Funkytown Brewery

Having already experienced the multi-brewery fun of District Brew Yards, I figured I knew what I was in for with the similarly-plotted Pilot Project. Not quite. Situated on Milwaukee a few blocks southeast of the Revolution brewpub, the place is pretty much a large, open cubic structure, lines of tables, a few more bistro-style bits here and there, and a few couches for the more decadent of us. (Yes, I took a couch to myself, complete with the rest of the miniature living room set around it, but there was almost no demand for seating, so it wasn't a deal at all. Trust me.) No screens, really, it's more of a work and socializing atmosphere. The gimmick, aside from the multiple breweries (and a kombuchery) occupying the space, is that you order on your phone. Entirely. This includes setting up a tab to be fully paid at the end, but it's still a minor hassle if you're either somehow without a smartphone/laptop or do not already have a ToastTab account (I had to replace my password, as it had been a minute since I'd used the service). If this is a deal-breaker at all, I'd steer clear. That being said, the app is pretty easy to use, though sometimes the serving style isn't as obvious at they might think (I ordered a can when I thought I'd ordered a draft pint), but you get used to it as you use it. The time between ordering and getting the brews delivered is mere minutes, usually slightly less than if you'd ordered from wait staff (not counting directly at a bar, though). The Funkytown range was pretty limited, with only 2 or 3 available at the time, but they sound like they're still somewhat new here, so there's a little bit of leeway there. Either way, the wit was pretty tasty, so that's always a plus. Food is on offer, but I didn't delve into that aspect of the menu, so I can't really speak on it. Despite the impersonal nature of the experience, it's still generally positive, and I could easily see myself coming back when next in the neighborhood. That said, if any of this sounded weird, or if you just wanna throw down a few sawbucks cash, I would say Pilot Project isn't best suited for you in general, and, at least for the time being, the limited presence offered by Funkytown in particular is not likely to change your mind here.

It's hard to truly rate accurately here, since there's essentially one beer available by Funkytown on draft and nothing available to-go at Pilot Project, where they currently brew & package. Funkytown launched last Fall and started distributing to a few retail accounts around town. More are being added and announced vis social media: Beermiscuous, Beer Temple, Bitter Pops, Whole Foods, Maria's, Orange & Brew, and a few others.

The current Funkytown stout “New Year, Who Dis?” was great, as were the few other cans i’ve had previously, especially “Hip Hops and R&Brew”. Rating selection based on their full lineup so far, despite Pilot Project dropping the ball by having nothing available to-go and only a single draft. I’m interested to see what they do next, and will continue to try them out, just not at Pilot Project anymore. Hopefully they can pick up more draft accounts around town, but it seems like the Pilot Project model is to can everything for wider distro. Hopefully they eventually move on from this location into their own brewery.

Side rant about Pilot Project: In terms of representation, their space and promotion are less than ideal for any tenant brewer. Promotion here is basically zero. Servers lack the basic knowledge to have a conversation about the brewers or beers they sell. It's just a glorified cafe that is totally impersonal. The menu is super annoying with a QR code that takes 15 min. to order a 4 beer flight that’s close to $20 with tip. Meanwhile the staff is just hanging out silently behind the bar, it’s awkward. Ultimately it's just the place where the beer is brewed, and not a brewery taproom in the true sense. I've become less and less enamored with their concept over time.