Milwaukee's Daily Magazine Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009
Today
Hi: 18
Lo: 4
Wed
Hi: 22
Lo: 14
Thu
Hi: 27
Lo: 18
Section Sponsor
Article Tools
Print this Article
Make text larger
Related Twitter Posts

  • theroomie:
    crappy day at work. need ice cream. or beer. or both. stat. wait. scratch that. root beer float. yum.

  • camrayment:
    Am I less holy cuz I choose to puff a blunt or drink a beer with my homies?

  • ndoz:
    Deciding whether I should go on a homicidal rampage or just go home and have a beer.

  • thebeerburglar:
    5 New DC Beer spots to check out in 2010: We saw a few cool new beer joints open or reopen this year like Churc.. link

  • beeruniverse:
    Is your favorite bar or brewery listed on Beer Universe? Why not? You should add it today! Check it out - link


Follow us on Twitter ...
In Marketplace Briefs
Sprecher brews up a new tour
 
By David Hansen
Published May 12, 2002 at 5:47 a.m.
Tags: sprecher, beer, brewery tour

Most of the faithful on the tour came to sample the 10 distinctive craft brewed beers. Talk about variety: beers that are available year round are the popular Special Amber, Black Bavarian, Hefe Weiss (a filtered wheat beer brewed with special German yeast), Pub Ale and the Bohemian style Pale Lager. Several seasonals on tap this spring include Imperial Stout, Winter Brew, and Dopple Bock (a strong, dark lager that has a full and complex malt body, and is aged for more than 12 weeks).

Unfortunately at the time of my visit, they were temporarily out of my personal favorite, Mai Bock, another seasonal specialty brew which is available in late winter through early spring. Mai Bock is not dark like common Bock beer; it's blonde in color, highly hopped, and oh, so smooth on the palate.

Sprecher also brews specialty seasonals that are only brewed in very small batches -- usually 80 barrels or less. These include Abbey Tripl, a Belgian ale brewed with Belgian pale malt, wheat malt and flaked oats. This beer is light in color, more of a deep golden color with a very complex fruity taste, but is surprisingly smooth. The alcohol content is quite high, about 9 percent by volume. Also available this spring is the Irish Stout, brewed for St. Patty's Day and for Irish Fest in August.

Due out in the next few weeks will be the debut of Sprecher's newest seasonal specialty, Scotch Ale. An authentic Scotch top fermenting yeast strain was used to achieve the distinctive taste and flavor profile. This traditional "wee heavy" is made with seven different malts including Belgian Aromatic malt, Vienna malt and a whiskey/ peated variety. These malts are combined in a multi step mash process to create a truly unique beer. Sprecher says "the fermentation time has been extended a little to allow the smoked character of the peated malt to mellow."
The Sprecher Brewery in Glendale is brewing up more than beer this spring. Milwaukee's oldest microbrewery has remodeled almost 1,000 sq. ft. of former warehouse and loading dock space which will soon house a new guest center, an expanded gift shop and a brewing museum.

The museum is unique in that it features artifacts from defunct breweries of Wisconsin, most of them dating back more than 100 years.

With the additional space, owner and founder Randy Sprecher says the brewery hopes to accommodate larger groups and catered meetings.

"We are looking to focus more on corporate meetings allowing corporate clients a very unique meeting experience," says Sprecher, who plans a grand opening for June.



Sprecher says more than 16,000 visitors tour his facility annually, and considering a typical tour can accommodate more than 100 people, it's clear the renovation is a necessity.

Currently, Sprecher serves samples of its beer at the end of the tours, and for kids, there is a choice of five sodas. This spring, the brewery will unveil a new soda, "Ravin Red," a gourmet drink made with cherries, cranberries and ginseng. Sprecher says this high-energy drink is "is far less sweet than other sodas, and I'm proud of the fact that all of the ingredients are from Wisconsin."

Sprecher also says he hopes to have licensing secured to allow the sale of his beer at the brewery. Until now, the brewery could only serve sample beers on tours. He says Sprecher will offer bottles and two-liter growlers that can be filled at the brewery.

Post a comment / write a review.

Recent blogs/briefs by OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writers
Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker book Bradley Center show
Dec. 04, 2009
The "American Living Unstoppable" Tour comes to Milwaukee on Feb. 26, 2010 as Rascal Flatts ...

