*This is the one-hundred and twenty-ninth post in an on-going chronicle dubbed the Great Wisconsin Brewery Tour. Follow the journey here.*
Gathering Place Brewing Company
811 E Vienna Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53212
(414) 364-6328
Visit date: 10/26/2017
Quick Hits:
1) How many different beers?
12 of their own on tap.
2) How long operational?
Since August 19, 2017.
3) Why? (here, this, etc)
Homebrewing Marquette alum used to hang out in Riverwest, loved the neighborly feel.
4) Distribution?
16 tap lines around the city, targeting some of the best beer bars.
5) What sets you apart?
1% of quarterly sales goes to local non-profits.
6) How did you get your name?
“The name reflects this city, and what I want the business to be.”
Gathering Place Brewing Company in Riverwest, Milwaukee. All photos by Joe Powell for The Squeaky Curd.
Riverwest has always been a sort of melting-pot in Milwaukee; a neighborhood where people of all stripes live, work, and play together. It is the fostering of that kinship, that togetherness, and that familiarity that the new Gathering Place Brewing Company looks to brew, along with great beer.
The converted warehouse space is industrial-chic, and the arched reclaimed I-beam entrance elevates your thinking to the beer-on-high.
We were the first patrons on Thursday afternoon, but the open high-top seating area and high ceilings imply that this space could fill with raucous conversation in a heartbeat. We sipped our flights in the rare, early quiet.
Ryed of the Valkyries Dark Lager
Exciting first sips, with present but subdued rye and musty rustiness.
Grüss Golt Hefeweizen
The clove you expect, but hiding the banana. Think unfiltered Kölsch.
Hopfen Dampf Bavarian Farmhouse
Non-standard hops; refreshing, but simultaneously filling. Oak-y.
Treffpunkt Kölsch
Buttered, slightly-burnt biscuits.
Three Linden Belgian Tripel
Different: banana, heavy cream, and the right booze tang.
Porte des Morte Belgian Tripel Aged with Cherry
Subtler taste than anticipated. You can tell it was aged with cherry, not simply infused.
Prière Belgian Single
Easy-drinker; juicy to start, dry to finish like a smoother cider.
Dom Rhenish Pale Ale
Citrus-forward, with light grapefruit dancing on your tongue.
Stor Bjørn Norwegian Farmhouse IPA
The aroma of floral hops hits you first, while the musty wetness comes in each gulp.
Friendly Debate Blonde IPA
Think friendly: to the palate, to the nose, to the belly. A crowd-pleaser.
Spirited Debate German American IPA
Now here’s one for the old Milwaukee guard; sure, there’s hops, but there’s also earthy and woody tones like old taverns.
Heated Debate Double IPA
Hoppy, sure, but also bubble-gummy, tangy, eye-opening, and lush.
Joe Yeado, founder and president, honed his own beer making skills homebrewing while living in Washington DC, where he won the prestigious Sam Adams homebrew competition (with a recipe still on tap today).
“After a while, I started focusing on how to “make” beer; not just brew beer.” – Joe Yeado
Joe shifted his attention to the brewing equipment and the business behind it all, which is his main focus today after securing the help of an experienced Pacific Northwest head brewer.
And though Joe and his wife are not Milwaukee-natives, they met at Marquette and found the city to have a family feeling. That feeling is meant to be shared at their brewery.
“We wanted to plant the flag that we’re in it for the long haul, that we’re here to be a part of the community.”
Gathering Place Brewing Company may just be getting the word out about their beer and their Riverwest taproom, but they aim to be ready for the local crowds that’ll soon find them.
“We’re the neighborhood’s living room.”