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Pearl Street Brewery Celebrating 23 Years of Brewing Craft Beer in La Crosse, WI!

Pearl Street Brewery Celebrating 23 Years of Brewing Craft Beer in La Crosse, WI!
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Pearl Street Brewery Celebrating 23 Years of Brewing Craft Beer in La Crosse, WI!

Pearl Street Brewery’s original brewhaus was opened in the basement of the Bodega on the corner of 4th and Pearl Street in 1999 by Brewmaster and Founder Joe Katchever and his dad Tony Katchever. The inaugural tapping of their first keg was tapped by then Mayor John Medinger.

In 2004, Joe Katchever moved the brewery to a distribution center on front street while he searched for the perfect new home for his growing brewery. In 2005, Katchever, along with business partner Tami Plourde, started construction on their second location at 1401 Saint Andrew Street in the Historic La Crosse Footwear Building.

In 2006, they opened their taproom to the public with an expanded brewery housing a 20 BBL system.

In 2007, they bought a bottling line and began distributing their beers. In their home market, they were excited to partner with fantastic retailers such as Festival Foods, Woodman’s, People’s Food Co-op and Kwik Trip.

At the end of 2019 they added a new canning line and shrink sleever. Which allowed them to release 12oz and 16oz cans into the market in early 2020.

In 2019, they launched Turisimo Winery + Fermentations, a new wine division focused on collaboration projects with area wineries. They also partnered with Hoch Orchards and Hard Ciders to release their full line up into the Wisconsin market.

Coming up in 2022, expect to see wines in cans. More hard seltzer releases. And special small taproom only batches of draft beer.

Although these past few years have been challenging, Joe and Tami worked hard and they are optimistic for all that is to come.

Thank you for supporting Pearl Street Brewery, Turisimo Winery + Fermentations and our collective families!

Cheers too 23 years!

Celebrate this milestone in true Pearl Street Brewery fashion during the 23rd Annual Winter Ball. Join us!

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Beer Release: 2022 Community Harvest Ale at the 23rd Annual Winter “Disco” Ball

Customer Appreciation Party & 2022 Mug Club Sign Up!
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Pearl Street Brewery Releasing Its 2022 Community Harvest Ale at the 23rd Annual Winter “Disco” Ball

Saturday February 19, 2021 | 5-10 PM
$20 (Includes a Beverage at Entry)  | 21+
Pearl Street Brewery | 1401 Saint Andrew Street La Crosse, WI

For over 11 years, Pearl Street Brewery has collected hops from local, backyard hop-growers for use in their “Community Harvest” Ale. The annual small-batch brew uses hops from everyone to create a single batch brew. While the beer style changes from year to year, it’s always brewed with locally grown hops. Pearl Street Brewery invited area hop growers to bring in their crop to the brewery to be included in this year’s batch and, for each pound of fresh-picked hop flowers brought in, the grower received one ”pound” of beer (a pint) at the time of donation as well as one “pound” of the Community Harvest Ale, once it has been brewed. The hobby hop growers along with the rest of the locals can look forward to trying this beer later this month. 

This year, attendees to the Pearl Street Brewery’s 23rd Annual Winter “Disco” Ball will get first dibs on the Community Harvest Double IPA. 

Giving it back

Pearl Street Brewery donates proceeds from every pint of Community Harvest Double IPA purchased at the Tasting Room. Proceeds from the beer will benefit local nonprofits. Area pubs and restaurants will have the opportunity to participate too; by serving the beer throughout the Winter. 

“A community collaboration! Every year we brew this beer with hops grown in back yards all over town. People love to participate in the beer they drink. This year it’s a DDHDIPA. Folks can expect a very hop-forward, juicy, cloudy, and malty beer.”  – Joe Katchever – Owner, Founder

23rd Annual Winter “Disco” Ball
Saturday, February 19, 2022 | 5-10 PM
$20 (Includes a Beverage at Entry)  | 21+
Pearl Street Brewery
1401 Saint Andrew Street La Crosse, WI

After Winter “Disco” Ball, hop growers who brought in their crop to the brewery will receive one ”pound” of beer (a pint) of the Community Harvest Ale in the Tasting Room. Interested restaurants and locations willing to participate in the charitable aspect of this beer may reach out to Tami at Pearl Street Brewery.

