Lakefront Brewing got the local Black Friday beer scene going more than a decade ago with its first big Black Friday beer release. Lakefront’s event has become a rite of passage, and plenty of other breweries in the area have joined in the fun. Plan your week accordingly, and plan on hopping on one of two free shuttles carting beer drinkers all over town. City Tours MKE is providing a free downtown shuttle service from 1 to 5 p.m. that will run beer drinkers to Dead Bird Brewing, Pilot Project Brewing, Eagle Park Brewing, Explorium Brewpub, Wizard Works Brewing, Component Brewing, Torzala Brewing, Indeed Brewing, 1840 Brewing and Broken Bat Brewing. The Riverwest Syndicate’s Five-Thre-Brew-One-Two shuttle runs between Lakefront Brewery, Company Brewing, Amorphic Beer, Gathering Place Brewing and Black Husky Brewing 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The fun starts on Wednesday, with a full slate of releases happening on Black Friday.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Wednesday, Nov. 22
Black Husky Brewing
909 E. LOCUST ST.
The Beer: Timotheus is a big (18% ABV) Belgian quad from Black Husky’s Chien Noir lineup.
Details: Pick up this bold beer to get you through Thanksgiving from 4 to 9 p.m.
The Fermentorium
7481 WI-60 TRUNK, CEDARBURG AND 6933 W. NORTH AVE.
The Beer: Once again it’s Sweater Weather season at The Fermentorium. Sweater Weather Milk Stout is the base beer, with variants that include Sweater Weather English Toffee, Sweater Weather Cookies and Cream, and Sweater Weather Double Vanilla.
Details: Sweater Weather is available at both locations beginning at noon.
Sahale Ale Works
1505 WISCONSIN AVE., GRAFTON
The Beer: Set the World A’Haze is a big quadruple IPA with a potent 14% ABV.
Details: Sahale opens at 5 p.m. and will have this big IPA on draft and in cans.
Sprecher Brewing Co.
701 W. GLENDALE AVE.
The Beer: The classic Sprecher Black Bavarian aged in J. Henry & Sons bourbon barrels.
Details: The beer will be available in the Sprecher gift shop on Wednesday. Look for it at liquor stores too.
Supermoon Beer Co.
3145 S. HOWELL AVE.
The Beer: The Frightener is a French oak-aged abbey style quad and a collaboration with MobCraft and Radix Fermentation. Saison Fernwood is a farmhouse style amber ale, and Cadette is a an unfiltered Munich-style helles lager.
Details: The beers are being released for pick up on Wednesday. On Black Friday, Supermoon hosts a pizza brunch from noon to 4 p.m. where all three will be available on tap, as will beermosas.
Vennture Brew Co.
5519 W. NORTH AVE.
The Beer: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Mumble Biscuits Barleywine, Grandma’s Boyfriend West Coast DIPA, and Thansgiving Sangria Bruv–a Berliner ale made with pomegranate, cranberry, orange and Zinfandel juice.
Details: The beers will be available at noon and until they run out. Vennture will be open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Black Friday as well.
Friday, Nov. 24
1840 Brewing Co.
342 E. WARD ST.
The Beer: Plumpy Black is a fruited sour made with black cherry, black currant, blackberry and milk sugar. Sleepless Nights is a barrel-aged imperial porter made with Stone Creek coffee.
Details: 1840 opens at 11 a.m. Public presale begins on Nov. 20.
Amorphic Beer
3700 N. FRATNEY ST.
The Beer: Toasted Coconut Major Particles is a stout aged in Heaven Hill barrels with toasted coconut. Bermuda Storms is Amorphic’s take on a Dark and Stormy.
Details: The brewery opens at 9 a.m. and will have the beers on tap and available in four packs.
Biloba Brewing
2970 N. BROOKFIELD RD.
The Beer: This year’s big release is Old John Barleycorn, a barleywine aged in bourbon and Cabernet barrels. Biloba is also offering a bourbon barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout, and an imperial stout on nitro with coffee and dark cherries added. Impossible Barrel-Aged Strong Ale and a Lambic, aged with strawberries and rhubarb, are also available.
Details: Biloba is opening a little early on Black Friday, doors open at 1 p.m.
Central Waters Brewing
1037 W. JUNEAU AVE.
The Beer: Gold Label 25th Anniversary Stout aged in Pappy Van Winkle barrels (yep), and three variants of an English-style Barleywine–one aged in peach brandy barrels, one aged BLiS maple syrup barrels and one aged in both barrels.
