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w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m M a r c h 2 0 15 • I NSIGH T | 23 recent shortage that could have threatened production. Normally, the brewers of Northeast Wisconsin don't need to look that far, since almost all of the materials in the industry supply chain, from grains to packaging to equipment, can be found within the state. e lone exception is apparently bottle caps, which are sourced from Canada. "It's sort of an odd thing, but everything else is right here in Wisconsin," Titletown's Weycker says. A crisp finish M uch like Titletown's award-winning pilsner, Weycker expects a good clean finish to the brewery's expansion plans. e renovated cannery — a joint project with SMET Construction — not only houses the new tap room and expanded brewing capabilities, but several smaller companies occupy the office space on the second floor. A public market and retail space are in development for the remaining space on the first floor. Titletown's brewing capacity will increase from under 2,000 barrels a year to an estimated 7,000 barrels, with a maximum capacity of 35,000 barrels of beer annually. Jim Kratowicz, an experienced executive with stints at U.S. Venture and ShopKo, joined the brewery as chief operating officer in 2013 to help with the expansion and marketing. For Weycker, the expansion was a chance to contribute to the growing vitality of Green Bay's Broadway District, an area where Weycker grew up and worked in his grandparent's Sno-Cap drive-in restaurants (the root beer recipe from those drive-ins is brewed and served at Titletown). It was always about more than the beer, he says. "Part of it is bringing the industry back to this part of the state. But it was also important to play a role in revitalizing the Broadway District here in Green Bay." decision to leave his family's pre-cast concrete business and launch 3 Sheeps. By 2014, 3 Sheeps was being distributed in both Wisconsin and Illinois. In January, he signed an agreement for distribution in Minnesota. Similar to Badger State Brewing, 3 Sheeps is not tied to a brewpub. In fact, it doesn't even own the tavern that shares a building with it. "We are getting more and more people excited about beer," he says. "I just wasn't interested in the kitchen part." Collaborative competition W hile Northeast Wisconsin's cra brewers are certainly a competitive bunch, there is also camaraderie among them. For example, when Stone Arch was facing a challenge with its bottling line, the folks from Appleton Beer Factory stepped in to help. When Titletown Brewing was having issues with its steam lines, the founders of Badger State Brewing were quick to recommend a contractor they had success with. It's part of the greater passion that drives those in the cra brewing industry, Pauly says. "If any one of us is able to sway the consumer to drink cra beer, then we all win," Pauly says. "We all share a passion for beer. If we can help each other make better beer, it's better for everyone." Cra brewers also look to those who built cra brews into nationally known brands for inspiration, names such as Fritz Maytag of Anchor Brewing and Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada. Also on that list is Jim Koch of Boston Brewing Co., who in 1985 debuted his Samuel Adams Boston Lager in a handful of Boston restaurants and grew it into a nationally recognized brand. Remembering the challenges he faced starting out, Koch has established the Brewing the American Dream fund to help brewers and other entrepreneurs launch their startups with loans, coaching and educational opportunities. He also shared needed ingredients with small brewers during a Craft Brewers in Northeast Wisconsin 3 Sheeps Brewing Co., Sheboygan Ahnapee Brewing, Algoma Appleton Beer Factory Badger State Brewing Co., Green Bay Courthouse Pub, Manitowoc Door County Brewing Co, Bailey's Harbor Fox River Brewing Co./Fratellos, Appleton and Oshkosh Hinterland Brewery, Green Bay Legends Brewhouse and Eatery, Green Bay and De Pere Railhouse Restaurant and Brewery, Marinette RockPere Brewing Co., De Pere Rowlands Calumet Brewing Co., Chilton Shipwrecked Restaurant & Brewery, Egg Harbor Stillmank Brewing Co., Green Bay Stone Cellar Brewpub/Stone Arch Brewery, Appleton Titletown Brewing Co., Green Bay Source: Brewers Association Just what is a craft brewer? The Brewers Association, a national industry group, defines the American craft brewer as small, independent and traditional using the following criteria: Small — annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or fewer. Independent — less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer. Traditional — a brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation. Source: Brewers Association