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23rd Annual Winter “Disco” Ball

Customer Appreciation Party & 2022 Mug Club Sign Up!
Buy Tickets!

23rd Annual Winter “Disco” Ball

Saturday February 19, 2021 | 5-10 PM
$20 (Includes a Beverage at Entry)  | 21+
Pearl Street Brewery | 1401 Saint Andrew Street La Crosse, WI

On Saturday, February 19th, Pearl Street Brewery will be celebrating their 23rd Annual Winter Ball. The event will include live music, food from Monkey Business Food Truck, craft beverages, as well as offerings from Turisimo Winery & Fermentation.

Last year,  it was called the “Snow Ball” because it was held outside in the snow and under the stars. The year before it was the “Beach Ball” with grass skirts, tiki huts and sun lamps everywhere. This year, get ready for the “Disco Ball!” That’s right. Bust out those 70’s heels, bell bottoms and fly-collared shirts. Then, get ready to bust a move as the disco era returns to La Crosse for just one night!

Music includes Disco Dj-ing with Jesse Gomez, the Twin Cities’s The Lonesome Losers, and the La Crosse favorites, the SpaceHeaters.

The Lonesome Losers are the Twin Cities premiere tribute to Yacht Rock & Disco. Covering a blend of soulful smooth soft rock hits that range from1974 to 1984. Featuring music by artists such as Christopher Cross, Ace, Player, Carly Simon, Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, Orleans, Pablo Cruise, Toto, Supertramp, Gerry Rafferty, Climax Blues Band, Grover Washington, Jr., Linda Ronstadt, Nicolette Larson, Steely Dan, Stevie Nicks, Carole King, Captain and Tennille, George Michael, Ambrosia, The Little River Band and so many more. The Lonesome Losers provide a night of unforgettable talent paired with a one of a kind catalogue of songs that is sure to keep your guests dancing, singing and “Reminiscing” all night long.

SpaceHeaters is an original horn-heavy funk-rock band, formed in the driftless valley with the sole mission of delivering tasty grooves and unparalleled performances. The band consists of Jordan Shackleton on Drums and Vocals; Trajan Schaub on Guitar and Vocals; Tyler Glasel on Trombone, Guitar, and Vocals; and Troy Glasel on Bass and Vocals. The guest horn section features Mark Glasel on Trombone, Jeff Kitzman on Trumpet, and Nate Johnson on Saxophone. We’ve been making music as a band since 2012 and are currently finishing up a 6-song EP with Ground Breaking Studios.

Special release one-off beers, wine spritzers, sparkling wines, and hard cider mixers will be featured along with a lineup of award-winning Pearl Street Brewery beers. Food is available for purchase from Monkey Business Food Truck.

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History of Winter Ball 

Joe and his dad, Tony started Pearl Street brewery in the basement of a bar in downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1999. A legend was born that Winter, and a storied and colorful history followed. Now, 23 years later, the brewery is celebrating another Winter Ball in its home on the Northside of La Crosse. Over the years, this annual anniversary celebration has taken many different forms at many different locations. All of them are full of great memories for those lucky enough to attend.

The very first Winter Ball in 1999, took place at the Bodega. It has also been held at Bluebird Campground, Westby Rod & Gun Club, El Coco Loco (closed), twice in an historical 1800’s barn. One time it was held out in Timber Coulee in the heart of the Coulee Region. This year, folks will come from far and wide to celebrate at the brewery in their Saint Andrew Street location.

Pearl Street Brewery Announcing its 4-part Seasonal Sour Series

Seasonal Release of Gosecopia made with Wisconsin Cranberries.

When Pearl Street Brewery releases its 4-part Seasonal Sour Series it is throughout the year and they don’t traditionally have all four beers available all at once, this year the stars have aligned and customers will be able to pick up Pearl Street Brewery’s Pop Gose, 17-UP Lemon Lime Gose, Sour Winter Gose, and Gosecopia all at the same time! 

