Press Release:
(Milwaukee, WI) – Beginning March 5th, craft beer fans in Minnesota will have the opportunity to sample the creative offerings from a brewery just a short trip down the I-90/I-94 corridor. MKE Brewing Co., a 2014 Brewery of the Year honoree by Drink Me Magazine, will soon be available at package liquor stores, bars and restaurants around the Twin Cities.
“This is a really big and exciting step for our small brewery” said Jim McCabe, Founder/CEO of MKE Brewing Co. Our
MKE regional sales are up 77% the first two months of 2014, while Wisconsinites endure the worst winter of their lives.
Clearly winter weather works for us and Minnesota is the next step in progression for our goals to as a regional brewery”
McCabe added “The launch of our products there represents nearly a year of planning and preparation. Minnesota is a
great craft beer market and we are excited to turn the knowledgeable drinkers on to our offerings.”
As a start to the phased roll-out to Minnesota, MKE Brewing Co. will be distributed by Bernick’s in Minneapolis and St.
Paul. Launching with an array of the most popular year round varietals by MKE Brewing Co., consumers will be able to
find Louie’s Demise Amber Ale, Hop Happy IPA, Booyah Farmhouse Ale, Outboard Cream Ale, O-Gii Imperial Wit and Hop
Freak Double IPA. In addition to the year round varietals, the seasonal offerings will also be available starting with the
most recent release, Litta Bitta White IPA. For those consumers looking for even more variety, they can look to find
MKE’s Pot Luck Sampler 12 Pack which contains 6 different year round offerings. In the comings months, MKE Brewing
will be rolled out St. Cloud, Duluth, Brainerd and Bemidji as well. Follow MKE on Twitter: @MKEBrewCo #MKE2MSP
ABOUT BERNICK’S
Bernick’s is a fourth-generation family-owned business that proudly distributes Miller and Pepsi products, craft beers
including New Belgium Brewing, Third Street, Summit, and many more, along with a wide variety of snacks, energy
drinks, waters, and juices. Bernick’s has been providing full service beverage, vending, and food service solutions to
the Central Minnesota area since 1916.
The company is headquartered in Waite Park, MN, and has facilities in, Bemidji, Brainerd, Duluth, Twin Cities, and
Willmar, Minnesota; and Dresser, Wisconsin. For more information on Bernick’s please visit www.bernicks.com.
ABOUT MKE BREWING CO.
MKE Brewing Co. started as a brewpub, the Milwaukee Ale House, in October 1997 in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward.
Founder Jim McCabe took his love for home brewing and his engineering background to design a functional and robust
15 bbl brewpub when Milwaukee was still a lager town. Fast forward 10 years and over 300 innovative beers later to
November 2007 when MKE Brewing Co kegged off their first brew at their 2nd St. Brewery located in the trendy Walkers
Point neighborhood. The 50 bbl brewing and packaging facility allowed MKE Brewing Co to meet the demand of their
ever-popular Ale House brews and start brewing more styles that they always wanted to. A WDNR Green Tier Certified
brewery, MKE Brewing Co. prides themselves on flexible and energy saving efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. With
initiatives such as the 28 solar hot water panels on the roof, a bio-diesel boiler fueled by fryer oil from local restaurants, clean wastewater conservation, donating spent grain to local urban farm Growing Power and as the first micro-cannery in Wisconsin, MKE Brewing Co is at the forefront of Green Tier conservation efforts. McCabe along with principal
partner Jim Hughes have experienced the most productive year in their brief history producing 8,000 bbls in 2013. MKE
Brewing Co. is committed to creating innovative, well-balanced, approachable beers that appeal to the craft beer
aficionado and new craft beer drinker alike. Head brewer Robert Morton and his team pride themselves on taking the
artisan approach to brewing, using only the finest local ingredients and never making compromises.