Lakefront Brewery Brews Green Beer All Year ‘Round

The City of Milwaukee has a heritage of brewing and beer. While many of the old names have faded, the Lakefront Brewery has grown and is adding to Milwaukee’s proud tradition. And to add a little extra color to their beer, Lakefront Brewery is a participating business in the Travel Green Wisconsin program. Ah, definitely a greener kind of beer!

There are several things to know about the Lakefront Brewery. First, it’s not on the lakefront. It’s actually on the Milwaukee River just north of downtown. Second, the beers I’ve sampled have all been highly enjoyable and wonderfully unique – they even brew a gluten-free beer! – and I’d buy them all again (and have). Third, Lakefront Brewery has “The Tour.”

I’ve stopped at many a brewery tour – from Milwaukee’s Miller to Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis, Tyranena Brewery in Lake Mills Wisconsin, Cooperstown Brewery in New York, and many in between – but this brewery’s tour is a hoot and well worth the trip. Even if you don’t like beer, you’ll still enjoy the show, but it helps if you at least appreciate the stuff.

Our tour guide was a mild mannered 4th grade teacher by day and a comedic, brash cheerleader and part time Laverne & Shirley imitator on the weekends. This tour starts the right way – with a visit to the tasting room. You bring your cup along and refill midway so as not to be high and dry at the end of the tour.

You find out all the basic things about beer on this tour, including definitions of words like wort and fermentation. However, the high tech graphics (laminated hand made signs), fermentation tanks painted with images of The Three Stooges, the tour guide’s rendition of Laverne & Shirley choreography, and most importantly, the refillable beer cup, make this tour “The Tour.” You see the real brewing operation in all its gory (or glory), and it’s one grand adventure. They also have the original beer mug from old County Stadium – take your photo holding the handle. Finally the gift shop, a 9’x12′ cubby, has some great shirts and other beer paraphernalia.

Travel Green Wisconsin Green Guide Score – 53

Green highlights and innovative practices
— Uses organic malt and hops
— Renewable energy is purchased through WE Energies
— Used grains and hops are sent to a worm farmer and turned into compost
— Water that is run through a heat exchanger to cool boiled beer is reused for the next batch of beer
— Products are purchased in bulk and reusable goods are used instead of disposable ones

Website — http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com/

Photo and article by Bo Mackison, a Madison area writer and photographer, who often accompanies her husband on travels throughout Wisconsin, and makes frequent stops to tour microbreweries at his suggestion. To see more Wisconsin photography, visit the Seeded Earth Photography gallery. Photo “Larry’s Mug on the Tank” ©2008 all rights reserved.

Potato, Potato, Potato

Looking for great food, a fun place to explore, and a menu featuring the best of the Midwest, plus other food favorites from the open road. Look no further than Motor, the restaurant at the Harley Davidson Museum located just south of downtown Milwaukee. We made plans to visit the museum in August, but by the time we drove to Milwaukee from Madison, we were hungry. After checking out the menu at the Motor, we just had to check out a few of their specials before walking through the museum. And we were really glad we did.

The menu was full of unusual offerings, but we couldn’t make it past the “starter” menu. I was fascinated by the Reuben “Potato, Potato, Potato” Pancakes. The menu describes them as “a deli in a single bite, with slow-simmered corned beef piled on gas cap-sized potato pancakes, plus Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, chives and Russian dressing.” They were totally yummy. The meat was piled thick and lean, the dressing tangy, and the potato pancakes done to a crispy perfection.

When I spoke to the manager, he explained the unusual offering. The menu was created by members of Harley, and they wanted to include potato pancakes on their menu. What better than to combine the pancakes with Reuben ingredients. The name comes from the sound a Harley seems to make as it rumbles. You know – “potato, potato, potato.” Just like an engine pu-pu-pu-purring.

To complete our lunch, we had the Italian Sausage Flatbread. I think it is one of the finest flatbreads I have ever eaten. The crust was thin, properly crusty, and topped high with fire-roasted peppers, extra-virgin olive oil, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and topped with fresh basil. The Italian sausage was spicy enough to satisfy my husband’s adventurous taste buds, yet didn’t start any unwanted fires on mine.

We explored the museum after our meal. What a great way to walk off a few calories. Filled with Harleys and Harley memorabilia of all kinds, it is a fun visit whether you are a Harley rider, aficionado, or just a casual fan.

