By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published Apr 09, 2020 at 1:02 PM

The coronavirus pandemic has changed our everyday life, but it doesn't need to change who we are. So, in addition to our ongoing coverage of the coronavirus, OnMilwaukee will continue to report on cool, fun, inspiring and strange stories from our city and beyond. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay informed and stay joyful. We're all in this together. #InThisTogetherMKE

MobCraft recently announced its entry into the world of wine.

The brewery, which obtained a winery license in 2018, said in a statement that it will create a wine delivery business called Agave Wine Company that will sell its own house-made wines as well as the wines of local partners.

President and Co-Founder Henry Schwartz says MobCraft has been making wine as test batches since it received its permit.

The first two house-made wines are:

  • Wine to Drink at Home, 9.6% ABV, a brettanomyces fermented red wine vinified from Wisconsin grown Frontenac grapes and aged in stainless steel. According to MobCraft, Wine to Drink at Home, "is tart and bright. It looks and smells like a light red wine, similar to a Pinot Noir or Gamay." A 750ml bottle is $15.
  • One Sweet Succulent, 8.3% ABV, is an agave wine with lime juice added to create what the maker calls a wine, "with the look and body of a full, buttery Chardonnay, with a flavor profile closer to a Moscato. Mead drinkers may gravitate to it as it has a full mouth feel and the viscosity is similar to mead. The agave lends sweetness with hints of vanilla, and the addition of lime juice provides mild tropical undertones." 500ml bottles are $10.

Unlike beer and spirits, which cannot, by law, be delivered by brewers and distillers, wine delivery is allowed, says Schwartz.

Currently, MobCraft is delivering $25 boxes of the red and white wine served in the taproom and growlers of Gentry’s Rosé Hard Cider, made by Madison's One Barrel Brewing, for $15.

Walker's Point Wheat

Last Friday, MobCraft brewed a special beer, Walker’s Point Wheat that aims to remind folks to support local businesses during this rough time.

Save your receipts from purchases – digital or paper – from purchases at small businesses in Walker’s Point and when MobCraft reopens its taproom you can use each receipt for half off a pint of the new beer – which brewer Josh Rechek describes as an, "easy drinking wheat ale with pronounced yeast character" – or a Cream City Crema, which has already been made.

The Belgian yeast, said Rechek, contributes subtle fruit and spice notes and flaked oats add a creamy finish to the Walker’s Point Wheat, which should be ready in May.

The beer will also be made available for bars and restaurants to purchase for their draught lines, at what Schwartz says is "an attractive price point."

Upon reopening, these venues can use the beer to explain the importance of supporting small businesses and how local independent businesses are important to neighborhoods and the city.

"We are happy to work with any other bars and restaurants who want to bring in the beer and develop fun programming that will help their businesses and employees once open," said MobCraft President and Co-Founder Henry Schwartz.

"We know our community is down, so we wanted to brew something to help unite us and bring us all together," said Schwartz.

"We want to continue to support the people and businesses around us."

For now, said Schwartz, the beer will not be for sale in cans or growlers.

"As of now we will wait on the release until the stay at home (order) is lifted," he said.

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

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.