Let Your Guard Down, at Third Space Brewing #Visitmke

 

Greetings Great Beer Now fans and followers! This is the second entry in a multi- part series of blog posts relating to the Great Beer Now No Fibs Allowed Beer Tour 2018: A True Beer City Experience, which took place in the great city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Open up your favorite Midwestern- brewed beer and follow along as I explore Wisconsin’s largest city in search of the best in local suds. Cheers!  

 

If there is one thing we could all use a little more of in our lives, it is space. No, I’m not talking about free movie passes to the latest Star Wars movie, I’m referring to the need for a place to be ourselves; a refuge from the everyday world where we can let our guard down, act the way we like, and forget the restrictions that so much of everyday life places upon us. There is one Milwaukee brewing operation that was founded on this need for personal, uninhibited freedom and it is appropriately named Third Space Brewing, located at 1505 W. St. Paul Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

No Encroachment

Third Space Brewing was opened in 2016 and features a warehouse/garage atmosphere with an outdoor beer garden and a good size interior space. The brewery utilizes a 30 barrel brewing system and packages its products in cans and on draft with some of its beer packaged in bottles.

Production at Third Space Brewing totaled about 2,200 barrels of beer last year. Just a short time ago, Third Space announced the addition of more brewing equipment. The positive response to its beer and the signing of a distribution deal necessitated the expansion of the brewhouse and with the added equipment, Third Space now has the capacity to brew 7,000 barrels of beer annually. And this year’s total could easily double the 2,200 barrels brewed in 2017.

Expanded Territory

When I visited Third Space Brewing, there were about 10 beers available and I managed to try half of them. Here is a listing of the beers I tasted, alphabetical by name, followed by the style and my Untappd rating on a 5- point scale:

• Happy Place, American Pale Ale, 4
• Java Blanca, cream Ale, 4.5
• That’s Gold, Kolsch, 4
• Unite the Clans, Scottish Ale, 4
• Upward Spiral, American IPA, 4.5

Overall Average Rating: 4.20

Third Space Brewing has an impressive lineup of beer and I found I loved each and every one of them, for different reasons. Upward Spiral and Java Blanca were my favorites overall, but I wouldn’t turn down any of them if offered.

Claim Your Space

Third Space Brewing is a relative newcomer to the Milwaukee craft beer scene. Founded only two years ago, Third Space was immediately surrounded by stiff craft beer competition but since that time, it has managed to make a name for itself as a brewery with excellent craft suds that can easily match or beat the best Milwaukee has to offer.

I visited Third Space Brewing in the late afternoon hours on a very warm early summer day. The beer garden looked tempting at the time, but given the bright sunlight and my own penchant for perspiring uncontrollably, I decided it best to find a place to park myself on the inside where I could try some beer and chat with personnel without the distraction of high temperatures. It was midafternoon on a Friday so there weren’t many people present yet. This was an ideal situation for me, since I wanted to, well, have some space while I contemplated Third Space Brewing and its place in the Milwaukee beer scene.

The atmosphere at Third Space is certainly quite chill and I like the garage door openings that serve as the entrance and connection to the beer garden. When opened, they allow for a wide open space (there’s that word again!) which is useful when you have large crowds of people moving to and from the building. Sitting on the inside, protected from the sun, I couldn’t help but gaze at my flight sampler of beer, the contents of each small glass glistening from the sun’s rays as they shone their way from the beer garden into the taproom through these large, open spaces.

I had already heard about Third Space Brewing’s growth prospects before I arrived and knew about its expansion efforts, so this wasn’t a complete surprise. One taste of the different beers offered at Third Space and it was easy to understand why the brewery has grown as much as it has. I loved every beer I tried and I can say with confidence that Third Space Brewing would likely become a go- to brewery of mine if I lived in the area.

Everyone needs a little space of their own; a place they can go where they don’t feel they have to wear a mask or behave according to a set of defined standards. Third Space Brewing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is that place- a brewery where you can be yourself, let loose if you prefer, and feast on some of the best beer the city has to offer. It’s an excellent place to shed the confines of society and a must- visit for the craft beer fan. So be sure to claim your space at Third Space Brewing the next time you’re in Milwaukee. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.