Future of the brewery includes increased production, sales inside Miller Park, and much more

(Milwaukee, WI) – Jim McCabe, owner of Milwaukee Brewing Company and the Milwaukee Ale House, today announced an infusion of new energy into the brewery through a partnership with Jim Hughes, a former Robert W. Baird executive.

Hughes officially joined Milwaukee Brewing Company in December, nearly a year after first meeting McCabe. Fueled by a shared love of quality craft beer – and encouraged by the surging market for it – McCabe and Hughes see tremendous opportunity for growth and have laid out a solid plan and significant goals for the future of the brewery.

“Jim brings with him a whole career’s worth of knowledge and ideas that will help us take the brewery to the next level,” said McCabe. “We know we have an extremely high-quality and marketable product, and with Jim on board we see new opportunities to spread the word about the brewery and our beers.”

Hughes spent the majority of his 16 years with Baird as an institutional equity broker in the company’s sales and trading efforts, covering the New York market. Hughes left Baird in 2009 and embarked upon the search for his second career.

“Milwaukee Brewing Company seemed like a great fit for a variety of reasons,” said Hughes. “Jim has steadily built the operation with innovation and integrity, and at the same time the craft beer market is really taking off. We’re well positioned to grow and enhance our operations, and can’t wait to see what the future has in store.”

Milwaukee Brewing Company produced 4,300 barrels of beer in 2010, and set a goal to produce 5,500 this year. Milwaukee Brewing Company beers are distributed by Beechwood Distributors in the Milwaukee area, Frank Beer in the Madison area, and by various other distributors throughout the state of Wisconsin. There are several other exciting things on tap for Milwaukee Brewing in 2011:

* With spring training underway, fans of Milwaukee Brewing Company and the Milwaukee Brewers already have reason to cheer: Milwaukee Brewing Company’s signature brew, Louie’s Demise, has been added to the craft beer offerings at Miller Park and will be available for purchase beginning on Opening Day this year.

* On shelves now, Milwaukee Brewing Company’s Bock Bier, available through the end of March, is the latest brew in the company’s Timed Release Series. The next offering in the series will be Siason, a French farmhouse style beer, which will hit shelves in late April.

* Since beginning its brewery tours in August of last year, Milwaukee Brewing Company has seen the power of word of mouth in action. The “beer in hand” tours have steadily gained in popularity, and now the tours regularly hit the 30-person capacity. Tours are offered every Friday at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., and every Saturday at 3:00, 4:00, and 5:00 p.m. The tour is $7 per person and includes beer samples, a pint glass to take home, a bumper sticker, and a token for a free brew at one of several neighborhood bars in Walker’s Point.

* In February, Milwaukee Brewing Company held its 14th Annual Mid-Winter Brewfest to benefit the MACC Fund. Hundreds of people attended the popular event at the Milwaukee Ale House, enjoying beers from 26 different breweries and food provided by Palermo’s and Usingers. The event raised approximately $20,000 for the MACC Fund.

About Milwaukee Brewing Company

Milwaukee Brewing Company is a craft beer brewery and the only true microbrewery in Milwaukee today. The brewery’s beginnings go back to 1996, when two home brewers with limited resources and unlimited ideas started brewing beer in the basement of a Cedarburg farmhouse. That effort lead to the opening of the popular Milwaukee Ale House the following year, and finally, in 2006, to the current production facility at 613 S. 2nd Street in Milwaukee’s Third Ward. Using the best local ingredients and a hands-on brewing technique, Milwaukee Brewing Company brews more than a dozen varieties of beer, including Louie’s Demise, Flaming Damsel and Pullchain Pail Ale. The brewery is becoming well known for its commitment to a sustainable brewing process from start to finish, including using biodiesel to run its boiler; reusing water and heat; and canning certain varieties of its beer, which offers a lower shipping footprint and greater recyclability. For more information, visit http://www.milwaukeebrewingco.com.