USA, WI: Vennture Brew Co. taking over Biloba Brewing facility in Brookfield

Milwaukee’s Vennture Brew Co., 5519 W. North Ave., is taking over the Biloba Brewing facility in Brookfield, according to co-owner Simon McConico, OnMilwaukee reported on February 12.

Speaking on the Badger Beer Hour webcast, hosted by Milwaukee Magazine's Chris "Wisconsin Beer Baron" Drosner and Madison’s Greg “Daddy Porter" Washington, last Friday, McConico said that he and his partner Rob Gustafson are buying the brewery and taproom at 2970 N. Brookfield Rd.

The current Biloba owners, Gordon and Jean Lane are retiring, and a post on the brewery's social media noted that it will close for good on Feb. 17.

Gordon Lane started out homebrewing and Biloba first opened in a smaller building in 2014, moving to its current spot in February 2017.

Vennture, which brews both coffee and beer, opened in the Washington Heights neighborhood in 2018.

According to McConico, the sale is closing this week and Vennture aims to have the Brookfield taproom open by St. Patrick’s Day.

They plan to do some minor work in the taproom, such as painting, new signage and rearranging furniture before opening.

He said it's still unclear whether or not it will open with both beer and coffee or just beer to start.

"There's a lot of questions, on top of continuing to operate our current space and do things," McConico said. "A lot of things we're constantly plugging away on day in and day out."

While they’re also buying the 10-barrel brewhouse to help facilitate a much-needed increase in capacity, they don’t expect to begin brewing there until later.

“It’s a good spot,” McConico told Drosner and Washington. “There is nothing around, and there are people who are thirsty. (We want to) create community in a space where people want that and need that.”

He added that Biloba’s owners, “did a great job with creating community with the regular people who are in their taproom. Having the coffee aspect, it gives us kind of a broader spectrum of connection. We’ll be open the majority of the day vs. a handful of hours later in the day. It gives more opportunity to touch people.”

He told the Beer Hour that the deal has been brewing for more than two years and that he and Gustafson had not looked at any other potential locations, adding that they have both long been Biloba customers and that the Lanes offered guidance to them when they were were starting their Vennture.

"We've had a really wonderful relationship for a while," McConico said. "It seemed like something that just made sense."

13 February, 2024