If you’ve been paying attention to the various craft breweries that have been popping up in Milwaukee with regularity of late, Eagle Park Brewing is surely on your radar. The brewery and taproom, owned by Jake Schinker and brothers/Eagle Trace band members Jackson and Max Borgardt, opened in the Lincoln Warehouse early last year and has quickly expanded into offering limited bottle releases and canned offerings that are available in local markets. Having outgrown their current site, the Eagle is taking flight and will soon land on Milwaukee’s East Side.
Eagle Park Brewing announced in a press release that they have acquired the assets of Like Minds Brewing‘s Milwaukee taproom and the upstart brewery will relocate to the 823 E. Hamilton Street location that’s five times larger than Eagle Park’s current site.
Additionally, the move means Eagle Park will be able to brew on site, host events, start barrel aging beer, and offer a full food menu as well. Nathan Heck (formerly of Braise and The Phoenix Cocktail Club) will serve as head chef. Eagle Park plans to open on the East Side by the end of March. The current Bay View location will remain open until then. Read more details in Eagle Park’s press release below:
Eagle Park Brewing Company – founded in 2015 by brothers Jack and Max Borgardt, and Jake Schinker – has acquired the physical assets of Like Minds Brewing Company at 823 East Hamilton Street on Milwaukee’s Lower East Side. The asset acquisition will enable the nascent Eagle Park Brewing Company to execute on its growth plans, including bringing all production in-house, expanding its beer portfolio, and opening a roomier taproom complete with a full-food, chef-driven menu.
Already, Eagle Park Brewing is in the process of relocating its operations from the Lincoln Warehouse in Bay View, where it has been operating since January of 2017. The 5,000-square-foot facility on East Hamilton Street, one block off Brady Street, is nearly five times the size of Eagle Park’s current location and will allow the company to:
- Bring production in-house through the addition of 10 fermentation tanks and a canning line, allowing the company to release more of its beers beyond its taproom.
- Expand its portfolio of beers, including its milkshake series, sours and special releases.
- Begin a barrel-aging program.
- Offer a roomier taproom so more beer lovers can enjoy Eagle Park’s distinctive brews on-site.
- Launch a full-food menu featuring fresh, creative eats by Milwaukee Chef Nathan Heck.
- Open a sizable outdoor beer garden.
- Offer patrons free parking in a 10,000-square-foot lot adjacent to the building that will also be used for large outdoor events in summer.
The brewery anticipates opening its Lower East Side location at the end of March 2018.
“We are more than just a little excited about our plans for expansion,” said Max Borgardt, Owner. “We have been incubating our brews and business for some time now, and are ready to take the next step in expanding our brand. Having our own in-house production facility with a canning line will allow us expand the distribution of our core beers while adding new beers to our lineup.”
Eagle Park Brewing Company’s core brands include Loop Station Golden Ale, Set List IPA and Immortal Soul DIPA. Its other brands include, but are not limited to, Amarillo Submarine, You Like Jazz?, Huey Lewis and the Booze, and Line Check, among others. They are also excited to expand production of their Milkshake series — a cream ale base with lactose sugar, vanilla, and a fruit. To date they have released multiple variants including passionfruit, berry, raspberry, mango, peach, mocha, and a passionfruit IPA.
While Eagle Park Brewing Company’s new space is much larger than their current Lincoln Warehouse space, “Our goal is to recreate the warm and welcoming vibe that people have come to expect of our current taproom,” Max Borgardt said.
Chef Nathan Heck will bring his unique culinary talents to the taproom’s tables. Heck, who honed his skills at Braise and through his own Factotum Custom Catering company, prefers to use fresh, responsibly grown local ingredients in his food, and will incorporate beer into his food as much as possible. “We came to know Nathan while we were both tenants at the Lincoln Warehouse, and we share a mutual love of music, food and beer, so it was a perfect fit for us,” Max said. “Nathan’s creations will complement our beers, and enhance our patron’s taproom experience.”
Eagle Park’s current taproom at the Lincoln Warehouse will be kept open into March. Taproom hours of operation can be found at its website at www.eagleparkbrewing.com.
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