Milwaukee’s 1840 Brewing Company is paying tribute to the Milwaukee Brewers’ playoff run by releasing a new beer with a familiar name this week.
“Once it became clear the Brewers were headed to the playoffs, we knew we wanted to memorialize their amazing season with a beer,” says owner Kyle Vetter. “Jokingly, one of our brewers said we should make a big Double IPA and call it Two Fisted Slopper.
“After the laughter subsided we all realized that was actually a really good idea!”
The Two Fisted Slopper was a character featured in a public safety video warning against drunkenness in the stands that played for years on the County Stadium video board.
A live action video version of the classic starring FM 102/1's Jon Adler and OnMilwaukee's Andy Tarnoff was recently released by OnMilwaukee.
The beer will be released on tap in the 1840 taproom, 342 E. Ward St., when the brewery opens at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
It has also been bottled and will be available for pickup at the taproom beginning at 3 p.m. Friday, 30 minutes before the Brewers face the Braves in the first game of the NLDS at American Family Field.
Pre-sale takes place Friday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. or until the beer sells out.
Vetter says 1840 also sold kegs to 16 area bars and restaurants, most of which plan to tap the new brew Friday in advance of the game start.
The beer is bewed and double dry-hopped with Idaho 7 hop hash, El Dorado cryo and Vic Secret hops, which results in strong tropical mango and pineapple flavors and, of course, a bold hop presence.
So, why a double IPA instead of the kind of light lager the original Two Fisted Slopper was likely chugging back in the day?
“We decided to make a big, bold, hazy IPA for two reasons,” says Vetter. “First, we knew that if The Slopper were still slopping around the stadium these days he would probably be a fan of high gravity craft beer.
“Second, we wanted to brew a beer as bold as the Brewers' season has been. Hopefully it helps them keep the momentum through October!”
1840 isn’t the only Wisconsin craft brewer cheering the Crew with brew.
“Also in honor of the Brewers, our friends from Lion's Tail and Young Blood are re-releasing their collab called Uecker On The Radio,” says Vetter. “Starting on Friday we will be selling cans of their collab for on-site consumption in our tasting room. Bottles of Two Fisted Slopper will be available starting Friday at Lion’s Tail, as well.”
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