Details: Central Waters opens at 11 a.m. and the bottle sale happens at the back entrance.
Company Brewing
735 E. CENTER ST.
The Beer: A few different Holiday Party variants. Holiday Party 2023 is a rum barrel-aged Belgian quad, Holiday Party Whack and Unwrap is a variant featuring orange peel and chocolate, and Holiday Party / Thousandfold Blend is a blend of a Belgian quad and imperial stout aged in rum barrels. For the hop lovers, Thunder Thiols is a dry-hopped theorized lager.
Details: All of these will be ready for pickup at 9 a.m., and the Company kitchen will be open then too.
Component Brewing
2018 S. 1ST ST.
The Beer: Barrel-Aged Hold My Beer Christmas Ale, Barrel-Aged Swirled Stout made with Ugandan vanilla beans, and Supreme Haze the Lord IPA.
Details: The taproom opens at 1 p.m. and there will be food from Hot Dish Pantry. Swirl Stout is the first bottle release for Component and supplies are very limited.
Dead Bird Brewing
1726 N. 5TH ST.
The Beer: Flash Black Friday means Dead Bird is rereleasing a couple of beers. Bean Water is an imperial java stout and Beanut Putter is an imperial oatmeal stout made with peanut butter.
Details: The brewery opens at noon for stout fans.
Eagle Park Brewing Company
823 E. HAMILTON ST. AND S64 W15640 COMMERCE CENTER PKWY., MUSKEGO
The Beer: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Koko Kleiber imperial stout is made with maple syrup and toasted coconut, and it’s a collab with the outstanding Horus Aged Ales. Eagle Park will also release Fly By Night, a blend of barrel-aged stouts conditioned on Papua New Guinea vanilla beans, The Raspberry Vanilla Cheesecake incident Berliner weisse, and Milkshake IPA, also finished with vanilla beans.
Details: Both Eagle Park locations open at 8 a.m.
East Troy Brewery
2905 MAIN ST., EAST TROY
The Beer: 10 Month Quad, a Belgian quad aged in bourbon barrels. Wee Heavy Honey, a Scottish wee heavy aged in bourbon barrels with honey.
Details: Limited amounts of bottles of each available at 4 p.m.
Enlightened Brewing Co.
2020 S. ALLIS ST.
The Beer: Beer doesn’t have to be big on Black Friday. Cosmic Nihilism is a Czech dark lager with an easy 5.2% ABV.
Details: The brewery opens at 3 p.m. and Sweet Smoke BBQ will be there.
Explorium Brewpub
143 W. ST. PAUL AND 5300 S. 76TH ST.
The Beer: Six variants of Milwaukee County Stout aged in various barrels. The selections this year are Oat Whiskey, Stranahan’s Irish Whiskey, Baker’s Bourbon, Willett Rye, Heaven Hill and Proprietor’s Reserve (on-draft in Greendale only). A few other variants will be available at preferred partner locations. But wait…there’s more. Explorium is releasing a few non-stouts too including William 1066 Brandy Barrel-Aged Barleywine, Bic Doc Scotch Wee Heavy, Triple Bock and New Quad on the Block quadrupel aged with Peruvian Cacao nibs.
Details: The Greendale location opens at 6 a.m. with a brunch buffet, beermosas and Bloody Mary’s. The Milwaukee spot opens at 11 a.m.
Gathering Place Brewing Company
811 E. VIENNA AVE. AND 7208 W. NORTH AVE.
The Beer: Double dry-hopped Turbo Hop Triple IPA and Mélange Imperial Blended Ale.
Details: 100 bottles of each are available via presale and both will be on tap on Black Friday.
Hacienda Beer Co.
2018 E. NORTH AVE.
The Beer: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Velvet Bulldozer Imperial Stout made with vanilla and cacao nibs, and Obnoxious Heckler barleywine.
Details: Presale of two-pack cans is available now with pickup on Black Friday.
Link to presale: https://biermi.com/store/hacienda/products
Indeed Brewing Company
530 S. 2ND ST.
The Beer: Spumoni Imperial Cream Ale has flavors of pistachio, eherry and chocolate.
Details: Pick up a bottle when Indeed opens at 11 a.m.