These sours have undergone spontaneous primary fermentation with native microbes found in the air in La Crosse, Wisconsin. This natural, terroir fermentation doesn’t just create an inviting sourness, but also connects this beer to our land and our community. 

Pop Gose – The complex flavor profile is built with lavender and hibiscus flowers, both tart and aromatic, while cucumbers lend a light, fresh taste. It’s as refreshing as the spring thaw in Wisconsin. (Seasonal Spring Release – 5% ABV 3.5 IBUs)                           

17-UP Lemon Lime Gose – Originally brewed to celebrate 17 years of The Pearl Street Brewery, this is a tangy and refreshing conundrum. This particular Gose is flavored with natural lemon-lime essence for a mind-warping exbeerience. (Seasonal Summer Release – 4.8% ABV 3.5 IBUs)                                                                                       

Sour Winter Gose –  The brisk tangy backbone is a lot like the brisk Winter air around here. This beer also contains unrefined, ancient sea salt, fresh spruce tips harvested by our friends up in the mountains around Juneau, Alaska and the essential oil pressed from the skins of the rare Italian Bergamot orange. (Seasonal Winter Release – 4.8% ABV 3.5 IBUs)       

Gosecopia – Fourth in our seasonal sour series, this Gose is flavored with natural guava, mango, and locally sourced cranberry for a bountiful exbeerience.   (Seasonal Fall Release – 5.3% ABV  3.5 IBUs)      

About Pearl Street Brewery

Pearl Street Brewery has been creating award-winning craft beers in La Crosse, WI for 21 years.  Their beer can be found in restaurants, bars, and retailers all over Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota.  Patrons can visit the Tasting Room Tuesday through Sunday.  The brewery hosts many community events and has been very involved in local charity work since it first opened in 1999.

SEE THE 2021 BEER CALENDAR

Pearl Street Brewery’s El Hefe Bavarian Hefeweizen is back!

Be the Brewmeister!

El Hefe Bavarian Hefeweizen is back in brewing rotation at Pearl Street Brewery, last brewed in 2019, this full time to seasonal brew was paused to make room for other new beers that hit the market and the public demanded to have it back, the Bavarian-style wheat beer is available in bottles and on tap. 

“We got some push-back when we stopped production of this beer” says Brewmaster Joe Katchever, “this one customer in particular would buy seven cases of El Hefe every week from the grocery store and when she couldn’t get it any more, she took it out on the clerks at the store so, they would keep asking me when it was coming back.” He went on to say, “She ended up buying ten cases last week when it was back on the shelf!”

The El Hefe is a Bavarian-style wheat beer brewed with American barley and wheat malts. Fermented with Weinstephan yeast for a subtle banana clove aroma often found in Bavarian wheat beers. Traditionally unfiltered, and usually served with a wedge of lemon. 5% ABV  8 IBUs. 

As one of our beers from our original line-up back in 1999, this notable beer is great for the summer season. It pairs really well with any backyard BBQ, it’s a great addition to a day on the river or some quiet time and a good book. This sessionable ale has always been a fan favorite!

Be the Brewmeister!
Be the Brewmeister!

Pearl Street Brewery to Can Flagship Favorite Java Lava Coffee Stout and Special Seasonal Selections

Pearl Street Brewery to Can Flagship Favorite Java Lava Coffee Stout and Special Seasonal Selections

Pearl Street Brewery will be distributing more of its flagship beers in cans, including the Java Lava Coffee Stout along with its selection of yearly seasonals including Rumpshaker IPA, That’s What I’m Talkin’ ’bout Organic Rolled Oat Stout, and Al Caporter

Java Lava Coffee Stout 

This stout is brewed with an infusion of fresh,  locally roasted Guatemalan coffee beans from our friends at Bean Juice coffee roasters. The dark beans are steeped in our stout until optimum flavor has been reached. You’ll find a fresh coffee aroma with roasty, toasty undertones. 5.5% ABV  14 IBUs 

Rumpshaker IPA

Looking more like a milkshake than a beer, brazen turbidity and bright, juicy hops mark this style. Our version is a hazy non-fruited version. 6% ABV 65 IBUs

