Robin Shepard
Beers from Public Brewing Company.
Madison will see more Public Brewing beers.
Public Brewing Company — originally Public Craft Brewing — opened in 2012 in downtown Kenosha. During the COVID-19 pandemic and the city’s civil unrest following the police killing of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, the brewery fell on tough financial times and began to look for new ownership.
Lakefront Brewery stepped in last summer to purchase the brewery and has since focused on producing a smaller set of core brands and styles, especially sours. Its packaging also has a new look to help it stand out on shelves. Since the acquisition by Lakefront, Public Brewing Company beers have been easier to find on Madison shelves.
Lakefront owner Russ Klisch sees the purchase as a way to increase distribution in southern Wisconsin. “Public Brewing was basically the only packaging brewery in our backyard of Racine, Kenosha and Walworth counties,” says Klisch. “That area, compared to the rest of the state, is underserved in craft beer.”
Now Madison will see even more of Public Brewing’s beers on a regular basis.“That was a main reason for purchasing the much smaller brewery, and a brewery so close by. It allows us to add sours, and make them there,” says Klisch.
Public Brewing had developed quite a following for its sour beers, while Lakefront did not have a sour in its lineup. Today about 40% of Public Brewing’s beers are sours.
The Kenosha brewhouse continues to brew mainstays like its Bits and Pieces IPA and Southport blonde ale. Another year-round favorite is Lakeshore Haze, a double dry-hopped New England style hazy with juicy tropical Citra and Mosaic hops.
Right now the sour to watch from Public Brewing is Slime Time, a light, tart Berliner weisse beer that finishes at 4% ABV. Its distinctive tangerine and lemon flavors are memorable — as is its vivid green color. Key Lime Pie, just as light at 4% ABV, is also based on a tart Berliner weisse, but here there’s a sharp burst of lime taste up front. Give it time between sips and a grainy, malty graham cracker sweetness emerges, much like the crust of key lime pie.
My pick of Public Brewing’s current offerings is Reaches for Peaches. It’s based on a 5.3% ABV blonde ale. The peaches are assertive and brighten things up, with a tea-like fruity sweetness.
Public Brewing Company beers are found in many of Madison’s craft beer stores in four-packs that sell for $11-$13.
If you are into a road trip, Public Brewing is located at 628 58th St. in downtown Kenosha, in what was originally the Barden Building, constructed in 1910. In its day it was the town’s premier independently owned department store. After Lakefront took over Public Brewing, the taproom and bar got a makeover, with room to showcase 24 beers on tap. There’s an updated family-friendly menu, Friday fish fry, and what locals like to point to as a brewery signature — the “Curd of the Week,” a rotating flavor of specialty cheese curds.
