Lakefront Brewery gets a ton of credit for making Black Friday a huge day when it comes to beer releases. This is its 16th year of releasing special beers the day after Thanksgiving. Plenty of other local breweries have followed suit.
But the big releases aren’t just relegated to Black Friday. Black Husky, The Fermentorium and Raised Grain all get a jump on things with events happening on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
3 Sheeps Brewing
837 NORTH AVE., SHEBOYGAN
The Beer
- The Wolf, an imperial stout aged in 18-Year Elijah Craig barrels
- The Wolf made with cocoa nibs, pecans, and Belgian candi sugar
Details: Both new variants of the brewery’s annual barrel-aged stout will be available on tap and in cans at 11 a.m. Its 12 Days of Beer advent calendar is also being released on Black Friday. If you need more incentive to head to Sheboygan, there’s also a Holiday Market taking place at 3 Sheeps on Friday and Saturday.
Amorphic Beer
3700 N. FRATNEY ST.
The Beer
- Toasted Coconut Major Particles, an imperial stout made with toasted coconut and Madagascar vanilla and aged for one year in Buffalo Trace barrels. The beer clocks in at a potent 15% ABV.
- Not My Circus, a Baltic porter aged in Willett Rye barrels and rested on whole bean coffee
Details: Doors open at 9 a.m., and cans of both are available for presale on the Amorphic website. They’ll both be on draft at the taproom, and Crops on Top is offering free desserts (while they last) to pair with both beers.
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Black Husky Brewing
909 E. LOCUST ST.
The Beer
- Banana Stand Weizenbock, a 9.5% ABV brew that will be available in both a standard and hoppy version
Details: Black Husky’s traditional big release is on Wednesday (Nov. 25) and not Black Friday. The taproom is open from 4 to 9 p.m., and Banana Stand will be available on tap and in 16-ounce cans. Black Husky also plans to have some special beers on tap starting at 9 a.m. on Black Friday.
Brewfinity Brewing
N58 W39800 INDUSTRIAL RD., OCONOMOWOC AND 203 W. WISCONSIN AVE., PEWAUKEE
The Beer
- Bound for Bourbon Barrels, a barrel-aged vanilla porter
- Aged Tripel Jitters, a Belgian tripel made with coffee
Details: Brewfinity will start pouring both beers at both taprooms right when the doors open at noon.
Central Waters Brewing
1037 W. JUNEAU AVE.
The Beer
- Milwaukee Reserve Tropical Stout, an imperial stout made with molasses and aged for 31 months in rhum agricole barrels
Details: The unique Tropical Stout will be available at 11 a.m. when Central Waters opens. The beer is available in two-packs of cans and on tap. Central Waters will also be tapping a few other (to be determined) rarities on Black Friday. Given the brewery’s excellent record with barrel-aged beers, that’s an exciting prospect.
Component Brewing
LINCOLN WAREHOUSE, 2018 S. FIRST ST.
The Beer
- Swirled, a barrel-aged hazelnut mocha stout made with cacao nibs, coffee and vanilla
- This is Why I Missed Work Again, a barleywine aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels
Details: Component’s barleywine gets the nod for best named Black Friday beer. Both beers will be available to go and on tap at 11 a.m. The Dōh’p pizza truck will be there, too.
Delafield Brewhaus
3832 HILLSIDE DR., DELAFIELD
The Beer
- Sleigh Wreck Ale, a blend of Scotch ale, barleywine and imperial stout that’s been aged in charred bourbon barrels
Details: The potent brew will be available on tap starting at 11 a.m. and in 22-ounce bottles. Preorder a bottle by calling 262-646-7821 or stopping in at the Brewhaus.
Eagle Park Brewing
823 E. HAMILTON ST. AND S64 W15640 COMMERCE CENTER PKWY., MUSKEGO
The Beer
- Fly By Night, an imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels and conditioned on Tahitian vanilla beans
- Stave: Blend 5, a blend of barrel-aged barleywine, oat wine and imperial stout
- Booze for Dessert: Tiramisu, a bourbon barrel-aged stout infused with coffee, cacao nibs, vanilla wafers and tiramisu
- Tiki Dave’s Christmas Vacation, a sour ale made with orange, lime, cherry, demerara sugar, vanilla and spices
- Spiders from Mars, a New England-style IPA
- Pink Squirrel, an ice cream-infused hard seltzer made with almond, chocolate and nutmeg
Details: The varied list of brews is available in cans and on draft at both Eagle Park locations. Doors at the Milwaukee taproom open at 8 a.m., while Muskego opens at 11 a.m.
