Our 3rd annual Malt City Brewfest is in the books and what a beautiful day it was! Year after year, we witness not only the fascination of the craft beverage itself but also the culture of community it brings forth. The inspiration and stories behind the innovative creations and their names, the collaboration and camaraderie among brewers, and the interaction of attendees becoming friends over a game of cornhole…it’s pure magic to watch and observe.
If you’ve attended Malt City Brewfest, you’ll know it’s not just about the beer tastings, themselves…it’s educational, purposeful, community-driven, charitable; a place to bring people of all walks of life together.
is what makes this our favorite beer fest!” – Third-time event attendees.
Top Wisconsin Breweries
In Briess’ 148 years, we have cultivated relationships with brewers whom we call our friends and industry partners in this craft beer community we all know and love. Beer is engrained in our history and culture and we’re thrilled to host this event connecting Wisconsin brewmasters with the consumers who enjoy their art.
This year, there were more breweries (35) and more beers (150) to showcase than ever before! The varieties of beer took on a lighter and unique twist to tantalize those summertime taste buds, featuring more malt lemonades, beermosas, sours, gluten-free, and NA. Let’s also not forget about some of our favorite Lagers, IPAs, Porters, Stouts, Oktoberfests, Wheats, and more!
Some Unique Attendee Favorites:
- Tiki Tom: Beermosa Slushie Sour – Badger State
- Chocolate Coffee Peanut Butter Porter Nitro – Copper State
- Bomb Pop Sour – Sour – Craft Creek Brewing
- Fox Around and Find Out Hard Lemonade -Fox River Brewing
- Strawberry Rhubarb – Fruited Sour Ale – New Glarus
- GumbSkull – Sea Salt & Lime Lager – PetSkull Brewing
- Orange Krushable Jalapeño – SwitchGear Brewing
- Aguante Agave – Mexican Pale Lager – Torzala Brewing
- Blueberry Blitz – Blueberry Lager – Titletown Brewing
Puparazzi
It’s almost impossible to pet a dog and not have a smile on your face…at least for me! Members from the Lakeshore Humane Society brought back some furry friends this year who are available for adoption and kept us company all day! If you met one of these fellas and are interested in learning more about adopting, fostering, or making a donation to their new shelter, check them out!
“Best Brewery of Malt City Brewfest” Contest
Out of 270 individual votes from event attendees, Manitowoc’s very own Craft Creek Brewing took home the gold with a first-place finish and 20% of all votes. Coming in at a close second with 16% of the votes was SwitchGear Brewing from Elkhart Lake, followed by Sabbatical Brewing of Manitowoc and Badger State Brewing of Green Bay.
Thank you to all who took the time to vote!
Your Ticket Made an Impact
Each year, Briess continues to partner and donates a portion of ticket sales to non-profits, including Pink Heals of Manitowoc County, Lakeshore Humane Society (LHS), and the Lion’s Club. To date, Pink Heals has assisted 56 cancer patients in Manitowoc County with over $487,000. LHS cares for over 1,500 companion animals, annually, placing over 900 animals each year in permanent homes.
Food Trucks
Pulled pork, tacos, mac n’ cheese, pizza, burgers, pretzels, could you ask for more? I think not. Plenty of delicious offerings were available from Scrapyard BBQ, Derek’s Curbside Grill, Jolly Street Pizza, and The Twist Pretzels.
Live Music Makes the World Go Round – Agree?
As soon as one dancer made their way out, others joined in! Green Bay’s classic rock and country band Fire on High brought the energy with their great vocals and harmonies. Even the non-Swifties loved hearing their version of some T-Swift thrown in the mix.
We’re already looking forward to 2025 and can’t wait to toast to more good beer and good company. Mark your calendars and RSVP for the 4th annual Malt City Brewfest on Saturday, August 2, 2025! Back by popular demand, our friends Suzie and the Detonators will be joining us once again on stage for all your favorite pop and rock classics!
Follow along for all event updates on Facebook and Instagram and we’ll see you next summer!