USA, WI: Nicolet Ale Works to move into a permanent new home

A De Pere brewery will move into a permanent new home that will combine production, a taproom and an outdoor beer garden in one place, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported on December 1.

Nicolet Ale Works, a nano-brewery (very small-scale brewery), which operates at the N.E.W. Kitchen Co-op, 500 Main Ave., will expand operations at 301 Main Ave., the current building of Credo, a higher education consulting firm. Jeremy Voss and Ben Rank, owners of the brewery, said they expect to open by fall of 2026.

Voss and Rank are nearing final contracts with designers and brewery equipment specialists to begin construction. When it opens in 2026, Nicolet Ale Works will be downtown De Pere’s first brewery.

The duo announced the news in a joint news conference on Nov. 19, with the presence of several public figures including Mayor James Boyd; David Vander Bloomen, CEO of the De Pere Chamber of Commerce; and Tina Quigley, executive director of Definitely De Pere.

Rank said they brew many different types of beer, including stouts, ales and IPAs. But, as they both have German heritage, they have a lot of different German and Belgian styles. They will start with a flagship of four, but increase it to 10 to 12 beers in the taproom once production ramps up.

"We've got a nice Belgian amber, American amber, American IPA and a pilsner," he said. "That's what we are going to be probably pushing out first."

Even though brewing at the commercial kitchen limits their production, Voss said it allowed them to create enough beer to sell over 100 bottles at the Music in the Alley events during the summer. This event was a real test of their craft, one they expect to replicate now at a larger scale at the new location.

"I think everyone enjoyed the beers," he said.’

Voss and Rank had been close friends since high school, but as careers and family responsibilities kept them busy, they started losing touch. Creating a brewery together became their deliberate way to stay connected — and it worked.

"This was just a way to maintain the friendship," Voss said. "It was a reason for us to get together."

Now the pair plan to carry that same spirit into their new, much larger home on Main Avenue.

"This is a space for friendship, new friends, old friends," Voss said. "To come and hang out and make sure they stay connected."

Voss said they've had good feedback from family and friends, which prompted them to get more serious about the business.

Rank credits his wife, Daena, with turning their basement dream into a real brewery. While Rank handles most of the brewing and Voss pitches in alongside him, Daena runs the marketing that has helped put Nicolet Ale Works on the map.

"We would not be here without her," he said.