Brennan's Market

Brennan's MarketBrennan's Market
Brennan's MarketBrennan's Market
Store

19000 W Bluemound Rd
Brookfield, Wisconsin, 53045-6073
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.98
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
22
pDev:
8.79%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Zatch90:
Photo of Zatch90
Rated by Zatch90 from Wisconsin

4.39/5  rDev +10.3%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4

Oct 07, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.66 by Lucular from Maryland

Dec 27, 2016
 
Rated: 4.18 by adamranders from Wisconsin

Oct 24, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by Hendrick24 from Wisconsin

Jun 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4.49 by RJB66 from Wisconsin

Jan 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by TX-Badger from Texas

Oct 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.72 by Cubatobaco from Virginia

Oct 09, 2014
Photo of beerwolf77
Reviewed by beerwolf77 from Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev -4.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5
Finally stopped in here this weekend.

Great farmers market atmosphere here. Tons of fresh plants and flowers as you walk in. Then isles of fresh vegetables and fruits. Still not to the beer yet. You have to pass all the jams, jellies and cheese to finally get to the beer.

The beer selection was rather strange. Not much local stuff at all. Besides some Lakefront and bottles of NG red twins they had no other local options. The selection is comprised of mainly small breweries I had no idea even existed. Stuff from Iowa, Montana and Oregon.

The beer guy was helpful almost to a fault. I'm usually not real fond of store help giving me suggestions. He didn't know I was a beer geek. So I can't blame him.

The fresh cheese and snacks we bought were amazing. This seems to be the biggest appeal of the place.

Overall a great farmers market with an eclectic beer selection.
May 30, 2011
Photo of MilwaukeeCrusher
Reviewed by MilwaukeeCrusher from Wisconsin

3.98/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5
If visited this place and it is pretty much like the place near Madison. While you won't find any whales here, the main point with me is the beers from the western states you won't find anywhere else in the state. I also picked up some Avery Maharaja, and one of the beers exclusive to the store, the El Toro DIPA (I bought the regular IPA from the Madison area store and it was outstanding). If you want to explore different beers (they let you buy single bottles, and have a pick six discount I believe) this is a very good place for that sort of thing. I will not visit often (it is sort of off the beaten path for me), but will definitely go back periodically in anticipation of finding something new and unexpected.
May 29, 2011
Photo of sweemzander
Reviewed by sweemzander from Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -9.5%
If you like beer,wine, and cheese, then this is the place for you!
Going in you are welcomed with fresh produce, but the back of the store is where it is at.
Nothing but cheese, wine and beer as far as you can see.
Most of the beer which is primarily local offerings like New Glarus, Sprecher, & Miller. They also have a limited selection of imports and nationwide choices in singles too. Actually, the best thing about the place is that they have a big singles section that you can make mixed 6pks of whatever is laying around.
Not the biggest selection, but if you want something cold, then they have it, since almost all of the beer is in coolers along one of the walls.
I always like to come here when I visit and buy some cheese, wine, and a few beers I have not had yet. A good place worth going to at least once or twice.
May 25, 2010
Photo of BeerFMAndy
Reviewed by BeerFMAndy from Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev -15.8%
Stop #2 of my Brookfield Beerfly expedition was this location of Brennan's in Brookfield, a place I heard about from Sweemzander who (I believe) worked there years and years ago. Strangely, I've been right there at Prime Cigar numbers of times and Kopps, right next door and never knew about Brennan's.

The first really cool part about this place was the fact it was a really nice day out and they had all these large garage door-like things open all over the building making it a big open air market!

I finally made my way into the back past the cashiers and produce to the largely scattered area of beer. A giant two-sided trough-type structure held warm bottles which were all laying on their sides on top of one another. Along the wall was a large cooler with many doors, most of the space in here unused. A ton of single bottles were available everywhere made up the majority of the selection. Most stuff I have never seen either!

Some of the things I wrote down were Snake River, Estes Park, Flying Dog, Tommyknocker, Avery The Beast and Hog Haven, and Yellowstone Valley. They also had a Brennin's line of two beers. Consolidation of the singles, especially into the rather empty coolers, would be really nice.

Beer aside there was a lot of meat and cheese as well as wine in the surrounding area. Basically my dream come true. The only employee interaction I had though was at the cashier which was just normal, "Hi, find everything ok?" So far none of the beers I've had there have been bad (due to environment) but I've got a few left to try and I'm just a little suspect of the place. Price was typical for a mix six pack which was $8.40 after tax. I'll definitely be back there for more beer I haven't seen elsewhere.

After I have a few of the other beers I will adjust my quality score accordingly.
Apr 08, 2010
Photo of birchstick
Reviewed by birchstick from Colorado

4.15/5  rDev +4.3%
I stopped by this place while visiting. As soon as I walked in I knew this place would offer something special. The produce section in the entrance was unbelievable - sample city with a lot of good stuff to try. Anyway, on to the beer.

