Name: 30th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel-Aged Eisbock
Brand: Lakefront Brewery
SKU: jbb-13272
Rating: 3.5 (1 reviews)

According to Brewery President Russ Klisch, the whole brewery started with his brother, Jim. Near his birthday, Jim expressed interest in beer making, and Russ humored him by giving him a homebrewing book. To Russ’ surprise, Jim read the book, and brewed a beer. By Russ’ account, Jim was no gourmet cook, but he made a pretty good beer. Impressed, Russ decided he could brew one better. In short, sibling rivalry and common interest lead both brothers to begin entering homebrewing contests and winning awards. It wasn’t long before family and friends encouraged them to turn their hobby into a business.

The Klisch family has roots in the beer industry: their grandfather worked for Schlitz, driving a delivery truck and also worked as a chauffeur for the Uihlein’s. Russ remembers his grandfather bringing home short fills to his dad: “it was a cool job if you got to bring beer home at night.” Several family members also owned taverns. With that family history and their common interest in beer making, the brothers started their business. They decided to start small and chose a location within walking distance of their home: an old bakery building in Riverwest, at 818 East Chambers Street. They began brewing with 55 gallon stainless steel drums and used dairy equipment. On December 2, 1987 they sold their first barrel of beer to the Gordon Park Pub. With the brewery up and running, the infamous tour started soon after!