February Spotlight:
A Legacy of Lake Friendly at Lakefront

Written by Erin Keleske, Water Centric City Program Coordinator for the Environmental Collaboration Office
February 10, 2020

Lakefront Brewery has been a leader in sustainability for so long, they practically define what it means to be Lake Friendly. The award-winning business provides a uniquely Milwaukee experience and is frequently hailed as an essential stop for out-of-town visitors. Situated on the Milwaukee river with waterfront access to the historic RiverWalk, it’s no surprise this community staple chooses to serve their eclectic array of organic beers, locally-sourced fish fry, and (of course) Wisconsin cheese curds all from sustainable, Lake-Friendly serviceware.

But this story starts long before Plastic-Free MKE volunteers stepped through their doors-- brothers Jim and Russ Klisch have been dedicated to environmental stewardship since the company was founded in 1987. In fact, their early operation recycled so much equipment from the dairy industry one food critic referred to it as a “Frankenstein operation.” Their current location continues that tradition, repurposing a retired coal-fired power plant into a flagship of sustainable brewing. 

From basic LED lights and electric hand dryers, to “glycol service loops with pressure-controlled variable frequency drives” and other energy-efficient equipment too complicated to cover in this article, Lakefront has spent the last 33 years in the constant pursuit of greener pastures. In fact, their website features an impressive six full pages of sustainability efforts. They even installed a 70 KW solar photovoltaic system to their Riverwest warehouse in 2017, keeping 56 tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere last year. 

Lakefront Brewery’s commitment to providing reusable and compostable materials is another crucial step to both protecting our local ecosystems and catalyzing our communities into further action. Lakefront has been working with Compost Crusader, a Plastic-Free MKE Coalition member, since 2016 and has even committed to donating one yard of finished compost per 20,000 lbs of diverted waste back into community gardens, effectively closing their waste stream loop. 

Want a closer look at all of Lakefront’s Lake Friendliness? Check out their sustainable brewery tours, offered every Friday at 4:00 to learn more about their solar system, water conservation, and waste diversion. And don’t worry -- Lakefront has been using compostable cups on their brewery tours since 2008!

And while you’re at it, take some time to stop and smell their native drought-resistant flowers, enjoy some organic (or gluten free!) beer, and thank the Lakefront team for a job well done. We love supporting our Lake Friendly businesses!