1. Try New Glarus Brewing’s New Pilsner
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
There’s a subtle part of the newest beer from New Glarus Brewing, the state’s foremost craft brewery, that tells me that you’ll be seeing a lot of it in the coming years. It’s not that New Glarus Pilsner is the culmination of years of master brewer Dan Carey’s attempts at perfecting the style. It’s not that it’s delicious, a crisp, slightly bitter but ultimately easy-drinking take on the style that is the foundation of decades of American industrial brewing. It’s not that it’s been flying off shelves and passing quickly through draft lines across the state. (I bought three 12-packs last weekend just to build up my late spring stocks of Pilsner, which takes at least six weeks to produce vs. perhaps two for a faster-fermenting ale.) It’s that name. Just New Glarus Pilsner. Not something cute like Spotted Cow or Fat Squirrel or Dancing Man or Bubbler or Kid Kölsch, the summer seasonal of the past few years that Pilsner replaced. Something that the brewery believes stands on its own, unadorned, that communicates its message of easy refreshment in clear terms and will stand the test of time.
2. Go See Pete Homes
ALLI WATTERS, DIGITAL & CULTURE EDITOR
One of my favorite stand-up comedians is coming to Milwaukee! Pete Holmes, a certified silly goose, has a show at the Turner Hall Ballroom on Thursday. He’s a lighthearted, good-natured comedian who describes himself as a youth pastor in every universe except this one. His jokes are like a warm hug, compared to the more popular crop of cynical comedians out there. I’m looking forward to seeing his new set. The show is on Thursday, May 18 at Turner Hall Ballroom.
Nominations are open for the 2024 Unity Awards!
Know an individual or group committed to bridging divides in our community? Nominate them for a Unity Award by Oct. 31.
3. Watch “Jury Duty”
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
This weekend, I started (and finished) my new favorite TV comedy. “Jury Duty” is an eight-episode series, available for free on the fittingly titled Freevee. The show’s elaborate concept is extremely cool – it’s not quite a documentary, not quite a reality TV series, not quite a sitcom. We follow a group of jurors tasked with deliberating the verdict in a lawsuit. Every person involved in the show – the jurors, the judge, the attorneys, etc. – is an actor playing a role, except for one credulous real guy named Ronald who thinks that he’s a real juror in a real trial filming a real documentary. The normal, nice dude is assailed by increasingly wacky scenarios as the trial drags on. Also, James Marsden plays James Marsden. It’s hilarious and inventive and surprisingly heartwarming. I stormed through it in one afternoon and had a blast.
4. Make Weird Brownies
ANN CHRISTENSON, SENIOR DINING EDITOR
From the files of thrifty baking… I had a jar of tahini reaching its “best by” date and wasn’t in the mood for hummus. I’ve used sesame seed paste in baked goods before with successful (brownies) and unsuccessful (cookies) results. I gave it another shot with a brownie recipe that was better than I expected. It uses a lot of tahini (1 cup), which takes the place of butter, 2 eggs, a moderate amount of sugar (1/2 cup, plus ¼ cup maple syrup), 1/3 cup of cocoa powder and only a tablespoon of flour – I substituted almond for coconut flour. If I make them again, I’ll add a little instant espresso to intensify the chocolate flavor from the cocoa. I also strayed from the recipe and skipped both the chocolate chips and the glaze. Instead, I sprinkled the top with cacao nibs. They’re not very sweet, but are satisfyingly fudgy. And I love the contrast with the crunchy, slightly bitter nib topping.
5. Read Our (and also my) Award-Winning Stories
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITO
Hey there. It’s me, Mr. Archer Man. Sorry to bother ya. I know these ed picks aren’t about self-promotion, but, well, we have some cool stuff to self-promote. And also, I already wrote that pick about “Jury Duty” up there, so I feel like I’m within my rights to have a second pick this week about all the awesome awards Milwaukee Magazine won at the 2022 Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism contest on Friday. We took home 12 awards total. You can read all the award-winning stories at this link here. The awards honored our intrepid, fearless freelance writers Tea Krulos, Rich Rovito and Elly Fishman, as well as our font-finding, palette-popping, cover-crafting design team. And also, two awards went to the smelliest and least socially capable member of the MilMag staff – me! My feature “Of Farms and Fleets” took home a gold award, and my profile of Bobby Portis took silver. All in all, I’d call that a good night.