I was hoping to pick up New Glarus and Central Waters, of which only New Glarus was offered. They had both the Wisconsin Red and Raspberry Tart, as well as some various sixers and a sampler from New Glarus. There were a couple other Wisconsin micros available, including Capitol and Sand Creek. They also offered a great pick six section with most of their bottled beers available for individual purchase.

The service was also very good. I was asked a couple of times if I needed any help, and the employees were able to answer all of my questions and were very knowledgeable about the beers they carried in stock.

I rated the selection a little above average because of the expansive pick six and New Glarus availability. I was hoping to pick up some Stone and Oskar Blues, but I was able to find those down the street at Elm Grove Liquors.
Jun 23, 2009
Photo of dancinwillie
Reviewed by dancinwillie from Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +8%
I've been here twice in the past 2 days. I wanted to see how the selection differed from the Madison west store. It varied a little.

First of all, I was still greeted and offered help almost immediately. This is always a plus. I didn't need any help, but it's nice to see good customer service.

I did find what I consider to be a "find" that Madison doesn't have. Snake River Zonker Stout. 8th on the list of American Stouts here on BA. I got it, and 5 other beers as part of a mixed sixer for $7.99. I was one excited beer geek. Also got some Avery, and Wild Ride IPA from Sand Creek here in WI.

Also got some from breweries that I hadn't heard of, but thought I would give them a try. An IPA from El Toro Brewing Co., an APA from Amana Brewing Co., and an IPA from Palisades Brewery. I've been in an IPA mood lately, and this I'm hoping this will give me my fix!

Also, upon checking out, the girl thanked me, and invited me to return soon. Outstanding customer service, and I will return again, and soon.
Aug 28, 2008
Photo of Homerbag
Reviewed by Homerbag from Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +9.3%
I have always enjoyed this store. I used to go for the free sample of fruit and cheese, which they are never short on. The meat market is good as well. The prices are gonna be more than you would find at pick n save, but the quality is much higher. As for the beer, this is one of the better stores in the area. They have a u-pick six pack with a good selection of harder to find micros. Everything they have on the shelves can also be found in the cooler. The place is close to the interstate making it even better.
Sep 10, 2007
Photo of feilb
Reviewed by feilb from Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +0.5%
Brennan's has a pretty decent selection of some American microbrews from breweries like Avery, Sand Creek, Tommyknocker, Great Divide, etc with a great build your own 6 pack setup with discounts on the case. Also carry a pretty solid selection of imports including some Spaten, Hacker, Warsteiner as well as some more well know wisconsin brews like New Glarus and Capitol. Overall, a really nice place, carries a great selection of wine and cheese and their produce is absolutely the best in the milwaukee area, hands down (with plenty of free samples). Their prices are pretty much as expected to modest and the guy who orchestrates the beer section, though i have never stopped to talk to him, seems extremely helpful.
Aug 14, 2007
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +5.5%
What a charming little place! The building has stood for over 3/4ths of a century and it has a wonderful, worn in, wooden feel to it. The front is a garden and produce center that smells like heaven and the beer and wine room is huge and full of delicious cheese.

The selection is very good. Not as mind bogglingly expansive as Discount, but still good. Rarities include Millstream, Central Waters (YES!) and El Toro. They also had Flying Dog, Avery, New Holland, Brennan's, Pioneer, and others. No three Floyds, but they did have New Glarus' raspberry tart and Only complaint is a lack of Belgians, but that's no big deal for me, living in the middle of Iowa. When I travel out of state, I'm looking for domestic goodies.

Large mix sixer selection, but sadly none from Central Waters. The beer is all sold at dirt cheap Wisconsin prices, too.
Jun 06, 2007
Photo of znarf
Reviewed by znarf from Wisconsin

4.85/5  rDev +21.9%
This is a brew lovers dream. Do not forget the great cheese and fresh produce. There are so many great beers at a fair price where you can mix and sample singles, six pack and cases. Shopping here is good for Beer 101 or your PHD.

The service is knowledgeable, friendly and exceptional. As you walk into the “back room” notice the samples of cheese, wine and beer. Float around, talk to the friendly staff and take in the ambiance of Wisconsin while sampling micro brews from all over the nation. You will notice that Colorado, California and Wisconsin Breweries are featured in Brennan's selection.

