In collaboration with the Clock Shadow Building next door, Indeed Brewing in Walker’s Point is launching a rooftop patio with a panoramic view.
Indeed has been in the news recently as co-founder Rachel Anderson recently posted about her toxic experiences at the brewery, leading COO Kelly Moritz to issue an open letter last week. You can read more in this in-depth Brewbound article.
Indeed at el Jardín has a desert garden theme, thanks to its location on the green roof and presence alongside the CORE/El Centro rooftop herb garden and apiary.
The patio is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the summer, with capacity limits that require reservations. The entrance is on Bruce Street.
“Through COVID we felt like maybe we lost out to things like suburban beer gardens and large patios,” says Indeed Milwaukee Market Manager Jeff Gray, “so pretty quickly we were looking for avenues for more outdoor seating.
“This fell into our lap a little bit with to our existing partnerships with Clock Shadow and CORE/El Centro. Juli Kaufmann, who owns the building, was looking to use the space at a higher level this summer.”
The patio is used by building tenants and special events, but the Indeed beer garden will be the first regular, ongoing open-to-the-public usage.
In order to be considerate of neighbors, Indeed is capping capacity at 60 people, stationing a host at the entrance on the ground floor, staffing heavily and requiring reservations for 90-minute slots.
“We’re curating the whole process,” says Gray. “The host downstairs (will be) telling the story of the building, and not only the rules, but why this is happening and how this is a special experience, and that it is a privilege for Indeed to be up here.
“And it will close a little bit earlier than our taproom. We can navigate people down to our tap room.”
The views are spectacular, although, typically, guests will only see to the east, south and west. The great view of the Downtown skyline can only be seen from the area where CORE/El Centro has its apiary, because, well ... BEES!
“It was kind of a turn-key operation,” says Gray. “We bought some German beer garden-style tables, the barrels, but there’s this vibe, it’s a little bit Western, like a desert. CORE/El Centro and the other tenants have always called this El Jardín. It's always been their rooftop garden and their space for events, and we’re not wanting to change it from being a garden and it being a community space. So it's still those things.”
Indeed will run four tap lines and a dollar from every beer sold will benefit the nonprofit CORE/El Centro, which provides affordable natural healing and wellness services in Spanish and English.
In addition to serving its own tap beer, Indeed will host cheesemaker Clock Shadow Creamery – the building’s first-floor tenant – for cheese popups.
The beer jardín officially opens June 4, though there were soft openings the previous two weekends for friends and family to check it out.
On June 5, it will host a launch of bottles of Brunch Club: Berry Compote Sour Ale – a collab with the now-defunct Pabst Pilot House Brewery – which will also be on tap, alongside a coffee-infused Hello, Milwaukee light American lager. There's also the seasonal Spring Bier, an unfiltered German-style export lager.
A number of food trucks will be on hand for the June 5 event – which runs from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. – and live music starting at 4 p.m.
"We delight in emerging from the pandemic in partnership with our neighbors. Building community has always been our central aim, and supporting each other is needed now more than ever,” said Kaufmann.
“We are grateful Indeed is not only creating a welcoming experience to encourage us to gather again, but that they are also donating a portion of rooftop proceeds for the benefit of our tenants. Now that's something we can all raise a glass to cheer."
The Clock Shadow Building was erected on the site of an old junkyard in 2012 and is home to tenants like Aurora Walker’s Point Community Clinic and The Healing Center.
It is next door to Indeed Brewing’s brewery and taproom at 530 S. 2nd St.
“We jumped at the chance to set up a rooftop experience on the top of the Clock Shadow Building,” says Indeed’s Milwaukee Taproom Manager, Grant Steskal.
“At Indeed, we strive to do good in the community, be good neighbors and offer positive beer experiences to our customers. This partnership and rooftop residency allows us to accomplish all three at once.”
To make a reservation for Indeed at el Jardín, visit
exploretock.com/indeedbrewingcompanytaproommilwaukee.
To pre-order a bottle of Brunch Club, go to toasttab.com/indeed-milw-to-go/v3.
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.
