Who we are
We are a club of beer, cider, mead and other beverage makers and enthusiasts who have been evangelizing our passion to the south-eastern Wisconsin area since 1989. Our members share their knowledge and skills freely and foster a culture of inclusion, helpfulness and respect. We still meet at our original venue, Clifford’s Supper Club in Hales Corners, every 4th Wednesday of the month. Our monthly subjects vary from technical brewing topics to visits from commercial brewers and conversations by experts in a field related to our beloved beverages.
What we do
Education
We take educating our members and community about the finer points of beer and brewing seriously. Outside of general meetings, we get involved with a variety of community events – serving and teaching about beer and brewing.
Our members run an annual series of BJCP (Beer Judge Certificate Program) classes to help brewers and drinkers learn about what they are tasting, become better judges and brewers, and expand their knowledge and beer vocabulary.
In 2016 we hosted a pubic conference with the authors of the Brewer’s Publications Brewing Elements series. We invited speakers John Palmer, Chris White, John Mallet, Colin Kaminski, and Stan Hieronymus to give in-depth lectures on their respective areas of expertise: Water, Malt, Yeast and Hops.
We also offer an annual scholarship for a local brewing professional to attend the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL. If you haven’t noticed, we have a passion for educating our community about quality beer!
Competitions
Brewing competitions are a fun and informative way for brewers to receive feedback and acclaim for their beers. We host and run several home brewing competitions each year. Our current annual competitions are Midwinter, The Schnapp Hans Cup and German Fest Stein Challenge. We also help organize the judging for the State Fair home brewing competition, and our members can be found judging at many other competitions in the midwest and beyond.
World of Beer
Started in 1994, the World of Beer Festival has evolved into one of the best (and most affordable) annual beer festivals in the country. Our eclectic beer, meads and ciders selections are sourced from all over the world. Proceeds from this fest help pay for our amateur and professional brewing education initiatives.