We couldn't help but notice that Downtown's new liquor store, the Blatz Market and Liquor, is currently the most viewed business listing in OnMilwaukee.com's Marketplace section. We wrote a short piece announcing its grand opening on Oct. 21, but if you readers want to know more, then more is what you'll get.
Here is the full story on owner Joe Woelfle's 1,000-sq. ft. beer, wine and booze shop.
Woelfle's introduction to the industry began when he took over ownership of Chicago Avenue Liquor, 309 N. Chicago Ave., in fall 2007. It's a great little place in South Milwaukee where he's on a first-name basis with almost everyone who frequents the shop. Still, he wanted something of his own and, living upstairs in the Blatz condos, he saw the available retail space on the ground level as the perfect opportunity.
Personal conveniences aside, he also saw a gaping hole in the Downtown liquor store market, where beer and wine lovers had little to choose from, other than the shelves at the grocery store.
His desire to be distinctive led him to open Blatz Market and Liquor, 1121 N. Broadway, inside a former Blatz Brewery building with original Cream City brick, vintage Blatz signage and a Wisconsin-centric beer selection that rivals the best in town. Of his 150 varieties, many call the heartland home: Lakefront Brewery, Ale Asylum, Rushing Eaters, Furthermore, Rush River.
Of course, among the depths of his 40-degree Blatz Cave beer cooler, you'll also find the cheap stuff like Pabst, Old Style and Blatz. Anyone returning a case of Blatz bottles gets a free T-shirt and pint glass, by the way.
Adjacent to the Blatz Cave is the famously popular "build your own six-pack" cooler, perpetually stocked with Woelfle's fresh new finds, the bulk of which you can read about in his beer blog.
"I try to keep the customer informed on new things I've tried and to spread the word on new arrivals," he says.
On the opposite end of the small store -- which feels clean and classy with a classic checkered floor, exposed brick and warm earth tones -- is his wine selection.
"The majority of my wines are from smaller wineries that make smaller batches that the big box stores just don't carry. My criteria for most of the wine you'll find here is that you won't find elsewhere in the $9 to $16 range. That's 80 percent of my wines."
Blatz Market and Liquor works with local wine distributor Purple Feet, who opts to work with local, independence restaurants and bars rather than huge grocery stores, to carry an impressive, unique selection of reds and whites.
The wine racks are arranged first by color, then by flavor: light and fruity to dark and heavy. If you don't know what you're looking for, he breaks down the process into simple terms: Red or white? Sweet or dry? If you prefer wine somewhere in the middle, you then literally choose a bottle from the middle of the aisle. It doesn't get much easier than that.
Look for beer and / or wine tastings at the Blatz Market and Liquor on the last Thursday of every month.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
