As Black Friday approaches, the folks at Eagle Park Brewing and Distilling Company are working feverishly on a slate of special releases for the day and for the first time ever, that list isn't limited to beer.
Both taprooms – on Hamilton Street in Milwaukee and the giant new facility in Muskego – will be open Friday, Nov. 27, from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m., though the distillery releases are only at the Muskego site.
“Black Friday for Milwaukee's craft beverage industry has grown into one of the coolest city-wide events of the year,” says co-owner Jake Schinker. “It's a day for every one of us to showcase the pinnacle of our creativity and dedication to our craft.”
Here’s what’s on tap from both the brewery and distillery sides, with descriptions provided by Schinker:
Beer
Dragonfruit Orange Mango Slush: Sour ale with dragonfruit, orange, and mango purée.
The Smores Cheesecake Incident: The next in our series of cheesecake inspired collaborations with Mikerphone Brewing, this cream ale is loaded with cacao nibs, vanilla, and graham cracker.
Koko Kleiber: Brewed in collaboration with Horus Aged Ales in Oceanside, California, Koko Klieber is an imperial stout brewed with maple syrup, sourced from Kyle’s family farm located less than 2 hours north of our brewery, then aged on heaping amounts of toasted coconut. Decadent coconut plays with notes of semisweet chocolate that give way to delicate maple brûlée and subtle roast.
Bourbon Barrel Aged Koko Kleiber (Members only): We took the above beer and aged it for 15 months in assorted bourbon barrels. Due to this beer's limited quantity, it will only be available to our members. For those interested in joining the waitlist for our member program, all they need to do is fill out this digital form: https://forms.gle/vjajudfGMggJ2CSbA
Spirits
Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey (Very limited): Brought in with our first batch of whiskey, this single barrel selection was the pick of the pack. Aromas of cedar and oak lead to a brief introduction of vanilla, followed by bold rye spice. (114 proof)
Pink Gin (Very limited): Eagle Park's house-made gin finished in a Pips Meadery black currant mead barrel.
“We wanted to use this year's release to be a broad showcase of the vast range of projects we now work on every day,” adds Schinker.
“It's often difficult to encompass all we have to offer into one event but Black Friday in Milwaukee is the perfect opportunity."
Further details about release day procedures will be posted on the Facebook event page, when it goes live. Stay tuned!
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.
