Big Bay Expanding the Reach of Its Craft Beers

Last year Big Bay started shipping its slate of craft beers to the twin cities and is now exploring a southern expansion into the Chicago area.

As a beermaker, Jeff Garwood says it doesn't get much better than Wisconsin. Garwood's slate of Big Bay Brewing Company craft beers have been lining liquor and grocery selves and on tap at local taverns and the Shorewood tasting room for roughly two years now — with a four month gap between Big Bay debuting and the tasting room opening.  But recently, Garwood has expanded Big Bay's reach to Minnesota, shipping the craft beers to the twin cities. “The most important state to us is Wisconsin; it’s our home, it’s a great beer state,” said Garwood, co-founder of the brewing company.  Being a microbrewer, Garwood says Big Bay doesn't necessarily have a marketing budget, so the tasting room serves as a way to get Big Bay beer into people's hands…

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Big Bay Introduces New Seasonal Craft Beer

In celebration of winter and the festive winter holidays, Shorewood-based Big Bay Brewing Co. is introducing its newest craft beer, Portside.

In celebration of winter and the festive winter holidays, Big Bay Brewing Co. is introducing its newest craft beer, Portside. “Porters are a good fit for long, cold winters like the ones we have in Wisconsin. While all of our beers are meant to be enjoyed year-round, we wanted to offer a distinctive, hearty beer that’s well-suited for the coldest months,” said Jeff Garwood, Big Bay Brewing Co. co-founder and managing partner. “Portside is a perfect complement to winter festivities — whether it’s a holiday gathering with family and friends, a ski weekend up north, or a relaxing evening by the fire,” added Garwood. The porter style beer is the third limited edition brew to be introduced by the Shorewood-based craft brewer. Porters, known for…

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CowDung

7:23 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012

It saddens me that the porter is only seasonal. Certainly I can't be the only person that drinks that style of beer year round...   more ›

Longest Beer Run Ever?

It's more than 1,000 brewskis and counting for 30-year-old social media guru from Whitefish Bay who has made a habit of running and drinking a beer every single day for more than a year.

Vowing to run every single day for a year takes a special determination. In Tim Cigelske's case, that determination is partly fueled by beer. The Whitefish Bay man was looking to do something special for his 29th birthday, so he put a call out on Twitter looking for suggestions. One of his followers suggested he try running and drinking beer every day for the next year. He did that...and more. Now, more than 18 months later, Cigelske still hasn't broken his streak. In 2011, he ran 2011 miles, and he is averaging even higher mileage this year. He keeps things interesting by coming up with special routes on landmark dates, like tracing the number '100' on his 100th day or 250 on day 250. While some might wonder how he finds time to run every…

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Wick's Changing to Kensington Liquor under New Ownership

Tim and Lori Wick handed over the keys this week to the local liquor store they have owned for nearly three decades.

After 29 years of serving as Shorewood's brew crew, the owners of Wick’s Beer and Liquor have said, "It's time" and sold their shop on the corner of North Oakland Avenue and East Kensington Boulevard. The name on the facade of the long-standing beer and spirit shop will shift from Wick’s to Kensington Liquor under new owner Keith Marquardt. Marquardt says he doesn’t plan to change much outside of a few façade improvements and knocking down some walls to make room for a bigger selection of beer, liquor and wine. He'll add more wine to the store immediately, and eventually install a beer cave. Marquardt said he has been in the liquor store business for 27 years, but all of them have been managing different locations in the Milwaukee area. “I…

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Dispatches: The Changing American Dream

After Home Away from Home is Extinguished, Two British Friends Open Three Lions

Following fire at British-style tavern, the former pub's two managers and longtime friends realized their local slice of home in Three Lions Pub.

The English pub is homogeneous to a community hub, providing a venue for locals to come and expound on culture, David Price says. It's much more than just a place to grab a "pint and a bite." “It's a place to go watch soccer, a cozy little pub like back home, where you can come on your own and read a book or come with 20 people and have a party,” Price said. Price and longtime friend Christopher Tinker both grew up in small towns situated between Manchester and Liverpool in the United Kingdom, where they came to digest the paramountcy of the local pub to the English communities they serve. They made the journey to Milwaukee in early 2003, on scholarships to play soccer and study at Cardinal Stritch University, in a group of five. It was in…

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Microbrewery Fears Budget Measure Could Affect Shorewood Tasting Room

A provision in state budget would ban brewers from distributing their beer or owning a tavern.

