In Milwaukee Record’s “Meet A Brewer” series, we aim to introduce you to some of the professionals behind the scenes who are responsible for making your favorite local beers. The recurring series continues with Bavarian Bierhaus‘ head brewer Jacob Sutrick.
MR: What brought you here? What is your path to becoming the head brewer here at Bavarian Bierhaus?
Jacob Sutrick: I actually started in 2001 at Onopa Brewing Company, where Luther [Paul] from Lakefront was the original brewer. I had just moved back from Austin, Texas and I needed a job. I hung out there because they had dollar Huber and Huber Bock, but then I needed a job, so I started working the door there, then he asked me to be his assistant. When he left to go to Lakefront, I took over for him and this is it. Well, I worked at Lakefront for a while, worked at Good City for a while, worked up in Green Bay for a spell. I worked at MKE for a month and a half. During the pandemic when I got furloughed from Good City, I got a call from here because Nate [Bahr]—now with Central Waters who was the first head brewer here—recommended me to the GM.
MR: Having been involved with so many local breweries, what are a few of your favorite breweries in and around Milwaukee?
JS: I mean, Lakefront has always done great beer, but East Side Dark is one of my favorite all-time beers. Riverwest Stein is one of my go-to beers when I got to Puddler’s, unless they have one of my beers on tap. I really like what the people at Indeed are doing. Jenny [Engel] and Dana [La Vake] are both brewing great beer over there, and they do a lot of lagers. I like the stuff 1840 is doing. There are others, obviously, but those three breweries are the places I frequent when I go out to other breweries.
MR: Working here, it seems like maybe there’s the outside expectation of adhering to the old world brewing styles, but it’s interesting to learn that you have the ability to put your own fingerprint on stuff. In what ways have you done that in your four years with Bavarian?
JS: A lot the appeal to this place is brewing lager beer from Germany. When I came in here, they were like “we need these [traditional] beers made, but you should put your own twist on them—except for the dunkel, which I changed very slowly over about a year so no one noticed until I had it where I wanted it. Every other beer I just kind of changed right from the get-go.
MR: When you’re not brewing, what are some of your favorite non-local beers to drink?
JS: Modelo Especial. Two Hearted Ale. That’s my go-to IPA, but it’s typically Modelo.
MR: What are some of your favorite local bars and restaurants?
JS: I like Goodkind. That’s one of my standbys. I love their mushrooms. I’m a vegetarian, so that’s what I always get when I go there, or a cheese plate. Twisted Plants in Cudahy, I love their stuff. Vanguard, though I don’t get there as much as I’d like. Cafe India is one of my staples. I also used to go to Damascus Gate on Mitchell Street a lot before they closed.
MR: What are some of your non-brewing hobbies?
JS: I play guitar in bands. I’m in a band with Luther from Lakefront called Funeral Mountain. I’m in another band with my friend Matt Ungerman who used to play drums in Seven Days Of Samsara that hasn’t played out yet, but we’re called Old Black Hen.
MR: What are some of your favorite bands or who are some of your favorite musicians in general?
JS: I like old country, so Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Jason Molina. I love The Body. Every time The Body is in town, I go see them. I like very heavy music and very mellow music. The Silver Jews are one of my favorite bands and David Berman from Silver Jews did a record called Purple Mountains and some of that stuff is my favorite.
MR: What are some of your favorite movies, or comfort shows, or anything you’re watching now, or podcasts? Just anything you like in the realm of entertainment.
JS: I’m fairly embarrassed to say it, but I’ve gotten really into Below Deck Mediterranean recently and I don’t know why. Those people are insane. That’s what I’ve been watching every night after work lately. But normally it’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent. I’m really into Joe Pera Talks With You and Curb Your Enthusiasm. I could watch those two shows forever and never get sick of them.
MR: Any individual brewers in town who you really enjoy? Or anyone you’ve learned a lot from?
JS: Luther is the person I’ve learned the most from. He helped me get my foot in the door. I owe him a lot for that. Even after I’ve stopped working for him or with him, he’s always a person I can call on when I have a question. Also, Andy Jones—who works for Quality Tank Solutions and was the original brewer at Good City—was another person who taught me a lot. He’s super knowledgeable and will answer anything you want to ask him.
The people in the Milwaukee brewing scene are very open and very cool. I’ve made a lot of good friends just from meeting people in the industry. We hang out once a month at a different brewery at something called “The Stammtisch” where we drink beer, talk about beer, and just hang out. There are also brewers in town who I wish would come, but I don’t know how to get a hold of them.
MR: Are there any special brewing ambitions you have?
JS: It would be really cool to do a collaboration with a German brewery or a Czech brewery at some point.
MR: What’s a place you’re super proud to have your beer on tap and, on the other side of things, what’s a white whale where you’d love to one day make your way onto their draft lines?
JS: I don’t know if there’s a white whale. I guess it would’ve been Romans’ Pub, which is now Busby’s. I knew Mike and I never got anything on there—I didn’t really try, though. And I think the one I’m the most proud of is we’re on tap at the Von Rothenburg Bier Stube out in Germantown, and we’re the only domestic beer on tap there. They have all German beers—actually from Germany—but they do a seasonal beer of ours and they have our pilsner.
MR: Are there any misconceptions you feel the general public has about the brewing industry?
JS: I think people feel like it’s a super glamorous job where you just sit around and drink beer all day. You can do that, but then you wouldn’t get anything done. It’s hard work, but it’s fun work. I love my job and I honestly don’t know how to do anything else. But the people saying I must have the greatest job in the world only see me when I’m sitting at the bar serving myself beers. They don’t how many dangerous chemicals we work with, how soaked with yeast you get, and how wet you get.
MR: Here’s the open-ended question. Fill in the blank: brewing in Milwaukee is…
JS: Fun. It’s really fun in terms of community. I also feel like it’s evolving. From when I started in 2001 to now, there are so many other breweries that are doing great things. When I started, there were like five breweries in Milwaukee that weren’t Miller. It’s definitely evolved a lot and I think having more breweries helps other breweries. If you have more people making interesting beer, there are more places for people to go. I think it’s good for everybody, good for the communities the breweries are in, and it’s also building more of a brewing community.
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