USA, WI: Old World Wisconsin planning to build a $1.65 million brewery

Old World Wisconsin is planning to build a $1.65 million brewery and biergarten, modeled after Wisconsin�s historic 19th century breweries, the Milwaukee Business Journal reported on February 24.

The new brewery and biergarten is included in Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker�s 2017-2019 capital budget, released earlier this week by the state Department of Administration.

While the project is included in the budget, it will not be built with public dollars, said Dan Freas, director of Old World Wisconsin, the 600-acre outdoor museum near Eagle.

�The project is funded through donations,� he said. �It�s included in capital budget because the building is being built on state-owned property. Actual funds will be privately obtained.�

Old World Wisconsin, which is a part of the Wisconsin Historical Society, is aiming to secure funding for the project by 2018.

The brewery is part of a larger plan for Old World Wisconsin, in particular a new entry complex and arrival experience that hasn�t been updated since the 1970s, said Freas.

The brewery itself will be created in partnership with the Milwaukee-based Museum of Beer and Brewing, and will feature brewing techniques used by immigrant brewers in Wisconsin in the 1800s.

In an effort to rediscover historic brewing skills, there will be a temporary brewhouse in the German area of Old World Wisconsin where employees will brew beer in the interim, said Freas.

The larger plan for the new entry complex includes a historic windmill, new STEM education programs, a new restroom facility, and a covered pavilion. It will also be used for evening events, private functions, and other revenue generating opportunities.