USA, WI: Construction of North Pillar Brewing underway in Waukesha

Construction is underway at 212 E. North St., in Waukesha the future home of North Pillar Brewing. Business owners Ethan Boehm and Braden Hocking are looking forward to honoring the history of the building, GMToday.com reported on May 20.

"That location on 212 E. North St. was a brewery, Weber Brewing Company, that started over 150 years ago. So, it’s sort of hallowed grounds," Boehm said. "We went and looked at it and saw the potential of it. It is a very open space, allowing us to put our touch on it. The challenge has been how do we approach it and not strip away what the bones of this place is, while still making it very comfortable and accommodating and what we had envisioned."

Breweries in the building date back to the 19th century. In 1857, a man by the name of Henry Meyer opened a brewery on North Street before going bankrupt and selling it to Stephen Weber in 1862. The brewery remained in the Weber family for nearly a century.

According to the historical marker outside the building, the Weber Brewery had many different names during its operation, including West Hill Brewery, Bethesda Brewery, Weber Brewing Company and Weber Waukesha Brewing Company. During the Prohibition Era, the business was known as the Waukesha Dairy Company. The Weber Brewery grew a regional following and eventually merged with nearby Fox Head Brewery in 1958, vacating the building.

Most recently, 212 E. North St. was an auto shop, but Boehm is glad to bring the building back to its roots. “We want to grow upon what Waukesha brewing has been and the great history of Waukesha beer. There’s great options these days for taproom experiences throughout Waukesha and Milwaukee. We wanted to build upon that and make Waukesha the brewing hub that it once was, not only for Waukesha residents but people elsewhere as well.”

In order to pay homage to the history and location, Boehm and Hocking settled on the name North Pillar Brewing. “When you walk in there’s giant pillars that are pretty unique that are all throughout the facility. So, we thought that if there’s pillars inside and it’s on North St. and we wanted to build upon the brewing history, it all just worked,” Boehm said.

North Pillar Brewing is in its beginning stages of construction, but Boehm expects the brewery to be open for business by the end of 2023. He is looking forward to sharing his and Hocking’s talents with the community they live in. “We are definitely most excited about brewing some beer. We’re both huge home brewers and beer geeks. We have recipes and styles in mind all ready to go. We just want to be able to brew what we love and to pair that with what we think Waukesha residents will love. We can’t wait to pull that first tap,” Boehm said. “We’re Waukesha residents. We’ve got young families and we look at this place as a good place for families to go to. ... We want to do this not just for us, but for everyone in the community.”

Located near downtown Waukesha, Boehm and Hocking are leasing the building from ADH Properties which is being managed by Berg Management Company. Berg Management Company represents more than 150 commercial/office spaces throughout downtown Waukesha.

At its upcoming meeting on May 24, the City of Waukesha Plan Commission will address plans for improvements to the building in order to prepare it for the new brewing business. According to a request submitted to the City of Waukesha from Berg Management, North Pillar Brewing is looking to make some minor adjustments to the facade, including a new entrance, new awnings and windows, and an ADA-compliant ramp for easier access to the building. A memo from City of Waukesha Principal Planner Doug Koehler states that “staff would like to see [greenspace] and landscaping added in front of the building as well for a more aesthetic street presence along North Street.”

The memo goes on to state that in terms of interior improvements, North Pillar Brewing is looking to “include brewing space, restrooms, bar and seating space for the tasting area. Plans call for food trucks to service the facility at this time with the possibility of a future restaurant as part of the business.”

The plan commission will discuss North Pillar Brewing and other agenda items during its next meeting on May 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers inside Waukesha City Hall located at 201 Delafield St.

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