That’s What I’m Talkin’ ’bout Organic Rolled Oat Stout

This Rolled Oat Stout is a full-body black malt Betty and is reflective of the industrial rail systems that plow through Wisconsin. It’s chocked full of organic rolled oats, chocolate and black malts and a variety of hops. And even with all that, it won’t weigh you down. Which means pint after pint, it’s full steam a-mocha brown-head.  5.5% ABV  14 IBUs

Al Caporter

A porter featuring an abundance of chocolate malt, a rich dark brown color, infused with even more chocolate flavor, and a noticeable dose of strawberry essence for the flavor and aroma of a fresh chocolate-covered strawberry. 6% ABV

About Pearl Street Brewery

Pearl Street Brewery has been creating award-winning craft beers in La Crosse, WI for 21 years.  Their beer can be found in restaurants, bars, and retailers all over Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota.  Patrons can visit the Tasting Room Tuesday through Sunday.  The brewery hosts many community events and has been very involved in local charity work since it first opened in 1999.

SEE THE 2021 BEER CALENDAR

2020 Year in Review: Hello Friends and Neighbors!

Hello friends and neighbors!

When things got weird in 2020, we got to work!

Over the last year we installed a brand new canning line. With an automated de-palletizer by Ska Fab and state-of-the-art sleever for a high quality label look and feel matched up with a top-of-the-line Angelus filler/seamer. We invited the public in to participate in our very first can run! By the end of the day we were knee-deep in beer cans and foam but we had a blast!

We also completed installation of a new 100 barrel hot liquor tank which required a crane and a huge hole in the side of our building on the second floor. This new tank replaces a smaller one and will help us continue growing our production.

As far as turning out new products, 2020 was one of our most productive years yet!

Working side-by-side with the incredibly talented ladies of On Three Print + Design, we created fancy new label artwork for several of our favorite brands and rolled them out in cans:

DTB Brown Ale (12oz & 16oz six packs)
Linalool IPA (12oz and 16oz cans)
Me, Myself & IPA (16oz four packs)
Pearl Street Pale Ale (12oz six-packs)
Lederhosen Oktoberfest Lager (12oz four packs)
Shitty Lyte Beer (12oz and 16oz six packs)
Tambois Raspberry Frambois (12oz four packs)

New Products

We have developed and released new products this year, too! Some we were working on as far back as 2019:

V/O Haze Vanilla Orange IPA (16oz 4-packs)
Supreme Fatty Juicy IPA (16oz four packs)

Turisimo Winery and Fermentations

In 2020 we also formed Turisimo Winery and Fermentations, a beverage creation company which specializes in collaborations with other local producers and uses the brewery’s production and packaging capabilities. Turisimo collaborated with friends at Hoch Organic Orchards of La Crescent, Minnesota to bring to market some of their amazing, hand made ciders:

Purple Reign Semi-sweet Raspberry Cider (12oz Four Packs)
Cidre Nouveau British Style Dry Cider (12oz four packs)
Honey Honey Semi-Sweet Cider with Honey (12oz four packs)

Turisimo also dove into the Hard Seltzer market in 2020 with a line called H2 Uh-Oh! The first two thirst-quenchers are available in 12oz six-packs:

Cucumber-Lime
Black Cherry Strawberry

Turisimo is also working with local vineyards and making wine from locally grown fruit! Currently available on tap in the Tasting Room are:

Marquette off-dry red
Frontenac Gris light blush
Red Cherry Red made with Door County cherries

I am hoping many of these experimental projects blossom into something more! Keep your eyes open for a new line of canned wines coming this year.

Winter SNOW Ball

Pearl Street Brewery to offer wines at their 22nd Annual Winter Ball!

After all the unknowns in 2020, this Winter Ball is a very special day for those of us at Pearl Street. We layed off 12 people in March and had no idea what was in store for us after that. I’ve watched breweries all over the country close up shop this year. We worked hard and got creative to survive and on February 13th we are not only celebrating 22 years of Pearl Street Brewery, but we are celebrating survival. Even after getting all this stuff done here over the last year, we still made time to create some new and exciting beers for the Winter Ball. Every year we release five new beers and this year is no exception.

