scotch ale
- 2022 Deux Stappen, a Belgian dark strong ale
- 2024 Alice, Who the Helles Alice
- 2024 Serensified Sufficiencies Belgian Tripel
Details: Urban Harvest is clearing out the cellar. The 16-ounce cans of cellared (non 2024) beers are extremely limited and available for preorder on Wednesday, Nov. 27. Urban Harvest opens at 11 a.m. on Black Friday.
Water Street Brewery
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
The Beer:
- Half Ton Imperial Stout aged in a Central Standard distillery Red Cabin bourbon barrel
Details: Each of Water Street Brewery’s four locations has a single keg of this barrel-aged beer available.
Wizard Works Brewing
231 E. BUFFALO ST.
The Beer
- Tell the Bees Braggot, an old school mead/beer hybrid
Details: Wizard Works is open from noon to 9 p.m. on Black Friday.
Vennture Brew Co.
5519 W. NORTH AVE., AND 2970 N. BROOKFIELD RD.
The Beer
- Rumble Biscuits is a 2-year blended barleywine aged in J. Henry Bourbon barrels.
- Apple Spice Bruv is a Berliner style ale made with apple and spices.
- Critical Adjustment is a stout made with Guatemalan coffee.
Details: Vennture is releasing its beers on Wednesday instead of Black Friday. The East location opens at 6 a.m. and the Brookfield location opens at 4 p.m. Both will have all three beers to go.
