Beer Me! — Lakefront Brewery — Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Read about our trip to Germany and Prague at
The "Beer Me" Blog!

This is not the official web site of

Lakefront Brewery

1872 North Commerce Street
Milwaukee WI 53212
Telephone: +1 414-372-8800
Hours: Tours Wednesday-Friday at 3:00pm, Saturday at 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00pm.
Brewer: Luther Paul
[Contact] [Update]

Notes

Opened: 1987

Annual Production: 30,000 bbl

Contributors: Diane Crawford, Glenn Siettmann

Updated: June 9, 2020

News

2020-06-05: Lakefront Brewery’s Big Year, Interrupted (Craftbeer.com)
2015-11-25: Lakefront Brewery’s barrel-aged Black Friday has the masses banging down the doors (Craft Brewing Business)
2014-11-05: Lakefront Brewery Beer Hall Polish Pops (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
2014-08-20: Lakefront proposes brewery expansion along river (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
2012-05-15: Iconic Milwaukee Brewing Company Rolls Out First “All Local” Beer (TriplePundit)
2011-01-06: New York Times Honors Local Beer (WTMJ)
2010-11-23: Lakefront Brewery hits sales milestone (Milwaukee Business Journal)
2010-10-17: Good things brewing at Milwaukee's Lakefront (Chicago Sun-Times)
2010-10-11: Lakefront Brewery will expand production, tour operations with $1.4M SBA loan (BizTimes.com)
2010-06-24: Lakefront Brewery to launch True Evel beer (Milwaukee Business Journal)

Beer List

25th Anniversary

Imperial Stout

10.00% abv.
- Date: June 8, 2013 (#9162)
  
  Package: draught
  
  Place: Haymarket Brewing Company, Chicago IL
  
  Score: 16½ points
  
  Appearance (3)
  Black. Dense head.
  
  Aroma (3)
  Chocolatey. Mild coffee, malty.
  
  Mouthfeel (8)
  Medium-big body, smooth. Hugely chocolatey. Minty. Hugely high chocolatey and minty.
  
  Overall Impression (2½)

Beer Line 2000

Barley Wine-Style Ale

Date: June 28, 2003 (#4920)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 20 points

Overall Impression (3)
Bright amber. Moderate head. Big caramel aroma, some spice, some herbal character. Huge body. Intense caramel malt start to finish. Very nicely...intense. 29° Plato! I think someone from the brewery gave me this bottle at a festival in Madison WI a couple of years ago.

Big Easy Beer

German-Style Heller Bock/Maibock

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2004 World Beer Cup

Date: February 6, 2004 (#5206)

Package: bottled

Place: Peabody's Ale House, Oshkosh WI

Score: 18 points

Overall Impression (3)
Bright amber. Big thick head. Clean toasty malt aroma. Medium smooth body. Sweet toasty malt flavor all the way through. Just a hint of noble hop flavor at the end, and maybe just a bit of alcohol.

Black Friday

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout

11.40% abv.

Bock

Traditional German-Style Bock

Date: April 6, 2002 (#4295)

Package: draught

Place: Hooligan's Super Bar, Milwaukee WI

Score: 16½ points

Overall Impression (3½)
Deep deep red, thick head. Sweetly malty, mildly smoky aroma. Big chewy body, huge fresh malty flavor, mildly sweet. Some fruity hop flavor in the middle. Lots of biscuity malt flavor in the finish. Some diacetly as it warms.
Date: February 20, 1999 (#3196)

Package: draught

Place: Manitowoc Beer Lover's Brew Fest, Manitowoc WI

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Dark dark brown, thick head. Coffee aroma. Medium body, huge coffee flavor, very drying finish.

Date: April 26, 2011 (#8525)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Red-brown, hazy. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Mildly toasty, with lots of dark fruit.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big and chewy. Dark-fruity, a little grainy, fairly bitter.

Overall Impression (2)
Very nicely complex. Bottle-conditioned.

Date: January 3, 1999 (#3128)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 12½ points

Overall Impression (2½)
Golden, high carbonation, moderate head. Fruity aroma, diacetyl. Light body, bitter, diacetyl.

Date: May 18, 2003 (#4878)

Package: draught

Place: Wisconsin Micro-Brewers Beer Fest, Chilton WI

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Bright deep golden. Thick head. Huge grainy malt aroma with some DMS. Light body. Huge grainy malt flavor all the way through.

Date: June 9, 2008 (#7104)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 14 points

Appearance (2½)
Amber, hazy. Low head.

Aroma (2½)
Sweet grassy malt, sweet tart cherries.

Mouthfeel (7)
Light-medium body, moderate carbonation. Sweet and malty, earthy, with a mild tart dark cherry flavor.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: April 21, 2003 (#4841)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market #20, Green Bay WI

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Bright brown. Nice head. Smells very mildly malty. Medium-light body, fairly fizzy. Sweet grainy caramel malt flavor all the way through.

Date: February 6, 2004 (#5208)

Package: bottled

Place: Peabody's Ale House, Oshkosh WI

Score: 18 points

Overall Impression (3)
Bright dark brown. Thick dense head. Mildly toasty and roasty aroma. Medium mildly fizzy body. Fairly sweet and malty with a nice mild roastiness. Good clean dark beer.

Date: July 12, 1998 (#2955)

Package: bottled

Place: 1st Wines and Spirits, Allouez WI

Score: 10 points

Overall Impression (1½)
Dark dark red-brown, some floaters, high carbonation and head. Cardboard odor. Very fizzy, sharp, pretty sweet. Old stale beer.

Date: April 26, 2011 (#8526)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Amber-red, hazy. Moderate dense head.

Aroma (3½)
Spicy, piney hops.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, fizzy. Spicy, piney, fruity hops. Medium bitterness. Biscuity malt background. Bitter, piney finish.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: May 13, 2008 (#7006)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Moderate brown head.