I have never met a more dedicate crew who likes to please a clients needs. Go here, bring money and leave happy.
Jun 23, 2006
Photo of soulgrowl
Reviewed by soulgrowl from England

3.55/5  rDev -10.8%
The Brennan's in Brookfield is a good place to go if you're looking to try some smaller American beers from the central and mountain time zones that don't generate as much hype as many of the coastal breweries do. Just off the top of my head, some of the breweries they carry are Great Divide, Bristol, El Toro, Mainstream, Tommyknocker, Flying Dog, Spaten, Capital, Lakefront, Sprecher, Avery, Pony Express, Estes Park, Big Sky, Sand Creek, Hacker-Pschorr, Erdinger, and Fischer. Fairly weak in the import department, and I don't remember seeing any Belgians except maybe Stella Artois. Still, it's a nice place with very decent prices, and they have a wide variety of interesting artisanal cheeses you can pick up to pair with your beer.

Overall, they don't have anything that will really blow your mind, but they might have some things you've never seen before. Storage is good, everything is kept either refrigerated or in a cool warehouse away from direct light. The best thing about this place are the mixed sixers, which are only $7, and it's the only store in southeastern Wisconsin that I've found that allows you do this. Worth a stop if you're in the area, it's a nice store.

Edit: Beware! More than half the beers I picked up here turned out to be stale! This is partially my fault - I should have checked for date stamps - but still, some of these beers were months past their prime, and I fault Brennan's for keeping them on their shelves for so long. They wouldn't sell cheese or fruit months past its expiration date, would they? So why should they treat their beer any worse?
Jun 02, 2006
Photo of ALESwhatCURESya
Reviewed by ALESwhatCURESya from Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev -4.5%
This is more of an organic/fresh market than a beer shop. It has a great selection of fresh fruits and cheeses. The beer setup is kind of unique. First of all, there are always samples of beer being served by the "Beer Expert". They specialize in Colorado microbrews. You are allowed to build your own six packs from breweries like Avery, Great Divide, El Toro, and Flying Dog. They also have a few other selections (not the place to go for if you want big beers or imports). Overall, kind of unexciting in the beer area (selection wise), but a cool place in general.
May 26, 2005
Photo of bnuttz
Reviewed by bnuttz from Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%
Brennans has a great selection of fruits and cheeses. Definitely the best I have seen around town. That makes this place a stop in itself, but they have a unique beer selection as well. Most of their stock is from the southwest US. From what I understand they bring it in by the truckload. Some hidden gems like great divide and avery, but a lot of stuff that didnt impress me. They also have the wisconsin staples, along with central waters, which makes this place the closest CW stop for me. Not a bad place, and if you go here make sure to grab some fruit and cheese as well.
Mar 23, 2005
Photo of bditty187
Reviewed by bditty187 from Nebraska

3.7/5  rDev -7%
A couple of years ago, while in Madison, Brennan’s was recommended to me. I was told it was the place to get cheese. At that location the beer was very old, you can read my beerfly review for the details.

I visited this Brennan’s because of the cheese and produce. But I was very pleased to see the beer was very healthy here. I love the fact that almost everything can be found as a single; to mix a six-pack was only $7.00. The beer ranged from CO micros (lots of Avery) to CA micros to a few beers from Iowa and Kansas. I noticed they carried Central Waters (not in singles); I didn’t buy any because my beer budget was already blown. There was a few other WI breweries represented. The selection is good and it was a fantastic complementary store to my previous stop (Discount Liquors). The prices were fair too. I mixed three six-packs and I left plenty of goodies on the shelves (or coolers). There isn’t much B/M/C.

On my visit there was nobody in the cheese or beer departments. The young gals at the checkout was nice enough… so it is hard to comment on the service.

This store is split into two sections. Upfront (which smells wonderful) is the fresh produce, vegetables, baked goods, jams, sauces, etc. If I were a local, this place would see me often. The second section has beer, wine, cheese, meats, chips, a deli, steaks, and some soft drinks. It is not a full-fledged grocery store.

Plenty of parking… and it is easier to find than MapQuest shows.
Sep 08, 2004
Photo of Winter
Reviewed by Winter from Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +0.5%
Brennan's is a small specialty produce and gourmet grocery store. The store consists of two rooms basically with one housing fresh fruits, veggies and bottled gourmet sauces and jams. The 2nd part of the store contains the wine and beer department along with the specialty cheeses and meats.

Their microbrew selection is rather large, yet unique. They seem to focus on a few breweries and stocking as many of the full line of beers as possible. It consists mainly of Wisconsin and western states (primarily Colorado and California) mircobrews. Almost the full line of Avery, Estes Park, Tommyknocker and El Toro lineup could be had, among others. It's the only place I've seen around here that carries Wisconsin's Central Waters beers. Brennan's also carries a much smaller selection of popular macro imports.

One of the great things is that just about all of the micros that they carry can be purchased as singles. They also feature a 6-pack and case 'mix and match' . Basically you construct your own packs and cases to take home to sample. It presents a great opportunity to try a lot of different micros.
Sep 21, 2003
Brennan's Market in Brookfield, WI
Place rating: 3.98 out of 5 with 22 ratings