Explorium Brewpub
143 W. ST. PAUL AVE.; 5300 S. 76TH ST., GREENDALE; 11200 W. BURLEIGH ST., WAUWATOSA
The Beer
- Milwaukee County Stout Gold aged in Blanton’s bourbon barrels
- Milwaukee County Stout Silver aged in Barton’s 1792 bourbon barrels
- Milwaukee County Stout Green aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels
- Milwaukee County Stout Red aged in Buffalo Trace rye whiskey barrels
- Milwaukee County Stout Proprietor’s Blend, a special blend of beer aged in Willett Family Estate Rye, High West Rye and Seagram’s 17-year barrels
- War Drum Braggot (a beer-mead hybrid) aged for 21 months in Buffalo Trace Mash #1 barrels
Details: Explorium doesn’t mess around when it comes to Black Friday variants. The wide selection of beers will be available in 12-ounce cans and on tap at 8 a.m. (Greendale) and 9 a.m. (Third Ward and Wauwatosa). The Greendale location is tapping a firkin of Proprietor’s Blend when the doors open and will pour a free five-ounce sample for each visitor until the nine gallons is gone.
As usual, Explorium has a few variants that can only be found outside of the brewpubs. Matty’s Bar & Grill (14460 College Ave., New Berlin) will have a Milwaukee County Stout aged in Weller barrels and one aged in Larceny barrels. They’ll also have a Cinquante Jour Quad aged in a J. Henry bourbon barrel. Woodman’s (Milwaukee area and Kenosha stores) will have a Salted Caramel Stout aged in a Buffalo Trace Mash #1 barrel. Wisco Bourbon has a Milwaukee County Stout aged in a Weller barrel.
The Fermentorium
7481 WI-60 TRUNK, CEDARBURG
The Beer
- Dubai Chocolate Sweater Weather, an imperial milk stout made with pistachio and cocoa nibs
- Orange Chocolate Sweater Weather made with orange and cocoa
- Horchata Sweater Weather made with cinnamon and rice
- Underwater Panther Triple IPA made with honey
Details: The Fermentorium gets a jump on things by having its big release day on Wednesday. All four special releases will be available in cans and on tap at The Fermentorium at noon on Nov. 25. They’ll also be pouring the original Sweater Weather and last year’s Black Forest Sweater Weather.
Foxtown Brewing
6411 W. MEQUON RD., MEQUON
The Beer
- Cask & Cordial, a wheat wine made with cherry and vanilla and aged in a whiskey barrel
- Hold Your Temper, an imperial stout made with chocolate and hazelnuts and aged in a Great Lake Distillery bourbon barrel
- Spirit of the Rye, a rye wine aged in a whiskey barrel
Details: All three of these extremely limited barrel-aged gems will be available beginning at 11 a.m. in the Beer Caves below Foxtown. The beers will be available at Foxtown on draft and in 500mL bottles.
Lakefront Brewery
1872 N. COMMERCE ST.
The Beer
- 2026 Imperial Stout aged in Ezra Brooks Lux Row bourbon barrels
- 2026 Imperial Stout aged in Ezra Brooks Lux Row bourbon barrels with Stone Creek coffee and cocoa
- 2026 5-Year Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels from 2021 to 2026
- 2026 Triple Black IPA
- Brewers’ Reserve Cranberry Sparkling Mead aged in Wollersheim White Port barrels
Details: It’s always festive at Lakefront, the pioneer of Milwaukee’s Black Friday scene. Doors open at 8 a.m. but they’ll be serving breakfast burritos and coffee at 6 a.m. Beers are all available in 19.2-ounce cans. The mead is offered in 12-ouce cans and six-packs. If you bring in a laundered, gently-used coat for youth aged 3 to 14 years you get one bottle or can of retro Black Friday beer (maximum of two bottles or cans per donor over 21).
Layman Brewing
6001 W. MADISON ST., WEST ALLIS
The Beer
- Smoke Show, a smoked stout
Details: Layman will be open on Black Friday for the first time in its six-year history. You can try a pour of the stout when the doors open at 4 p.m.
New Barons Brewing Co-op
LINCOLN WAREHOUSE, 2018 S. FIRST ST.
The Beer
- Pecan Porter, made with roasted pecans coated with bourbon and maple syrup
- 2025 Crispy Cabin Vibes, a barrel-aged doppelbock
Details: The doors open at 9 a.m. Pecan Porter will be available on draft and in crowlers. There’s one keg of Crispy Cabin Vibes pouring until it’s gone. They’ll also have a food truck and live music.
