1. Check out Lakefront’s Brewers Reserve series
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Lakefront Brewery’s Black Friday – both the release party and the beer – is rightly revered. But it’s a lot, you know? Not everyone wants to emerge from their food coma to line up at the crack of dawn (or before) on the day after Thanksgiving to wait in line for beer, party or not. Which is why I love that a couple weeks ago Lakefront low-key dropped three beers that could certainly have their place among Black Friday’s four releases on any other year. They’re part of a new series of high-octane barrel-aged beers called Brewers Reserve available only at the brewery. The beers, all north of 12% ABV, are eclectic: a raspberry agave ale aged in tequila barrels; a blackberry ale designed to emulate an old fashioned, aged in Wollersheim brandy barrels; and a Baltic porter aged in Wollersheim bourbon and brandy barrels. They’re just $4 per 12-ounce bottle, or $20 for a six-pack that you can mix and match among the styles – a price waaay out-of-line-low for beers like this. I spent an evening with the Baltic porter last week and it is a unit – rich, thick and chocolatey, a perfect sipper for a cold winter’s night.
2. Grab a Drink at the Newsroom Pub
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
This past week, I went to the Newsroom Pub (137 E. Wells St.) to check out a talk by Charles Franklin, the Marquette Law School pollster. It was a cool discussion, but I particularly enjoyed the venue. Shamefully, it was my first time visiting the pub, which headquarters the Milwaukee Press Club. The place has an old-school charm, with autographs of notable visitors framed on the wall (Henry Winkler being one of the coolest). The dark wood decor and vintage posters put one in mind of decades past. I could almost imagine myself as a grizzled 1930s journalist, downing straight whiskey, smoking cigarettes by the carton and grousing about my latest deadline. That atmosphere is exactly what I’m looking for in a drinking spot, and I’ll certainly return soon (even though I’m just a 2020s journalist, downing straight kombucha, chewing through antacids by the bottle and grousing about my latest deadline).
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Try a New Restaurant
ANN CHRISTENSON, SENIOR DINING EDITOR
Saturday night hanging out at home + Indian food = HAPPY! That was after a recent carryout from the new Pizza and Curry in Shorewood (2213 E. Capitol Dr.), a storefront locals will remember as the former Falbo Bros pizza. Yes, this place has pizza, as well as Indian/Pakistani food (fried chicken, too!). I can’t speak to the pizza, or fried chicken – yet – but I’ve had some stars from the Indian side of the menu: the vegetable biryani with paneer (homemade cheese), melty-creamy grilled chicken malai boti and rich, flaky paratha, a thin flatbread. It made a delish leftover lunch, too. Hours: Sun-Mon, Wed-Sat 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (closed Tuesdays)
4. Shop Small This Saturday
BRIANNA SCHUBERT, ASSOCIATE DIGITAL EDITOR
Small Business Saturday is this weekend, and Milwaukee businesses are ready! I was already planning to bounce around the city to a bunch of different places to get some holiday shopping done, but now that I’ve read this guide to local spots to shop this Small Business Saturday by Milwaukee Magazine intern Margaret Tews, I’m even more excited to go. Supporting local business owners? Yes, please. Deals and discounts? You bet. Giveaways? I’ll be there – and I hope to see you out and about too.
5. Make Target’s Turkey in a Bag
ALLI WATTERS, DIGITAL & CULTURE EDITOR
Are you in charge of making a turkey this Thanksgiving? Does the thought of that make you hyperventilate? Then I have a solution for you! I was in your shoes just last week. I was in charge of hosting a Friendsgiving and that came with the responsibility of cooking the poultry. Naturally, I was concerned. I had never made a turkey before. The only thing that I knew about making a turkey was that it’s time-consuming and easy to mess up. I was about to back out and change the theme to tacos, when a miracle happened. I was at Target, and right there in the frozen food section was a 12-pound, pre-seasoned, cook-in-bag turkey. I thought, “this is too good to be true,” and frantically Googled reviews. After reading all of the five-star endorsements, I was sold. And I cooked that turkey Friday. It took just four hours and was delicious, well seasoned and most of all, easy. I recommend it. In my case, it fed nine friends with lots of leftovers.
