*Keeping your glass filled and spirits high one Thursday at a time! We introduce The Squeaky Curd readers to Welcome to Thursdays, a local social group determined to make your Thursdays more fun. Each Wednesday we feature a hilariously fictitious history of a Milwaukee County bar that we gather at on Thursday evening – join us weekly!*
Greetings and Salutations my most humble Thursdians,
There is one thing I can honestly say about this fantastic town: we love beer. If Milwaukee is the artist, then beer is the easel on which so many masterpieces have been created – Old Milwaukee being the pièce de résistance, of course. Thursday night’s destination embodies this state of mind.
Although young, Urban Harvest Brewing Company (1024 South 5th Street) creates an ever-changing, strong assemblage of unique beers (I am very much looking forward to their Expresso Amber). I urge all who enjoy good times with unbelievable people to come out this Thursday. FYI: the tap room closes at 9, so people will start meeting up roughly around 6:30.
The historical value of the relationship between Milwaukee & beer runs deep and is full of amazing tales. What many of you don’t know is that all the major breweries in Milwaukee actually gather once a year to celebrate beer and camaraderie on the “Great Pour”. This is a tradition passed down through generations of great brew masters in Milwaukee.
It all started on a brisk 1871 October day, with the founding of the LEBM or “League of Extraordinary Brewers of Milwaukee”. Milwaukee’s competitive brewers came together to help out their southern brethren, Chicago. These “gentlemen of the barrel” sent shipments of free beer from all of their breweries to a city overcome by disaster due to a devastating fire. Of course, this is now known as the Great Chicago Fire. The brewers knew that in the darkest of times, an ice cold pint can go a long way. The LEBM founding members consisted of Frederick Miller, Joseph Schlitz, Frederick Pabst, and Valentin Blatz. This day is forever remembered as a day that enemies joined together to overcome a devastating event bigger than them; thus, the “Great Pour” was born.
Each year, the “Great Pour” begins when the brewers gather in a large field for the “Great Offering of Old Milwaukee”. A single can of Old Milwaukee is opened and given back to the very ground its ingredients came from. One surprising fact about this event is the Master of Ceremonies. Many of you know him from his presence on the silver screen playing legendary characters like Ron Burgundy and Frank the Tank: Will Farrell. Will’s been an avid fan of beer for many years, but his love for Old Milwaukee caught the eyes of the current leaders of the LEBM; thus, they brought him in to spread the word of Milwaukee and he became one of the “gentlemen of the barrel.” So in many ways, we owe our thanks to Will Farrell and all the great breweries of Milwaukee for working hard every day to provide us with such a vast and delicious assortment of homegrown brews. Most importantly though, we owe our thanks to that great golden taste of heaven we call Old Milwaukee.
Will Ferrell during the “Great Pour” of Old Milwaukee.
Cheers My friends!
Your Welcome To Thursdays Founder,
Jeremy Blandin
Join us at Urban Harvest Brewing Company, located at 1024 South 5th Street, Thursday, September 22 at 6:30pm.
Cheers! To those about to drink.. I salute you!