2nd Annual Milwaukee’s Taste of Great Brewers Featuring Over 200 Beers Kicks Off Milwaukee Beer Week 2011
--Milwaukee will be abuzz with dozens of creative craft beer events, from the cool to the quirky throughout Milwaukee Beer Week--
Official 2011 Milwaukee Beer Week website: www.milwaukeebeerweek.com
For more information, contact: Jill Lintonen, 414-587-2499
April 15, 2011 — MILWAUKEE — The signature event kicking off Milwaukee Beer Week 2011 is the 2nd Annual Milwaukee's Taste of Great Brewers, a public beer sampling, hosted by the Beer Barons of Milwaukee, on Friday, April 29 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Harley Davidson Museum®, 400 Canal Street, Milwaukee, WI 53201. This event will showcase the artistry of craft brewing and allow attendees to sample beer from more than 50 breweries, featuring over 200 unique craft and imported beers, representing breweries from Milwaukee to Singapore. Brewery representatives will be on hand to discuss all aspects of brewing craft beer, as well as each individual brew. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.milwaukeebeerweek.com for $40 each or $75 a pair. Tickets will be sold at the door the day of the event for $45 each.
"Milwaukee is a special place for beer for a number of reasons," states Randy Sprecher, Sprecher Brewing Company founder and head brew master. “First and foremost Milwaukee and great beer are synonymous. The city’s rich brewing heritage and respect for beer make it the perfect place to celebrate Beer Week and craft brewing success."
"Milwaukee's Taste of Great Brewers is all about the breweries and beer. The range of breweries represented is spectacular. Breweries from Milwaukee, around the country and the world will be on hand showcasing a wide variety of beers," says Dave Cartwright of GreatBrewers.com and Wisconsin Craft Manager, Beechwood Sales & Service. "Milwaukee’s public beer sampling gives beer consumers an extraordinary opportunity to sample the best of the best in craft beer."
Milwaukee Beer Week has grown tremendously. This year's week of recognition will feature dozens of creative craft beer events. For example, there will be a "Milwaukee Brewing Beer and Mac & Cheese" event, as well as many Friday Fish Fry events featuring craft beers. Additionally, seven Milwaukee-area bars will participate in "Firkin Thursday," where rare firkins will be tapped and shared with the general public. Attending one of these events where firkin sampling is taking place will provide a unique experience for beer aficionados. The "New Belgium Bike Pub Crawl" will allow Beer Week patrons a chance to pub crawl, or ride as the case may be, to six Bay View establishments. For a complete list of Milwaukee Beer Week events, go to www.milwaukeebeerweek.com, click events.
New this year is the free Milwaukee Beer Week Passport promotion. Individuals attending Milwaukee Beer Week events will earn points by collecting stamps in their Passport at a variety of locations. (Insider's tip: Milwaukee's Taste of Great Brewers event will garner the most points at one location.) The points can then be redeemed for prizes and participants will be entered into a grand prize drawing. For complete details on the Milwaukee Beer Week Passport promotion, go to www.milwaukeebeerweek.com, click Passport.
Attendees are encouraged to drink responsibly. As a precaution, a Safe Ride program has been put into place at the Beer Week kick-off event, the 2nd Annual Milwaukee's Taste of Great Brewers, on Friday evening, April 29.
Craft Brewing Defined
An American craft brewer is small, independent and traditional.
Small: Annual production of beer less than 2 million barrels. Beer production is attributed to a brewer according to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Flavored malt beverages are not considered beer for purposes of this definition.
Independent: Less than 25% of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewer.
Traditional: A brewer who has either an all malt flagship (the beer which represents the greatest volume among that brewers brands) or has at least 50% of its volume in either all malt beers or in beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor.
The following are some concepts related to craft beer and craft brewers:
- Craft brewers are small brewers.
- Small brewers are defined as those who qualify for the Tax and Trade Bureau's small brewers excise tax differential by producing less than 2 million barrels annually.
- The hallmark of craft beer and craft brewers is innovation. Craft brewers interpret historic styles with unique twists and develop new styles that have no precedent.
- Craft beer is generally made with traditional ingredients like malted barley; interesting and sometimes non-traditional ingredients are often added for distinctiveness.
- Craft Brewers tend to be very involved in their communities through philanthropy, product donations, volunteerism, and sponsorship of events.
- Craft Brewers have distinctive, individualistic approaches to connecting with their customers.
- Craft Brewers maintain integrity by what they brew and their general independence, free from a substantial interest by a non-craft brewer.
- The majority of Americans live within ten miles of a craft brewer.
Beechwood Sales and Service
beechwoodsales [dot] com 
If you are a licensed beer retailer in Milwaukee or its surrounding counties and you would like to meet with a sales representative or place an order, please give us a call at the number below. We look forward to becoming your go-to source for the world's finest ales and lagers.
To view the entire Beechwood Sales & Service portfolio, please log in with a Wisconsin zip code and click on the Product Catalog tab. You can browse by category, including brand, style, place of origin, package type, seasonal availability, etc.
