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 Exterior photo of Hacienda's Milwaukee taproom with 2022 branding, via Mike Simon |
Hacienda Beer Company is a microbrewery in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is strongly associated with the Door County Brewing Company, from which Hacienda was created in 2018. [A] Hacienda contract-brews their beer at 3 Sheeps Brewing in Sheboygan, and serves it in a joint taproom with Door County Brewing in Bailey's Harbor.
Hacienda originated in the family-run Door County Brewing Company. John and Angie McMahon founded the company in 2012 as a way of luring their sons Danny and Ben back to their Door County, Wisconsin, roots. [3] In 2017, Danny, Ben, and three other Door County Brewing employees founded Hacienda, giving an intentional branding for experimental and non-conventional beers—what a local Door County magazine called "bolder flavors". [4] [5] According to a later Hacienda general manager:
Hacienda was their attempt at doing more experimental stuff [like US] East Coast hazy IPAs, milkshake stuff, juicy IPAs ... things that are really popular out there. Door County was doing ... more straightforward stuff. [6]
Hacienda launched in February 2018 after waiting for the equipment needed to finalize a new 15-barrel brewery and taproom in Baileys Harbor. [4]
In November 2018, Hacienda announced that had signed a lease with Milwaukee developer Josh Jeffers to open a taproom of their own on the city's Upper East Side. The space was gutted inside in preparation for the new operators. [7] [B] Beer for the new location was brewed in Door County Brewing's 15-barrel facility. [9]
The Milwaukee taproom opened in June 2019. It was part of a wave of new openings that reinvigorated the surrounding area and cemented a shift in its patronage from college students to young well-heeled professionals. [8] In November of the same year, the brewery added two lines of roasted coffee for sale, [10] and overhauled their food menu. [11]
In 2021, the McMahons departed Door County Brewing and Hacienda. [12] By 2022, Angie and Joe Sorge of Sidework Hospitality, the new operational managers of Hacienda, announced a brand "re-introduction" with the goal of making it less intimidating to casual visitors. Changes included a new exterior sign to highlight the taproom's kitchen offerings, another menu shake-up under new executive chef Ashley Turner, and the addition of hard seltzers. [13] [14] [15] [16] In 2023, Hacienda won the Wisconsin IPA Fest with a beer called Back to the Flow, a hazy IPA. [17]
At the beginning of 2024, Sheboygan's 3 Sheeps Brewing began contract brewing and packaging all of Hacienda's products. [18] By the middle of the year, Hacienda's Milwaukee taproom brought in 3 Sheeps to supplement Hacienda's meager customer base. The space, renamed "Triple Taproom & Kitchen", featured Hacienda and Door County Brewing on one side of the bar and 3 Sheeps on the other. The taps were separated by a wall. [19] Chef Ashley Turner departed during these changes. [20] The changes led to improved business, but not enough to sustain it. [21] Hacienda closed the Milwaukee taproom in August 2025. [22] A shared Bailey's Harbor taproom with Door County Brewing remained open. [21]
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| Publicity stills of Hacienda's Milwaukee taproom |
Hacienda's 4,500-square-foot (420 m2), 125 seat Milwaukee taproom was located in a 1913 building at 2018 E. North Ave. [8] [15] [23] The interior was designed by Milwaukee-based 360 Degrees. They aimed to create "a blend of casual, whimsical, yet hardworking, sophisticated and timeless qualities." [23]
Primary colors in the new taproom included blue, green, and orange. [24] The builders left cream city brick walls deliberately exposed while large hanging orbs lit the space. [6] Seats on the Prospect Ave. side of the building were upholstered with Madras fabric. [2] The way to the bathrooms was marked by a highly visible neon sign reading "flush vibes". [24]
The space occupied by Hacienda was originally constructed as separate buildings in the 1910s and 1920s, but over time their internal rooms merged. The building hosted a variety of businesses over the decades prior to Hacienda's occupancy: a hardware store, appliance store, bank, shoe store, florist, and a number of bars. [25]
Hacienda focuses on juicy IPAs, pale ales, and sour beers. [24] At its opening, it served around twelve beers, including: [8]