If there’s something Milwaukeeans love more than drinking a good beer, it’s getting a good deal. And if an independent local business and Mother Nature are both helped in the process, even better! Though the days of returning glass bottles of Blatz for some change to put towards the next case are long gone, a handful of local breweries are giving environmentally conscious beer aficionados the chance to get free (or discounted) beer in exchange for something they’d otherwise toss in the recycling bin—or worse yet, the trash.
You know those plastic beer beer holders that snap to the top of 4-packs and 6-packs of beer? They’re made by PakTech and they’re of value to craft breweries. If kept clean and intact, they’re reusable over and over again. As such, a few breweries will happily give you free pours of their product (or discounts towards your next pint) if you give them a stack of PakTech. You get free beer, a small business saves a little money, and Mother Nature breathes a sign of relief. Seems like a win-win-win, doesn’t it?
As lovers of beer, local businesses, the environment, and freebies alike, Milwaukee Record put the call out to a bunch of local breweries to see what a stack of your old PakTech could fetch you in their taproom. Here’s what we learned! (If we missed anyone, please let us know and we’ll add ’em to the list.)
Amorphic Beer
The award-winning Riverwest brewery accepts 4-pack holders that are clean and free of stickers. “No cheating and cutting 6-pack ones,” warns owner and head brewer Ron Hockersmith. Stop in during business hours and give 10 or more of them to your bartender and you’ll get a free draft pour. There’s a limit of one free beer per person per day. Thanks to customers taking part in this promotion since the brewery’s inception, Hockersmith says Amorphic has not purchased new PakTechs in three years, “which is great because the reality is, they kind of screw up most recycling centers.”
Component Brewing
Nestled in the ground floor of the Lincoln Warehouse, you’ll find Component Brewing. Co-owner DJ Kowalske says the brewery used to promote a trade for PakTechs “but never got many takers.” After we contacted him, he said he’s “happy to get it going again.” As of now, anyone who brings in 10 or more—any combo of 4-packs and 6-packs—PakTech can holders to the taproom gets a free beer. Tell them Milwaukee Record sent you!
Dead Bird Brewing Company
Being “Milwaukee’s only vegan arcade brewery,” and all, it’s no surprise Dead Bird Brewing Company accepts PakTechs. The brewery that’s based near the Brewer’s Hill neighborhood will give you a free pint in exchange for 10 of the things. Dead Bird’s owner/brewer Nick Kocis says they prefer 4-pack carriers that are black in color.
Gathering Place Brewing Company (Milwaukee and Wauwatosa)
Gathering Place Brewing Company, which has locations in Riverwest and in Wauwatosa, will also take your PakTechs. A total of 15 carriers (4-packs only!) are good for a free standard pint from either location. We’re told this offer excludes barrel aged options and other special releases.
Ope! Brewing Co.
Last but certainly not least, we come to Ope! Brewing Co. The West Allis-based brewery will not give you a free pour for your PakTech, but they’ll happily give you a dollar off a tap beer in exchange for each carrier redeemed in their taproom. Bring back one to knock a buck one a single brew or come with a bunch and enjoy the savings over the course of a visit. Co-owner and brewer Kyle Ciske tells us Ope! only uses standard 4-pack carriers for its canned beer and slim can holders for its seltzers. Those are gladly accepted “so we can reuse them and keep them out of the trash and recycling,” but they’ll also accept standard PakTech sixer holders and “find a home for them with other breweries that package in a 6-pack format” so they stay out of landfills.
That’s what we have so far. Hopefully this will inspire you to keep your PakTechs out of the trash can and recycling bins. Collect those can carriers, pay a visit to a local taproom to enjoy a free/cheap pint, save some money, and help the environment in the process. Cheers!