Castelaz draws honors for Pablove efforts
Nov. 27, 2009
Former Milwaukeean Jeff Castelaz is ABC's Person of the Week.

Summerfest to alter beer operation for 2010
Nov. 24, 2009
Major Goolsby's will no longer run the beer operation at the Summerfest grounds. Sources ...

What is a blog?  For OMC, it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Jennings gets comfortable at Turner Hall Ballroom
Nov. 21, 2009
Mason Jennings made a stop Friday night at Turner Hall Ballroom.

What is a blog?  For OMC, it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Fogerty riles 'em up at The Riverside
Nov. 20, 2009
For Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer John Fogerty, the world of music -- whether it be ...



Reader Poll
Where's the best neighborhood to buy a house or condo in Milwaukee?
East Side
Bay View
Downtown
Riverwest
Wauwatosa
Brookfield/Waukesha
Shorewood/Whitefish Bay
Other

Results after 4125 votes.

OnMilwaukee.com is part of the In Click Network. Other In Click sites include: 30RockReport.com | Behind The Scenes at OnMilwaukee.com | BetterRecipes.org | Bimmer Digest | Brain Brawn & Body | BrewCityBeats.com | Brewcitybigscreen.com | britneysnation.com | BritPop Rocks | Brooklynbanter.com | CactusLeagueReport.com | Caffeinateddigest.com | Culinary Piedmont | Cycling Chainring | Daily Lost Update | Daily Milwaukee News | Daily Spa | DannyGokeyMilwaukee.com | Dogs Blogs | EarthFueled.com | Edible Wisconsin | FanaticPhotog.com | Gadget Deals and Steals | GolfLinksWisconsin.com | H1N1 Alerts | H1N1 Blog | H1N1 Prevention | H1N1 Reporter | H1N1 Tracker | HogEnthusiast.com | Informed Runner | iPhone Daily Report | Man United Nation | Milwaukee Brewers Nation | Milwaukee Bucks Blog | Milwaukee Dad | Minnesota Wild Nation | MomMilwaukee.com | My Super Stocks | MyGayMilwaukee.com | MyHangoverHelper | News on Draught | NY Mets Nation | OnAtlantaGA.com | OnAustinTX.com | OnBaltimoreMD.com | OnBirminghamAL.com | OnBostonMass.com | OnBuffaloNY.com | OnCharlotteNC.com | OnCincinnati.com | OnClevelandOH.com | OnColumbusOH.com | OnDallas.com | OnDCmetro.com | OnDenverCO.com | OnDetroitMI.com | OnDoorCounty.org | OnFortLauderdale.com | OnGreenBay.com | OnHartford.com | OnIndianapolisIN.com | OnKansasCityMO.com | OnLakeCountry.com | OnLosAngelesCA.com | OnLouisvilleKY.com | OnMadison.com | OnMemphisTN.com | OnMiamiFLA.com | OnMilwaukee.com Cars | OnMilwaukee.com Metro Headlines | OnMilwaukee.com's Bartender Olympics | OnNashvilleTN.com | OnNewOrleansLA.com | OnNYCny.com | OnOrlandoFL.com | OnPalmSprings.com | OnPhiladelphia.com | OnPhoenixAZ.com | OnPittsburgh.com | OnPortlandOR.com | OnProvidence.com | OnRichmondVA.com | OnSacramento.com | OnSaltLakeCity.com | OnSanAntonioTX.com | OnSanDiegoCA.com | OnSanFran.com | OnSanJose.com | OnSeattleWA.com | OnSinCity.com | OnStLouis.com | OnStPetersburg.com | OnTampaBay.com | OnTucsonAZ.com | OnTwinCities.com | OnWichita.com | OnWindyCity.com | Packers Posts | Porsche 911 Fans | PriusFans.com | Roller Derby Network | SnuggieFans.com | SummerfestRocks.com | Swine Flu China | Swine Flu Reporter | The 24 Reporter | The Barack Obama Fan Club | The Brilliant Manager | The Comic Book Reporter | The In Click | The Office Fan Blog | TheHDTVReporter.com | TheNetbookBlog.com | TheNewParentBlog.com | Trueguitarheroes.com | Vintage Mets | VW Busses | WaukeshaWeekly.com | Weekly Media News | Wisconsincustomhomenews.com | WisWomen.com | Woodworker Digest