Ope! Brewing
6751 W. NATIONAL AVE., WEST ALLIS
The Beer
- Barrel-Aged Full Send Barleywine, a blend aged in Four Roses bourbon barrels and red wine barrels
- Barrel-Aged Plum Full Send Barleywine, which has been aged in a Four Roses barrel with plum added
Details: The fun starts at 9 a.m. Ope! will have both barleywines available on tap and in 12-ounce cans. Grebe’s Bakery is providing snacks for morning beer drinkers.
Perspective Brewing
7508 W. GREENFIELD AVE., WEST ALLIS
The Beer
- Lactarius, a mushroom imperial stout
- Wim Hot, an IPA made with hot peppers
Details: Perspective, which is getting a little weird with its Black Friday beers, opens at 10 a.m. Lactarius will be on tap and available in 12-ounce cans, while Wim Hot is exclusive to the taproom. The brewery is also starting its 2027 membership sale. Those who sign up get a free piece of glassware and are entered into a raffle to help Perspective brew and name a beer in 2027.
Raised Grain Brewing
1725 DOLPHIN DR., WAUKESHA
The Beer
- Barleywine aged in Bulleit bourbon barrels (Wednesday release)
- Santa’s Sack Christmas Ale brewed with nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and star anise
- Doc’s Brandy Old Fashioned Barrel-Aged Imperial Red Ale made with spices, orange peel and cherries to mimic a classic Wisconsin old fashioned
- Doc’s Bourbon Old Fashioned Barrel-Aged Imperial Red Ale is the same brew as above but aged in bourbon barrels for more hints of vanilla and oak
Details: Raised Grain kicks things off on Wednesday (Nov. 25) with the release of the barleywine. The remaining beers are available on Friday (Nov. 27). Doors open at 11 a.m. for the annual Santa’s Sack celebration. All beers are available on tap and in four-packs. They’ll also have RG Mystery Boxes, which contain a mystery pint of a Raised Grain beer.
St. Francis Brewery
3825 S. KINNICKINNIC AVE., ST. FRANCIS
The Beer
- Christmas on Kinnickinnic, a 7.5% ABV weizenbock
- Christmas on Kinnickinnic Cranberry Orange, a weizenbock made with cranberries and orange
Details: Doors open at 11 a.m. Both beers will be on tap. The cranberry orange variant will be available in wax-dipped 750mL bottles, and the standard Christmas on Kinnickinnic will be sold in cans.
Third Space Brewing
1505 W. ST. PAUL AVE.; N71 W13040 W. APPLETON AVE., MENOMONEE FALLS
The Beer
- Gingerbread Man, a bourbon barrel-aged stout made with molasses and spices
- Sugar Plum Sour, a fruited sour brewed with plum, orange peel and spices
- Robot Butcher IPA
Details: All three beers are available on tap and in four-packs when the main Third Space brewery opens at noon. There will be a food truck, live music and a toy drive. The Innovation Brewhouse in Menomonee Falls opens at 11 a.m. and will have the same three beers available.
Torzala Brewing
LINCOLN WAREHOUSE, 2018 S. FIRST ST.
The Beer
- Cream City Calling Batch 2026, a big 8% ABV cream ale made with honey, Door County cherries, cranberries and orange peel
- Juan Is Live, an altbier named for Milwaukee musician Juan Avalos
Details: Torzala opens at 9:30 a.m. Both beers will be on tap and available in four-packs.
Urban Harvest Brewing
1024 S. FIFTH ST.
The Beer
- 2023 Imperial Chocolate Whiskey Stout
- 2024 Whiskey Porter
- 2023 Big Ring Bourbon Red
- 2023 Brown Mumbler, a bourbon brown ale
- 2024 Two Naught Naught, a chocolate bourbon espresso amber
- 2024 Snarleywine, an English barleywine
- 2026 Serensified Sufficiencies, a Belgian tripel available on tap only
Details: Urban Harvest opens at 11 a.m. on Black Friday. The 16-ounce cans of cellared beers (which do not include Serensified Sufficiencies) are extremely limited and available for preorder on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Each can is $10, and if you buy one of each of the six cellared beers you get your choice of two bonus beers.
Water Street Brewery
1101 N. WATER ST.; 3191 GOLF RD., DELAFIELD; 1251 GATEWAY DR., GRAFTON; 140 W. TOWN SQUARE WAY, OAK CREEK
The Beer
- Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned Sour, which is brewed with orange, cherry, and grapefruit purées and a blend of bitters-inspired botanicals. It’s all aged for one year in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels.
Details: The sour will be available on tap and to-go in growlers. The Delafield, Grafton and Oak Creek locations all open at 11 a.m. The Brewery (Water Street location) opens at 4 p.m.
