In 2019, the Brewers rebranded their stadium's Friday's Front Row bar and restaurant to Restaurant to Be Named Later. Well, "later" has arrived.
On Monday, the Brewers announced a partnership with Leinenkugel's that will rebrand the renovated American Family Field space as J. Leinenkugel's Barrel Yard.
The year-round bar, restaurant and brewery is expected to open in March, complete with a new three-barrel brewhouse likely to be installed in January.
The space – which will feature a 27-foot-long bar with 48 tap lines – is still under construction. Milwaukee's Ramlow/Stein is the project architect. The Brewers announced in September that the restaurant would get a massive overhaul.
In addition to Leinie's favorites, like Summer Shandy and Juicy Peach, the Barrel Yard will also serve special beers made on site by a pilot brewer, who is expected to brew at least two new beers each month. Two examples – Hot Stove Rye and Brew City Pale Lager – were on draft to sample at Monday's press event.
"We're excited to bring back some hibernated beers from across Leinenkugel's more than 150-year history, and create some new ones, too," says Leinie's Master Brewer John Hensley. "But we're really going to let the fans dictate what we do here."
Hensley is currently looking to fill the pilot brewer position.
"We're casting the net far and wide," he says.
The Barrel Yard will be the second baseball stadium in the area to install a brewery. Lake Louie fired up its system at the Lake County Dockhounds' Wisconsin Brewing Company Park in November.
There will also be a main bar overlooking the American Family Field baseball diamond, and a range of other domestic and import beers will also be available.
"We're certainly honored to partner with the Brewers to deliver a unique brewery experience for fans," says Leinenkugel's President Tony Bugher.
"This project has been a big one and we're really looking forward to opening. We know fans will enjoy the opportunity to try new beers, brewed right here, that they can only get at the Barrel Yard."
The food menu will be announced closer to the opening date.
The Barrel Room will offer a variety of ticket packages for game days, but on those days fans can still walk in and order drinks to carry out.
Details on tickets and more can be found at BarrelYardMKE.com.
There will also be a private events room called the Brew Room.
"We are thrilled to reveal J. Leinenkugel's Barrel Yard at American Family Field with our valued partners at Molson Coors," says Brewers President-Business Operations, Rick Schlesinger. "We have worked closely to redesign the space and experience for our fans.
"What could be better than enjoying a beverage crafted right here at American Family Field, and sampling an amazing menu of food options? The Barrel Yard will be a must-stop for fans on game day, and also a popular non-game day destination."
Another major renovation at the stadium took place this past season when X-Golf opened to the public in September in the former club space in left field.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
