Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Crusin’ Rating: C
Booze Rating: C+
This week, we are joining Hannah’s family - Papa Perch, HGTV Mom, and her brother, Rubber Band Man, for a trip to Amorphic Brewing near Hubbard Park in Milwaukee, WI. Amorphic, meaning “shapeless” or “having no definite form” fits this brewery who, like Young Blood in Madison, rarely brews the same beer twice! Amorphic Brewing was started by a group of engineers that prides itself on combining science and art in its philosophy when brewing new beers.
Amorphic Brewing is located in a very old, seemingly run-down little couple of blocks of old industrial buildings that really had us guessing where we could possibly be and if this was the right neighborhood - even though we were only a block or so away from a lovely riverside park. Amorphic is located in a Cream City Brick building that’s shared with a wood furniture maker, the Urban Craftsman. Fairly plain looking for a building on the outside, with a small spattering of bistro lights and a few picnic tables, it was really the crowd that let us know we were in the right spot. Dozens and dozens of bicycles were parked outside the brewery - more so than we would expect even being so close to the Beerline Trail. Turns out, there was a cycling event going on and Amorphic Brewing was one of the stops - which meant a veritable ton of people on a Sunday afternoon.
Inside, other than the fluorescent and spandex clad crowd that looked a little like a lot of the them had been camping for days - or perhaps the trail was that long - we immediately noticed a good amount of natural light pouring in from the windows that highlighted some wood tables that must be made next door. We waited patiently for a spot at a large communal table that looked to be made from an old grade school gym floor while knocking a second bird by also waiting in line for flights. Hannah started to snag pictures with HGTV Mom where she could explore the space. Hannah took note of a small swag corner and fridge with pint 4-packs and 750 ml bottles for sale. After disappearing for a while they returned with news of an additional lounge and seating area back past the underlit brewing
equipment where most of the cyclists were hanging out. The backroom was a nice touch if you’re looking for music or maybe even a quieter space on normal days - I imagined. It was packed like the rest of the space on our visit! I’d also never seen various neon lights underneath the brew tanks which was a nice little way to highlight the space as you walked through that area.
We caught only glimpses of the full space, but it looked like there were games to play, families were welcome, and there were some frozen pizzas to be had. As this was the Rubber Band Man's first review with us, I snagged a flight of six so Hannah and I could show him the ropes. There were N/A options available, but no cocktails or wine that we saw.
Wish You Weren’t So Awkward (7.5% ABV) - This sour poured warm, cloudy gold and while I picked up notes of pineapple and sugared pineapple rind, The Rubber Band Man picked up clementine, and Hannah snagged some sweet passion fruit on the nose. Hannah thought this started reminiscent of a hazy IPA in that it was fairly thick and there was a veritable bouquet of juicy fruit up front and then sourness came in at the end. For my money, I got pineapple up front that gave way to some distinct minerality and then finished with some sourness. I thought this beer was grainy on the palate and mixed with the minerality lead to an unpleasant mouthfeel. Hannah said this was decent but didn’t love it, stating the lack of sourness.
Artemis Orange (7.6% ABV) - A “double” hard seltzer that looked not exactly appetizing - picture a pulpy glass of orange juice with a little bit of milk added to the glass - not great. However, this seltzer smelled of orange juice, coconut, and vanilla and taste of highly orange, melted creamsicle and turned out to be Hannah’s favorite of the bunch - if not the prettiest.
DDH Fluffy Logic Cashmere (6.3% ABV) - A double dry-hopped hazy with cashmere hops grown in the Great Lakes area, this beer was pale straw in color and extremely hazy to the point of opaqueness. I picked up notes of green melon, lychee, and grapefruit along with general citrus. I - and no one else picked up on this - got the green melon when tasting with an earthy finish that wasn’t offensive in terms of bitterness. I thought it balanced out well at the end. The Rubber Band Man thought he got some herbal notes in and picked up on the bitterness at the end. It wasn’t too bad for a practice round as he got some of the broad strokes.
CZ Turbulent Flow (5.5% ABV) - A Czech Pilsner with Michigan-grown Copper hops, this beer featured brilliant clarity and noticeably high carbonation. The Rubber Band Man described it as “Timberland yellow” in color. I thought this Pilsner was not overly malty and also had low spice notes when smelling, picking up almost no floral or herbalism when smelling. This is one I revisited more than once to try and peek into some varying aromas and just about everything was underrepresented for the style. I also did not find a lot of the spice coming through and thought the hoppiness was high for the style ranging to medium-high rather than low-medium.
Hendrix & Cuke (5.5% ABV) - A flavored Kolsch, this beer poured with light gold color and featured high clarity. This was my favorite of the bunch due to its complexity. With an aroma of citrus, herbs, and salt this beer did its best to emulate a salty cucumber gin smash. There was saltiness up front and apparent, followed quickly by some cucumber, and then that noticeable bit of juniper and heavy herbs in the back. Hannah and The Rubber Band Man picked up on the lemon zest that I missed. I think this would be very interesting to taste real cold on a hot day but I think that the salt actually detracts from the experience and reminds me too much of a Gose rather than a light, slightly fruity, and balanced Kolsch. I still enjoyed it though, but I think me and HGTV Mom were the only ones that did.
2023 Bourbon Barrel Aged Toasted Coconut Major Particles (12.2% ABV) - With a name almost long enough to compete with Burial Brewing Company, this was a stout that the Thirsty Troll definitely would have enjoyed. Pouring oily brown this beer has deep toasted coconut and coffee on the nose. Plenty of coconut sugar meets your tongue as you sip and there’s a definite creaminess to the mouthfeel. Slight hints of chocolate give way to those deep, cloying barrel notes of charred oak and nutty and caramel notes. Some of these barrel aged stouts get a little too sweet for me and I think this was one of them - although the Thirsty Troll says the sweeter the better.
In all, this was a vibrant, well lit space. I don’t know if we will necessarily be going out of our way to revisit, unless we are hitting up something nearby. I thought we each Hannah and I both found a beer we enjoy and I do like the aspect of trying new beers ever-rotating to keep things fresh. There is such steep competition with breweries in Milwaukee that I didn’t really feel like this was a great hang-out spot unless you are a cyclist, but if you are a cyclist this is a spot that seems tailored for you. They are probably going to have some out-there beers to try if that is your thing and if you’re looking to go off the beaten path in terms of beer, then this might be your spot. I don’t think I’d recommend a trip from more than the greater Milwaukee area to try this spot in particular, but if you’re in the area, they aren’t going to have the same eight beers as everywhere else, which is saying something.
Until next time, keep on crusin’, don’t stop boozin’.
To learn more about Amorphoic Brewing Company, please visit their website at: https://www.amorphicbeer.com/ or on Facebook: @AmorphicBeer or on Instagram: @AmorphicBeer