Lakefront Brewing
1872 N. COMMERCE ST.
The Beer: 2023 Black Friday Imperial Stout aged in bourbon and brandy barrels, 2023 Black Friday Triple Black IPA, 2023 Black Friday Double Barrel Christmas Cookie Barleywine aged in rum and bourbon barrels, and 2023 Black Friday 5-Year-Old aged in bourbon barrels since 2018.
Details: This is the 12th year of Black Friday for Lakefront Brewing. Get there early to get in the long line that forms each year for this big event long before the doors open at 8 a.m. Plenty of food will be available starting at 4:30 a.m. to provide a base.
MobCraft Beer
505 S. 5TH ST.
The Beer: No big release is happening, but MobCraft is tapping a 2022 Padishah Imperial Stout aged in apple brandy barrels.
Details: The doors open at 11 a.m. and they’ll pour the Padishah until the keg is dry.
New Barons Brewing Co-op
2018 S. 1ST ST.
The Beer: BABR Imperial Stout aged in Twisted Path bourbon and rye barrels and Q Belgian Quad rum-barrel aged quadrupel.
Details: New Barons opens at 9 a.m. and will have the Roll N Waffles food truck there for breakfast.
Ope! Brewing Company
6751 W. NATIONAL AVE.
The Beer: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Full Send Barleywine Blend 2 and Cherry Brandy Barrel Aged Oh My Quad!. Members have access to 2022 Barrel-Aged Full Send Barleywine Blend 1.
Details: The brewery opens at 9 a.m. Presale is available for members. Non-members can pick up two of the 2023 brews.
Perspective Brewing
7508 W. GREENFIELD AVE.
The Beer: Perspective is releasing Barrel-Aged Barleywine and Candy Cap Mushroom Stout.
Details: The doors open at 11 a.m.
Raised Grain Brewing Company
1725 DOLPHIN DR., WAUKESHA
The Beer: The annual release of Santa’s Sack Christmas Ale is happening. Raised Grain is also releasing #1000 Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Coffee Stout, Doc’s Old-Fashioned Brandy Barrel-Aged Imperial Red Ale and Doc’s Old-Fashioned Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Red Ale.
Details: Cans are available when the doors open at 11:30 a.m. on Black Friday.
Sahale Ale Works
1505 WISCONSIN AVE. #170
The Beer: Sahale has a busy week. On Black Friday they release Tearin’ Up My Tart When I’m With You and Quit Playing Games With My Tart, a pair of imperial sour ales.
Details: Sahale opens at 3 p.m. and they’ll have the sours and the quadruple IPA available.
Steel Tank Brewing Co.
1225 ROBRUCK LN., OCONOMOWOC
The Beer: Alpha Team ’23, a bourbon barrel-aged strong ale.
Details: Steel Tank will be pouring Alpha Team when it opens at 11 a.m.
Torzala Brewing Company
2018 S. 1ST ST.
The Beer: The Squash Blossom Spiced Harvest Ale is a hefeweizen made with pumpkin. Cream City Fruited Cream Ale is made with honey, cranberries, oranges and Door County cherries.
Details: Available in four-packs and on tap when Torzala opens at 11 a.m.
Urban Harvest Brewing Company
1024 S. 5TH ST.
The Beer: Urban Harvest is emptying the cellar. They’re releasing a 2020 Brown Mumbler Bourbon Brown Ale, 2020 Big Ring Bourbon Red, 2021 WhiScotchsin Whiskey Scotch Ale, 2021 Whiskey Porter, 2021 Imperial Chocolate Whiskey Stout, 2021 Two Naught Naught Chocolate Bourbon Espresso Amber and a 2021 Deux Stappen French Cognac Belgian Dark Strong.
Details: Preorder starts on the Urban Harvest website on Wednesday at noon. Pickup begins when the doors open at 11 a.m. on Friday.
Wizard Works Brewing
231 E. BUFFALO ST.
The Beer: Santa’s Wrath is a barrel-aged English strong ale.
Details: The ale hits the taps but will also be available in 22-ounce bombers.
3 Sheeps Brewing
1837 NORTH AVE., SHEBOYGAN
The Beer: The Wolf Imperial Stout aged in 1872 bourbon barrels, and a Wolf variant made with pecans, vanilla, cocoa nibs that has been aged in Willett barrels.
Details: Available in cans and on draft at the 3 Sheeps taproom, which opens at 11 a.m.