Big Bay Brewing Co. is joining microbrewers around the state who are worried about the effect of a provision in the state budget bill that bans beer-makers from also distributing their beverage. The Milwaukee-based beer brewer runs a tasting room in Shorewood, 4517 N. Oakland Ave., and owner Jeff Garwood says he's afraid about its future if Gov. Scott Walker doesn't veto the provision. "My tasting room, because it's not part of a brewery operation, could be shut down," Garwood said. The provision, which bans brewers from owning distributorships, is part of the 2011-13 budget that Walker plans to sign on Sunday. State legislators who oppose the measure also say it would also ban brewers from owning taverns. On Wednesday, a bipartisan group …

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Time Served

Local Shop Owners Serve as Shorewood's Brew Crew

Successful couple greets customers like family, shares great selection of local beer and is thankful for 29 years of good business.

“We’ve been in business together longer than most people have even been married,” Lori Wick said.  What might be the longest self-owned and managed business in Shorewood, Wick’s Liquors serves up a wide selection of beer and other spirits, featuring both cases of big brands, and six-packs of many varieties of local Wisconsin brews. "We sell a lot of Spotted Cow," Tim Wick said. "Did you know their president went to Lake Bluff?" Tim says some people come out of their way to pick up local beer like New Glarus. “People really do come here on their way through town if they’re from Illinois or other places," he said. "You can’t get New Glarus in other states, for example, so people come here for it because they know we’ve got the variety.” The …

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Shorewood's Village Pub Owner Celebrates Five Years

Dennis Cox, owner, talks about the pub's character and history.

Even though Shorewood's Village Pub and Grill has been around for decades, Thursday marks five years at the helm and behind the bar for pub owner Dennis Cox and he is taking advantage. An anniversary party 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday boasts a complimentary buffet from guest bartenders, Brewers' ticket giveaways and specials on food and drinks all night long. The Village Pub, 4488 N. Oakland Ave., is a well known part of the neighborhood, according to Cox. The pub was voted best suburban bar by OnMilwaukee.com readers for the last two years. “For people who live in Shorewood, you can come in here and you’re pretty much guaranteed to see someone you know,” he said. Cox said the Village Pub has a certain charm to it. “It’s been around so long…

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Big Bay Brewing Co. Sets Up Shop in Shorewood

The local and relatively new WI brewer will open its first tasting & retail store in the heart of Shorewood.

New business is flowing fast into the Shorewood area, and what flows better than a locally-brewed beer? Milwaukee’s Big Bay Brewing Company has come a long way since November, 2010 when the first batch of their beer hit store shelves and restaurant bars. You can now find their beer at hundreds of retailers in Wisconsin, but what you won’t find is a company location — until now. Big Bay is in the final stages of construction on a newly renovated store-front on North Oakland Avenue across from Shorewood’s Cornerstone building. The scheduled opening date is March 15, but if you peer through the windows, you’ll see the start of a cozy-cabin décor with a sleek modern twist. “This is to give people a sense of location,” says company owner, Jeff …

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Bites Nearby: Harry's Bar and Grill Gives a Little Cuban Flavor

Modern atmosphere and a variety of menu options, with a far-from-boring side salad, earn extra points for Harry's.

Upbeat, modern music and chic artwork give a young vibe to Harry's Bar and Grill, located at 3549 N. Oakland Ave. in Shorewood.  Run the by same owners as the NSB Bar & Grill in Bayside, and The Knick in downtown Milwaukee, each has a similar standard of quality, but with its own unique twist. At Harry's, that twist is having downtown style class, tucked into the lower portion of the North Shore. The website even boasts the hot spot as "a friendly neighborhood gathering place." I would more describe it as an avant-garde Cheers, where everybody very well might know your name. There's a very modern theme here, but Harry's really doesn't overdo it. Framed artwork thoughout the restaurant and multiple television screens keep eyes busy if…

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Bob McBride

7:56 am on Friday, February 25, 2011

In order to get more restaurants in WFB the village would probably have to issue more than the current 3-4 liquor licenses it has available. There's been a lot of resistance to that in the past. Then we're dealing with a fairly small commercial district within which to locate a restaurant. It's been tried in the old Bay Liquor site a couple of times. However, City Market is opening soon and that …   more ›