Lakefront Brewery Celebrates Local in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Lakefront Brewery Celebrates Local in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

With my new found love of craft beer, my husband and I have been having fun exploring craft breweries both near and far. We discovered we had a free weekend day without our daughter, so we opted for a road trip to Milwaukee to explore Lakefront Brewery.

The bar at Lakefront serves it up.

The Tastes:

We reserved our tours online and checked in at the front podium. We received four tokens each for the tastes that came with tour. Since we were early, we settled in with our first taste.

Relaxing enjoying some of Milwaukee's Own Lakefront Brewery Beer.

Overall, Lakefront Brewery has a large, open beer hall area with plenty of seating. Plus, the beer hall features a sizable food menu featuring many locally sourced items. I can see where the Beer Hall may get busy later in the day, so come early! The menu features pretzels, fried cheese curds, beer cheese fries, inventive spins on mac-and-cheese, sausage flights, salads and much more. Alas, we had eaten right before our visit so we will have to try munchies on a future visit. In fact, we already talking about returning.....so you know we loved Lakefront!

The Tour:

After finishing our first taste, it was time to head on the tour. First, note that weekend tours Friday - Sunday allow you to tour the whole brewery. Tours during the rest of the week do not, since the brewery is in production. (We do want Lakefront to make beer, don't we?) So, you will view through windows. If you go on a weekend, I recommend reserving your tickets online because they can sell out. Be sure to grab one of your tastes before going on the tour.

Learning about the brewing process on the production floor.

The tour takes you right on the production floor of the microbrewery. The tour is pretty lively with fun jokes and even some audience participation. We learned not only about the current brewing process but also a little about the history of beer. I definitely learned a bit more about beer history than I knew before.

While Lakefront Brewery started back in 1987, its roots began further back when the Klisch brothers were home brewers. They started entering their beer in contests and winning.  They were encouraged to formally start a business and Lakefront was born! From the very beginning, the Klisch brothers have been innovators. One of their achievements is creating the first government permitted gluten-free beer thus also creating a new category of beer.

Posing with Bernie Brewer's Mug at Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee.

Lakefront's ties to the local community really impressed me. There are some historical items throughout the brewery and beer hall including the line featured in Laverne & Shirley. The brewery itself is inside of a former rehabbed coal power plant. The Klisch brothers also saved Bernie Brewer's Beer Chalet and Mug. The beer hall sources locally further displaying Lakefront's dedication to all things local.

Three Stooges:

Lakefront's original three fermentation tanks were lovingly dubbed "The Three Stooges." They are still part of the brewery in the form of three sculptures crafted by a local artist, Paul Berkowitz. You can't miss them when you visit Lakefront and they really are a fun and unique piece of local art!

The Three Stooges welcome brewery visitors!

Encouraging Local Exploration:

After the tour, we finished our last taste. Then, we returned our cup (which is compostable!) and received a souvenir glass with a coupon for a beer at one of several local eateries. I really love this finishing touch -- encouraging further local exploration!

Lakefront certainly has a vibe all of its own. We loved the frivolity, imagination and community feel of Lakefront. We can't wait to return for another fun and relaxing afternoon exploring the tastes and flavors of Lakefront!

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Wednesday Weekend Windup {Butterflies, Meltfest, Dinos, Orchids and More}

Weekend Family Fun in the Chicago Suburbs March 23-24, 2019

Happy Spring! Are you excited about the first weekend of spring? Some of you may be on the road. For those of you in the area, check out these fun events in the Chicago suburbs. If you haven't checked out the Orchid Show at Chicago Botanic, this weekend is the last weekend to visit!

Unearth Science Festival at Chicago Botanic Garden Encourages Science Exploration April 13-14, 2019

Unearth Science Festival Provides Hands-on Garden Science Learning for Families

**Disclosure: Chicago Botanic Garden did provide me with free parking for one family to give away. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Spring is here and all sorts of plants and animals are waking up from slumber for a busy season ahead. With the nature's wonders unfolding before our eyes, this is the perfect time for Chicago Botanic Garden's Unearth Science Festival. The two day family festival features a large range of hands-on science experiences and workshops as well as a presentation by Tom Skilling on climate change and The Guardians documentary discussing the interwoven lives of monarch butterflies and an indigenous community in Mexico.

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The Performer's School in Highwood, IL announced a casting call for their upcoming July Performance Camp of Little Shop of Horrors and your favorite 7th-12th grade actor is invited to try out during auditions on April 9, 2019. Little Shop of Horrors will run in Skokie July 26-28. 

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PEEPS add such whimsy and frivolity for adults and children alike during springtime! If you are up for a bit of a road trip, the Racine Art Museum in Racine, Wisconsin celebrates PEEPS with a special community exhibit each spring. This year's 10th Annual International PEEPS Art Competition runs April 11-28, 2019. For this exhibit, the community is not only invited to visit but also contribute. Who can skip on this fun?

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We have a mighty special weekend ahead indeed! There are plenty of St. Patrick's Day and Maple Tapping Events this weekend! There is plenty of other fun as well! Here are my picks for family fun in the Chicago suburbs this weekend:

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Chicago Suburban Native Plant Sales 2019

Native Plant Sales in the Chicago area are around the corner. There are opportunities to order your plants early to ensure you receive the plants you are looking for to attract native butterflies, birds and bees to your yard. I put together a list of local sales to help with your garden planning.

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First Division Museum of Cantigny Park: Learning the History of The Big Red One

The Army's 1st Infantry Division or The Big Red One was the first Army division to deploy and engage in WWI, WWII and Vietnam. The First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Illinois takes visitors through the history of the First Division using a multimedia experience including artifacts, video, sound, virtual reality and more. My father served in the 1st Infantry Division during Vietnam, so we feel a particular connection to the museum. The museum was recently enhanced with new exhibits in 2017 that increase engagement and add more stories of the division. The museum does an excellent job of unfolding First Division history for a variety of ages.