Aroma (4)
Coffee. Malt. Malty coffee.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body. Really creamy. Big smooth coffee flavor with a big smooth malt background. Bitterness shows up at the end.

Overall Impression (3)
Good beer.

Date: February 4, 1999 (#3166)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 13 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Black, thick head. Yeasty aroma, with some coffee. Thin, cardboard, hint of coffee.

Date: November 24, 2008 (#7551)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 18½ points

Appearance (3)
Red-amber, with some haze. Low head.

Aroma (3½)
Lots of spices: ginger, nutmeg, clove.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, smooth. Big sweet maltiness with abundant spices.

Overall Impression (3)
Nicely balanced and nicely warming.

Date: January 21, 2004 (#5189)

Package: draught

Place: Peabody's Ale House, Oshkosh WI

Score: 16½ points

Overall Impression (3½)
Bright red. Big thick head. Hugely spicy aroma. Tons of nutmeg. Allspice. Ginger. Cinnamon. Medium fairly fizzy body. Malty with lots of spices and a hint of bitterness. Spiciness fades pleasantly in the finish.

Date: November 28, 2003 (#5155)

Package: bottled

Place: Peabody's Ale House, Oshkosh WI

Score: 16½ points

Overall Impression (3½)
Amber-red hazy. Nice thick head. Big spicy aroma. Medium fizzy body. Really phenomenally spicy. Cinnamon, allspice, and lots and lots of nutmeg...and ginger?

Date: May 2, 2008 (#6997)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Red-amber. Hazy. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Big fruity hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, fairly fizzy. Lots of caramel malt and lots of fruity spicy hops. Reasonably bitter. Real nice balance.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: December 27, 1999 (#3122)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Golden, low carbonation, thick head. Smoky, herbal aroma. Sweet, malty, grainy.

Date: June 28, 1998 (#2939)

Package: bottled

Place: 1st Wines and Spirits, Allouez WI

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Golden, floating bits, good head. Sweet, floral aroma. Light, malty, fruity, floral.

Date: December 25, 2013 (#9312)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market #22, Appleton WI

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Huge thick head.

Aroma (3½)
Very mild smoke under a big fresh maltiness.

Mouthfeel (9)
Light body, moderate carbonation. Sweet, clean, grainy malt up front, with just a hint of smoke. Grassy-floral hop flavor, low bitterness. Sweet malty finish, slightly smoky.

Overall Impression (2)
Good clean beer that compares favorably to Helles Schlenkerla Lagerbier.

Date: September 28, 2010 (#8308)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Bright pale yellow. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Sweet, grassy, lemony.

Mouthfeel (9)
Light and fizzy. Sweet, fruity, and floral. Grainy, sweet finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Actually kinda tastes like beer.

Date: September 25, 2008 (#7374)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 14 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Moderate head.

Aroma (2½)
Grassy hops. Mild sweet malt.

Mouthfeel (7)
Light-medium body, fizzy. Sweet malt and fruity hops.

Overall Impression (1½)

Date: October 25, 2003 (#5120)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market #20, Green Bay WI

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Amber, some haze. Moderate head. Sweet malty aroma, with lots of noble hops. Slightly skunked. Medium body. Big smooth maltiness all the way through. Clean finish.

Date: August 9, 2003 (#5059)

Package: draught

Place: Great Taste of the Midwest, Madison WI

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Bright golden amber. Thick head. Mild Pilsner malt aroma. Medium body. Some Munich malt, some DMS, some diacetyl.

Date: May 21, 2000 (#3444)

Package: draught

Place: Wisconsin Micro-Brewers Beer Fest, Chilton WI

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Brown-red opaque, thick head. Chocolatey, spicy aroma. Medium body, chocolatey undertones to a huge "Belgian" flavor. Hint of alcohol at the end.

Date: August 25, 2002 (#4394)

Package: bottled

Place: Pick'n Save, Oshkosh WI

Score: 16½ points

Overall Impression (3½)
Bright amber, fairly high carbonation, thick head. Big English hop aroma, estery. Medium body, big English hop flavor. Mild bitterness. Good caramel malt background.

Date: August 8, 1998 (#3016)

Package: draught

Place: Great Taste of the Midwest, Madison WI

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Amber, nice head. Citrus aroma, real fresh. Medium body, real nice hop flavor and nicely bitter.

Date: September 27, 1996 (#1684)

Package: draught

Place: Great American Beer Festival, Denver CO

Score: 13½ points

Overall Impression (2½)
Bright amber hazy. Slightly spicy aroma. Bitter flavor, not much else.

Date: September 26, 2008 (#7380)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Hazy amber. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Earthy, allspice and cinnamon.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, smooth. Really sweet, with a mild pumpkin pie spiciness.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: October 30, 1998 (#3110)

Package: draught

Place: Milwaukee Ale House, Milwaukee WI

Score: 12½ points

Overall Impression (2½)
Amber, moderate carbonation, thick head. Nutmeg, phenolic aroma. Medium body, spicy, vegetal.

Date: April 10, 2011 (#8510)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Amber. Hazy. Huge thick head.

Aroma (3½)
Fruity. Rich caramel. Apple.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, smooth. Very malty, toasty, bready. Very mild tartness. Earthy, grassy hop flavor, moderate bitterness.

Overall Impression (2½)

Date: February 7, 1999 (#3184)

Package: draught

Place: Milwaukee Ale House Festival, Milwaukee WI

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Golden, low head. Sweet malty aroma. Light, malty, sweet, a little yeasty. Brewed for Cafe Coquette.

Date: April 7, 2009 (#7762)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 14½ points

Appearance (3)
Amber-brown. Low head.