On Saturday, February 13th, Pearl Street Brewery will be celebrating our 22nd Annual Winter Ball outside, in front of the brewery. The outdoor event will include live music, bonfire, food sales, and the release of five new and exciting Pearl Street creations as well as offerings from Turisimo (Tur-E-see-mo) Winery.

For the first time ever, we will offer house-made wines at their Winter Ball. Over 2020, we diversified ourselves into a winery! Wines and hard seltzers made at the brewery are made under the name Turisimo Winery and Fermentations.

Since 1999, Pearl Street Brewery, which was then located in the basement of the Bodega in downtown La Crosse, has had it’s annual anniversary celebration in many different forms and at many different locations. The very first Winter Ball in 1999, took place at the Bodega. It has also been held at Bluebird Campground, Westby Rod & Gun Club, El Coco Loco (closed), twice at the Jorgenson Farm and many times at the brewery.

Precautions being taken include contactless check-in, limiting capacity, sanitizing stations, and single use drinkware. Admittance to the Winter Snow Ball is $10 per person and ticket sales are capped for social distancing.

Sincerely, Joe, Tami, and Sprout!

SEE THE 2021 BEER CALENDAR

Pearl Street Brewery’s Seasonal Release of Dankenstein IIPA Is Out Now

Seasonal Release of Gosecopia made with Wisconsin Cranberries.

With each Fall comes the anticipated release of  Dankenstein IIPA! “Dank” is a freak of a beer brewed with a monster mix of pure barley malts stitched together with a hodgepodge of the stinkiest hops Pearl Street Brewery could find. This beer is determined to be quite dank with a starting gravity of 19.2 and colossal quadruple-hoppings in the brew kettle. It is unfiltered and cask conditioned for the freshest flavor. (Limited Fall Release – 10% ABV & 146 IBUs)

The Seasonal Dankenstein IIPA will be available in stores in La Crosse County and around Western Wisconsin and will be available on tap at the Pearl Street Brewery Tasting Room. 

What does “cask conditioned” mean? 

Carbon dioxide gas (CO2) comes from the fermentation of beer. Before modern brewing practices were possible, beer was transferred into casks (barrels) and bottles before it was fully done fermenting, so some of the CO2 would become trapped inside to make the beer bubbly. Alternately, a shot of fermentable sugar was added just before kegging or bottling to give the yeast fuel to make enough CO2 for a nice, bubbly head. Nowadays, virtually no beer is produced this way. Most beer has carbonation bubbles added to it to give it that nice head we all love so much.

When we brew Dankenstein, we condition the beer in casks and bottles, just as it was brewed for thousands of years before modern brewing practices were employed. The result? A refined flavor with a dense, rocky head and a little sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Some like to pour the beer into a glass and leave the sediment behind, but we like to swirl it around and drink the healthy yeast sediment.

Dankenstein IIPA will also be available in La Crescent, Winona, and south eastern Minnesota. Bars and Restaurants interested in putting Dankenstein IIPA on tap or selling it in bottles can contact Pearl Street Brewery.

Take a Brewery Tour at Pearl Street Brewery!

Pearl Street Brewery’s Seasonal Release of Gosecopia made with Wisconsin Cranberries

Seasonal Release of Gosecopia made with Wisconsin Cranberries.

Pearl Street Brewery is releasing another seasonal favorite in early November. Gosecopia is Pearl Street’s sour Fall ale and one of four seasonal Goses brewed by Pearl Street each year.

During the brewing, the beer is naturally inoculated with wild, native microbes. This traditional brewing process dates back thousands of years and is still used today in some of the most exclusive beers in the World. Pearl Street founder and Brewmaster, Joe Katchever points out that this, “natural, terroir fermentation doesn’t just create an inviting sourness, but also connects this beer to the land and to each person in the community.” Gosecopia is  fermented on natural guava, mango, and locally sourced cranberries.(5.3% ABV  3.5 IBUs).

The cranberries were recently gathered from Arendt Cranberry Company, in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. The family run farm utilizes the newest technology to improve upon the tried and tested methods used by farmers for countless generations.

Seasonal Release of Gosecopia made with Wisconsin Cranberries.

