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Back in January, Sheboygan’s 3 Sheeps Brewing Co. launched a series of collaboration brews to help boost Wisconsin bars and restaurants, with Operation SOS (Save Our Spots) Hazy IPA, which it created in concert with Milwaukee’s Third Space Brewing and Madison’s Young Blood Beer Co.
Now, the second installment is here and it is a double dry-hopped double IPA brewing with Milwaukee’s 1840 Brewing Co. and La Crosse’s 608 Brewing Co.
Brewed with Strata, Cashmere and Simcoe hops, the hazy beer, with a powerful 9.2 percent ABV, is fruity and herbal.
It will be available in 16-ounce cans and four-packs, with the most of them going to bars and restaurants, where it is hoped customers will come to buy the beer and also purchase food, merch and/or gift cards to support homestate businesses during this tough time.
Please remember to tip generously.
3 Sheeps’ Sales Manager Jordan Aberman told me back in January that the goal is to do one small batch a month with two partner breweries, of, “a beer that's a creative or innovative take on an established style, and to keep the price lower than a brewery typically would for beers of these styles with ingredients of this quality.
“They're break-even for us, basically. And we're really looking at styles that sell quickly to ease any concerns about inventory sitting around in these on-premise spots.”
The brew seems to be doing the trick for some venues.
"In these times we have to look at each other and try to find ways to lift each other up. As a community we have to contribute in any way we can to help,” says Jim Hollywood, owner of Milwaukee’s The Vanguard. “3 Sheeps Brewing has done just that. With a creative idea to aid the struggling bars and restaurants by producing a collaborative brew exclusively for them. With our pivot to only offering take-out service, our beer sales plummeted.
“With SOS Hazy IPA, we sold all three cases in under two days, giving us much needed beverage sales. 3 Sheeps achieved their objective: it was a complete success. We are grateful for our past and continuing partnership with 3 Sheeps Brewing. By the way, the beer was phenomenal."
Ryan Stenstrup at Steny’s in Walker’s Point added, "This was one of the best on premise promos I’ve ever done in 10+ years of being at Steny’s. I bought five cases and we sold out in two weeks and people were still coming in after two weeks looking for more SOS. It helped that the beer was amazing.
“I loved it because not only was it simple and easy for my staff but it brought a lot of new clientele in who probably didn’t know how good of a beer list we have. We would love to keep doing it!"
3 Sheeps also has a new year-round hazy IPA called Chaos Pattern.
The 6.5 percent ABV IPA is brewing with Citra, Ekuanot, Cascade and Centennial hops and it's available in the taproom beginning Friday, March 5 on tap and in 12-ounce six-packs.
Retail distribution will follow.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
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