Motor is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 AM to 9 PM (10 PM for the bar) and Friday and Saturday from 11 AM to 11 PM (bar til 1 AM). There is also a cafe on the site open from 7 AM to 7 PM Sunday through Thursday and 8 AM to 7 PM on Friday and Saturday. The museum’s hours are 9 AM through 6 PM everyday, with extended hours to 8 PM on Wednesdays, through the end of October. See the website for winter hours after November 1, directions, and further information.

–Bo Mackison is a Madison area photographer and writer. She travels throughout the state of Wisconsin, taking photographs, enjoying good food, and visiting fun places. See her photographs of Wisconsin at Seeded Earth Photography.

The Blocking – A Photographic Response

I received a creative response from a WisconsinNative reader and photographer to a question in my last post regarding art in Milwaukee. Marty Knippel sent me a photograph to make his point regarding the steel orange sculpture, The Calling, and its potential conflict with the extra-ordinary view of Calatrava’s architectural sculpture known to most Milwaukeeans as the Milwaukee Art Museum.

In his photograph titled The Blocking, Marty gives his succinct opinion. Behind his close-up photograph of the sculpture, The Calling, are the barely visible wings of the Art Museum.

What do you think?

The Calling – An Art Debate in Milwaukee

Another one of my visits to Milwaukee produced some photos of one of the cities’ main and oldest streets, Wisconsin Avenue. This huge sculpture is at the top of the street near Lake Michigan, and stands across the street from the Milwaukee Art Museum. When it was erected by American sculptor Mark di Suvero in 1982, it overlooked the street and set off a nearby blue building, and also complemented the blue/green shadings of Lake Michigan.

Since the construction of Santiago Calatrava’s addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum in 2001, opponents have occasionally asked that the steel orange sculpture be re-located. Critics claim ‘The Calling’ – which most Milwaukeeans refer to as ‘The Sunburst’ – blocks the view of Calatrava’s movable winged ‘architectural sculpture.’ Some suggest that the industrial sculpture be moved to a sculpture garden on the museum’s site. Others recommend its movement be pushed even further east – about 500 feet further east – which would drop it square under the surface of Lake Michigan! Still others are content to have it remain where it is. Here’s a view of the entire sculpture and also a panoramic view of the sculpture and the nearby city buildings downtown hear the Lake.

Such is the life of a piece of public street art – always up for a strongly contested and opinionated debate. And that is good. People are looking, evaluating, thinking about the art they see in their environment. They are making efforts to decide whether or not they like individual pieces, even whether they are willing to call what they see art – which is entirely within their rights.

People debating art. I think the very idea is a great thing.

Bo Mackison is a Madison photographer and writer who loves visiting the different regions of Wisconsin, camera and pencil in hand. She loves to talk to people who passionately discuss their viewpoints about public art. See her gallery at Seeded Earth Photography for other Wisconsin photos.

Harley Heaven in Milwaukee

Milwaukee is rumbling with the roar of motorcycles, and within a few days, the noise will be deafening. More than 500,000 bikers are taking part in “Ride Home” to Milwaukee, originating in 105 designated cities throughout the US. They will be in the Milwaukee area to celebrate Harley-Davidson’s 105th anniversary this coming Thursday through Sunday.

William Harley and brothers Walter and Arthur Davidson built their first three motorcycles in a small shed in west central Milwaukee in 1903. Now the company’s beloved cycles are one of America’s greatest icons, and the event is attracting enthusiasts worldwide.

Today I spoke with dozens of Harley riders, including three Australians who are traveling cross-country on their motorcycles. (See the photo which shows one of the Aussies’ cycles.) They landed in LA four weeks ago in anticipation of attending the huge gathering. They cycled to Sturgis, SD for the annual Harley rally, then traveled to Niagara Falls, Washington DC, and arrived in Milwaukee this afternoon.

We laughed and joked at the new Harley Davidson Museum which is located along the Milwaukee River at 400 W. Canal Street, just south of downtown. The museum and adjoining restaurants are perfect additions to Milwaukee’s burgeoning revitalization. Anyone who has ever admired a Hog will enjoy spending a few hours exploring, but don’t plan on visiting the museum from August 27 – 31. The museum alone is planning on hosting 100,000 Harley riders, and only a fraction will be able to see the inside of the museum. The lucky were winners in the Harley-Davidson Museum lottery for museum tickets. Everyone, however, is welcome to attend the outdoor party.