One year ago, Michael Anderson and John Graham created The Crafter Space as a way to help cultivate the brewing scene in Milwaukee. The reason was simple–they want Milwaukee to catch up with other cities in the country known for beer.
“Milwaukee has an amazing craft beer heritage and is arguably the cradle of American craft beer, yet other cities like Denver, Portland, and San Diego have passed us by as leaders in the world of craft beer,” says Anderson. “The goal of The Crafter Space is to make Milwaukee the best place in the country for craft entrepreneurs to start their brands and breweries.”
Adds Graham, “The idea really hit me when I was in Denver last March. I checked out the brewery scene on Blake Street. I hopped from brewery to brewery, taproom to taproom, talking to the bartenders, locals, beer geeks and the like. It really struck me that it is a shame Milwaukee doesn’t have a district and a strong craft beer culture.”
The duo provides marketing and business assistance for craft brewers, and aims to also offer a brewing space in the future.
“There are quite a few barriers in the way of opening a brewery,” says Graham. “We want to assist in climbing over, or even breaking down, those barriers. We don’t just want more breweries in Milwaukee, we want more successful breweries in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.”
The Crafter Space has hosted events like panel discussions and beer tastings, and has a Craft Beerathon, a startup weekend for craft beer entrepreneurs, in the works this spring. I’m all for giving the craft beer scene a spark, and I’m glad that these guys are out there doing just that.
“John (Graham)and I have been thrilled with the community that we have helped bring together and can’t wait to share the exciting work we’ve been doing to open Milwaukee’s first ‘drink-tank,’” says Anderson. “We keep learning more about the obstacles standing in the way of Craft Beer entrepreneurs and see so much opportunity to make Milwaukee the best place in the state and in the country for craft beer entrepreneurs to come, tap into our rich heritage, and start new companies.”
Bottle Sharing is Caring
Bottle shares are great for trying rare brews, and for clearing space in your bottle cellar. Hop-a-Tui is a bottle share on a large scale. The event runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at Turner Hall Ballroom (1040 N. 4th St.) on Sunday. Attendees are asked to bring two bottles of beer with them (craft or home brewed) to share with others. A few breweries will also be on hand pouring samples. I’m a big fan of this type of event and hope to see a lot more of them in the future. Tickets are just $40.
Barley Pop of the Week
The release of Founders KBS is a big yearly event for beer fans. I managed to get my hands on a four pack earlier than usual, and as soon as I got it home I opened a bottle. I’m not very good at judging beers from year to year, but it seems to me that the 2015 batch has a little more heat than the 2014 KBS. The coffee and dark chocolate flavors are still prevalent, but the boozy finish just seems a bit stronger this year, which is a good thing.
Quick Taps
Get your tickets for the World of Beer Festival soon before they sell out. The outstanding event is scheduled for Saturday, June 6 at the Schwabenhof Pavilion (N56 W14750 Silver Spring Dr.).
The Brewers Association’s list of the top 50 breweries is always an interesting read.
Check out Hop Theory tea bags, which can add flavor to your old boring brew.
Events Brewing
Monday, April 6: It’s opening day for the Milwaukee Brewers. Rejoice.
Tuesday, April 7: Alex Evans from Karben4 heads to The Malt Shoppe (813 N. Mayfair Rd.) from 5 to 7 p.m. and he’s bringing a few brews with him, including the delicious Fantasy Factory.
Tuesday, April 7: Beer School at Comet Cafe researches Belgians. Compare 10 samples starting at 7 p.m. Call 414-273-7677 to make a reservation.
Thursday, April 9: Meet one of the most interesting guys in the Wisconsin craft beer scene when Black Husky owner Tim Eichinger visits Rumpus Room (1030 N. Water St.)at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $20 and includes the tasting of six beers. Call 414-292-0100 to make a reservation.
Thursday, April 9: Try beers brewed by members of the Milwaukee Beer Society from 6 to 9 p.m. The event is free, but if you have homebrews to share, bring them.
Thursday, April 9: Upland Brewing invades Ray’s Growler Gallery (8930 W. North Ave.).
Thursday, April 9: Sugar Maple (441 E. Lincoln Ave.) taps a few kegs and casks of Lakefront My Turn Series brews from 6 to 10 p.m.
Thursday, April 9: The beer aficionados from Barley’s Angels take a trip to Brenner Brewing (706 S. 5th St.) at 6 p.m. Cost is $8 and includes four 5.5-ounce samples.
Saturday, April 11: Three Cellars (7133 S. 76th St.) has samples of Michigan beers (a great state for brews) from 1 to 4 p.m.
Sunday, April 12: Hop-a-Tui (see above) comes to Turner Hall from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
