A new brewery is preparing to open its doors in the Walker's Point neighborhood.
Brenner Brewing, near 5th and Pierce Streets, will produce a full line of beer varieties, and its product will focus on promoting Milwaukee artists and musicians.
Founder Mike Brenner said the labels on each bottle will be designed by local artists, and they will also feature a QR code that links to music downloads. It's a model that's never been attempted, Brenner said.
"There are huge brands like Miller or Heineken that do music downloads, but there's a huge difference between offering a Jay-Z single and offering something from a local band," he said.
Brenner has been a fixture in the Milwaukee art scene for more than a decade. He founded the Milwaukee Artist Resouce Network and Hot Cakes Gallery, and he was involved with operations at Turner Hall. During that time, he saw how hard it is for local artists to get the financial support they need.
And he will transfer that concept to his brewery
"Everything I was doing in the art world was based around sustainability and trying to be supportive of artforms that were more approachable," Brenner said.
Brenner said he hopes to officially open in about four months, but he hasn’t yet set an exact date.
Click the podcast player above to hear more about his plan.