Disappointing visit to Lakefront

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by robear, Jun 6, 2014.

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  1. robear

    robear Initiate (0) May 24, 2014 Wisconsin

    Would love to see them focus more on creating an inviting atmosphere to have a couple of brewery-fresh beers. Feels like the beer hall is actually just a holding pen for pre-and-post-tour drinking. No special releases and one seasonal on tap. Service was pretty bad- growlers were only filled to 60 oz after wasting two pints worth during the pour.

    The place could use some Cicerone training, friendlier staff, and some brewery-only beers on tap!
     
    #1 robear, Jun 6, 2014
  2. Kbyfield

    Kbyfield Initiate (0) Aug 13, 2009 Wisconsin

    The entire place is held together with duct tape and a prayer. You're lucky they didn't give you a red solo cup filled from a keg in a cut off trash can full of ice. If you want a fancy beer hall, Miller is just down the road a bit.

    And still the most entertaining brewery tour I've ever taken.
     
    #2 Kbyfield, Jun 6, 2014
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  3. robear

    robear Initiate (0) May 24, 2014 Wisconsin

    Loved the tour, went a few years ago. I'd just like to see them handle the beer better. Wisco is finally catching up to some of the more proficient craft beer states and Lakefront is Milwaukee's most successful craft brewery- I would have been embarrassed if I had brought guests along. The tasting room experience is so central to craft beer- It'd be awesome to see Lakefront tear a page from Stone's book and establish a "Lakefront Store" somewhere in MKE. Someplace you can actually go and taste all the beers, have some seasonals/special releases, buy some bottles.
     
    #3 robear, Jun 6, 2014
  4. Kbyfield

    Kbyfield Initiate (0) Aug 13, 2009 Wisconsin

    It's Milwaukee, they would understand :grinning:
     
    #4 Kbyfield, Jun 6, 2014
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  5. robear

    robear Initiate (0) May 24, 2014 Wisconsin

    It's funny- when beer friends come to visit, we usually head straight to Madison or straight to Chicago. Milwaukee is coming around (thanks to Romans, Sugar Maple, Burnhearts, Blackbird, etc) and a few small breweries should open up this year that will give more of the atmosphere that Madison has...
     
    #5 robear, Jun 6, 2014
  6. Kbyfield

    Kbyfield Initiate (0) Aug 13, 2009 Wisconsin

    #6 Kbyfield, Jun 6, 2014
  7. robear

    robear Initiate (0) May 24, 2014 Wisconsin

    Yeah- Burnhearts has a great dive-bar feel with an awesome tap list. The Benolux group does really well with Belgian beer, but doesn't carry many non-Belgian-derived craft beers.

    Cleveland's out in New Berlin has a surprisingly solid tap list and good food.
     
    #7 robear, Jun 6, 2014
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  8. Kbyfield

    Kbyfield Initiate (0) Aug 13, 2009 Wisconsin

    Any suggestions for Racine? That's where the in-laws live
     
    #8 Kbyfield, Jun 6, 2014
  9. robear

    robear Initiate (0) May 24, 2014 Wisconsin

    Not too familiar with Racine's bars. Probably worth the drive down the border to pick up some Half Acre/Revolution/Stone/Ballast Point, though!

    Timer's Beverage is down there somewhere.
     
    #9 robear, Jun 6, 2014
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  10. DonDonson

    DonDonson Crusader (423) Dec 5, 2006 Wisconsin

    Not necessarily in Racine, but pretty close hit any of the Mike's places in Kenosha, Uncle Mike's, Captain Mike's, Mikey's, and their soon to be open Mike's Chicken and Doughnut Joint. As far as breweries there are two very small brewery locations in Kenosha, not far from each other, Public Craft Brewing and Rustic Road Brewery, sell product onsight.

    In Racine, maybe Peppie's downtown Racine, but in all honesty there is not much of a craft bar scene in Racine. Which is kind of interesting because they host a rather large Beer Festival every Fall, which must have plenty of people coming in from out of town.

    http://mikelikesbeer.com/uncle-mikes/
    http://www.publiccraftbrewing.com/
    http://www.rusticbrewing.com/
     
    #10 DonDonson, Jun 6, 2014
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  11. Kbyfield

    Kbyfield Initiate (0) Aug 13, 2009 Wisconsin

    Thanks

    Yeah, I got real ugly at that beerfest once. For whatever reason, common sense went out the window and I paid for it dearly they following day.
     
    #11 Kbyfield, Jun 6, 2014
  12. DonDonson

    DonDonson Crusader (423) Dec 5, 2006 Wisconsin

    Yes I went once . . . . . once. I enjoyed far too many Oracle's that day.
     
    #12 DonDonson, Jun 6, 2014
  13. sahd-1

    sahd-1 Savant (1,179) Jul 2, 2013 Illinois
    Trader

    Being that I'm just a FIB, take it FWIW, but I will definitely vouch for Peppie's. Had a few NG Wild Sours on tap there last fall after the GL Brew Fest. The pub grub is pretty good there too. I'd also second Timer's as the best bottle shop in Racine.
     
    #13 sahd-1, Jun 6, 2014
  14. Shluffy

    Shluffy Zealot (635) Aug 19, 2013 Wisconsin

    The Milwaukee Ale House is an excellent place to try a bunch of beers that MKE doesn't release. And all of their other strong offerings
     
    #14 Shluffy, Jun 6, 2014
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  15. elkabong

    elkabong Initiate (0) Apr 1, 2014 Wisconsin

    Lakefront is quintessential Milwaukee

    rough around the edges, loves to party and isn't pretentious. what's not to love?
     
    #15 elkabong, Jun 6, 2014
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  16. hey5hitgoose

    hey5hitgoose Pundit (754) Feb 28, 2013 Illinois
    Trader

    the brewery tour is most certainly entertaining!
     
    #16 hey5hitgoose, Jun 6, 2014
  17. Ferocious

    Ferocious Pundit (864) Nov 17, 2012 Illinois
    Trader

    When I took the tour they said they previously let customers ride the slide from Bernie the Brewers house then they stopped for insurance reasons, and then threw the slide into the river
     
    #17 Ferocious, Jun 6, 2014
  18. Vav

    Vav Savant (1,049) Jul 27, 2008 Illinois

    So you went to a brewery and drank beer. This was bad how?

    Fun Fact: I totally ripped a shirt trying to body slide on the floor in the beer hall.
     
    #18 Vav, Jun 6, 2014
    Benjiehorn, stayclean, Mitchell57 and 1 other person like this.
  19. Wiscobrew

    Wiscobrew Initiate (0) Feb 19, 2011 Nevada

    With the loss of the Bomb Shelter Milwaukee lost a huge bit of it's atmosphere.
     
    #19 Wiscobrew, Jun 6, 2014
  20. emerge077

    emerge077 Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,962) Apr 16, 2005 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Toad Hall
     
    #20 emerge077, Jun 7, 2014
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