Bill Arendt is a second generation farmer who has been farming in Wisconsin all his life and is the  operating partner and manager at Arendt Cranberry Company. Since 1984, Bill has run the cranberry operation with his father and two others, adding acres, cleaning, receiving, transportation, fabrication, and processing fruit. Bill’s wife, Suzanne Arendt who has degrees in Wildlife Management and Soil Science, developed and implemented an integrated pest management system to increase productivity while reducing the farm’s dependency on pesticides. Suzanne operates the Quality Control laboratory where they ensure the quality of not only Arendt cranberries, but the cranberries of dozens of other Wisconsin growers. Every growing season since inception has seen them expand this small farm into one of the most well respected farms and businesses in the Nekoosa area.

Seasonal Release of Gosecopia made with Wisconsin Cranberries.

The Seasonal Gosecopia will be available in stores in La Crosse County and around Western Wisconsin and will be available on tap at the Pearl Street Brewery Tasting Room. Gosecopia will also be available in La Crescent, Winona, and south eastern Minnesota.

Bars and Restaurants interested in putting Gosecopia on tap or selling it in bottles can contact Pearl Street Brewery.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Pearl Street has followed Health Department recommendations by limiting capacity, increasing shared-space sanitation, encouraging mask-wearing, and making their own, “social distance spot savers”. They have also expanded their outdoor patio space so patrons can enjoy their beverages outside!

Carryout and curbside options are available at the Tasting Room.

Pearl Street Brewery

Pearl Street Brewery has been creating award-winning craft beers in La Crosse, WI for 21 years.  Their beer can be found in restaurants, bars, and retailers all over Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota.  Patrons can visit the Tasting Room Tuesday through Sunday.  The brewery hosts many community events and has been very involved in local charity work since it first opened in 1999.

Take a Brewery Tour at Pearl Street Brewery!

Linalool IPA Brewed by Pearl Street Brewery is Now Available in 12oz Cans

Pearl Street Brewery Announces More Fan Favorite Beers Moving to 12oz cans

Pearl Street Brewery has released another bottled favorite in cans. Linalool IPA, the only IPA brewed with Northern Discovery® hops. Featuring a crisp golden yellow color, and the unique aroma of lilac, pear, and bruised apple.

Linalool IPA is brewed with this rare species of hops that was discovered growing wild by a UW-Madison Horticulture Botanist, who was also a homebrewer. Upon brewing with the mystery hop, he also discovered that it made good beer. The family began cultivating this new hop variety on their Madison area farm and their curiosity got the best of them. They had the plant genetically tested to determine which strain it was, only to discover that it was not genetically identical to any commercially available strain of hops, making it a unique variety.

With a unique genetic fingerprint and 2.5 times more linalool (an aromatic compound that gives hops their essence) than any commercial variety. Northern Discovery hops are produced by a single Wisconsin grower — and Pearl Street Brewery has the exclusive rights to use this unique, indigenous hop variety, and it is featured in their Linalool IPA.

When Linalool was first brewed by Pearl Street Brewery, they were only able to brew it seasonally since there were not enough Northern Discovery hops available to meet the demand for the beer year-round. Since that time, production has ramped up to meet the demand for this unique and popular Wisconsin brew.

According to Brewmaster Joe Katchever there is science behind the aromatics in Linalool IPA. “the linalool molecule actually bonds to a carbohydrate found in the beer forming what is called a glycoside. Glycosides are odorless and tasteless but during aging, the molecular bond breaks and the linalool is released into the beer and you can smell it. By carefully controlling the pH of the beer, we can maximize the formation of glycosides.” ( 7% ABV  60 IBUs).

Other recently released canned beer includes D.T.B Brown Ale, Shitty Lyte, V|O Haze, and Supreme Fatty.

The new beers will be available in La Crosse County stores and in the PSB Tasting Room which is now open and is, of course, taking the necessary COVID-19 precautions as it states on their website:

So we can all be safe, we have social distancing placeholders at our bar, so customers can create a safe space around them wherever they are sitting or standing, we have hand sanitizer and masks available, and we’ve gone hog-wild on the cleaning and sanitizing of our Tasting Room.

Carryout and curbside options are still available and encouraged.

Take a Brewery Tour at Pearl Street Brewery!