Can you believe Broken Bat Brewing Company is turning eight years old? It seems like it wasn’t that long ago that a bunch of friends and I stumbled on their first home in a Third Ward basement — a setup they’ve since outgrown in a very big way.
Now in Walker’s Point, Broken Bat has an impressive complex befitting their stature as a solid member of our city’s beverage scene. The beer has taken big and delicious strides, the elbow room has considerably improved, and having access to your own Wiffle ball field is always a plus.
All of those things will come in handy for this Saturday’s eighth anniversary party, which runs all day (noon to 11 p.m.) in the first-floor tap room. The team at Broken Bat have a lot planned to fill those hours, but it’s only logical to start with the beer lineup, which will add two rookies that day:
- Spikes — A peach kettle sour named after Ty Cobb (nickname: “The Georgia Peach”)
- 762* — A bourbon-barrel-aged maple imperial stout (with no other, um, additives)
The brewery’s other baseball-themed options will be available as well, including the recently introduced collaboration with the Milwaukee Fire Department and the very drinkable Beer Here, a ballpark lager that’s $5 in the tap room from now until the last out of the 2025 World Series. My personal favorite is the Beach Ball pineapple milkshake IPA, but the takeaway here is that there are enough players on the bench to fit every game situation (and taste bud).
Whether you take advantage of the $5 or any of the other pourables, a beverage purchase will get you access to free brats, burgers and hot dogs fresh off the grill. There will also be new merch on hand, wings from Double Dubs starting at 6 p.m. and a performance by Hillside Rebellion at 7 p.m.
Then there’s the “brides” part of the headline that certainly skews from your typical birthday party. That particular curveball comes from Broken Bat’s new venture as a wedding venue, which will get its own celebration from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday in the second-floor Lumber Room.
To get into the nuptials game, Broken Bat has partnered with You’re Invited WI, a local wedding-planning team that helps happy couples put on an event that’s a bit more mindful about the money side of things while still being memorable.
It’s a trend that started in the wake of COVID but hasn’t lost any steam, leading Broken Bat to lean into their status as a unique place to throw a celebration. The wedding showcase will put that on display with a complete event setup featuring a DJ, balloon display, catering options, photographers, videographers and other vendors.
For more information on the eighth anniversary party and wedding showcase, visit Broken Bat’s website or the event page on Facebook.
