As the year began in Milwaukee, several breweries closed, leaving beer lovers with fewer choices. MobCraft Beer, City Lights Brewing Co., and Enlightened Brewing Company are shutting down, reflecting a national trend. Meanwhile, some businesses like the Explorium Hospitality Group are handling things differently by merging and expanding, as per FOX6 News.
According to TMJ4, Enlightened Brewing Company and City Lights Brewing will officially cease operations this weekend. These latest closures add to a string of recent departures in Milwaukee's beer scene, including the earlier shutdowns of MobCraft in November and Company Brewing last May. "It's one of the things that I would tell my friends when they visit Milwaukee: they should do a brewery crawl and visit as many breweries as possible, but now there are four less on the menu, right?" lamented Cory Forbes, a local craft beer aficionado, in an interview with TMJ4.
Andy Gehl, co-founder and president of Third Space Brewing provided insight on the challenges facing the industry, as reported by TMJ4. "There's a lot of breweries out there, right? We're seeing competition from other beverages. There are a lot of choices in the marketplace," Gehl shared, noting the difficulty of juggling rising costs and stiff competition without increasing prices. Third Space Brewing has diversified by introducing hemp-derived beverages and opening an additional location, signaling a strategy to adapt to changing tastes and market pressures.
"You lose variety, you lose choice; there’s a reduction in competition, and that’s never good for any industry,” told Milwaukee's craft beer enthusiast Jason Rohloff to TMJ4. The sentiment echoes an understanding that the closures are a blow to both diversity and the dynamic of the local beer market. Other experts have cited the impact of younger adults drinking less and opting for nonalcoholic beverages as a significant factor in the shifting industry landscape.
Meanwhile, in a heartfelt Facebook post addressed to the community and captured by WeAreGreenBay, City Lights Brewing Company acknowledged the "numerous challenges have made it unsustainable to continue." Despite the difficult decision to close, they expressed gratitude for the steadfast support of patrons, staff, and partners over the years.
Amidst these closures, some breweries are charting a new course. The Explorium Hospitality Group is a testament to this trend, having taken over Good City Brewing’s locations and merging two beloved Milwaukee brands. Mike Doble, owner of the Explorium Brewpub, expressed enthusiasm for this endeavor: "[It’s] really exciting for us to take two really polished, nice Milwaukee brands that people love and kind of marry the two together and that’s our ultimate goal," he said in an interview cited by FOX6 News. Despite the optimism of some, the closures clearly mark an end of an era for several breweries that have become staples in the Milwaukee community's beer experience.
