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It doesn’t look like much from the outside, just an old factory near Brewers Hill in the Riverwest area of the city. But inside of 1827 N. Commerce St. is a secret, a delicious, alcohol induced secret.

The site is home to Lakefront Brewery, one of the best (but lesser known) brewers in Milwaukee. For those of you unfamiliar with their product, the Lakefront tour may be the best $5 you spend in the near future.

The tour begins in the building’s Palm Garden Banquet Hall where guests wait for an available tour guide. The impatient among us can kill time by grabbing a free beer (each guest gets four).

Anyone who has been on a brewery tour before will not be initially impressed by Lakefront’s set up. The brewing area is a condensed version of some of the bigger facilities with the standard vats, pipes and various machines crammed into the back of what used to be an old coal plant.

What really makes Lakefront standout from its bigger competitors is the personality of its tour guides, production area and beer.

The guides, who very well may be drunk themselves, do a great job of injecting humor into what would be a dry presentation about how beer is made. Lakefront’s guides have developed a legitimately entertaining look into the brewing industry including a “Laverne and Shirley” sing-along and frequent jabs at the Miller plant.

“There are two big differences between the Lakefront tour and the Miller tour,” the perky tour guide stated near the entrance. “First of all, you all have a beer in your hand. Second, I have a beer in my hand.”

The brewing floor features several artifacts that highlight the history of Milwaukee. Visitors see Larry, Curly and Moe, the three original fermenting vats, painted aptly with corresponding stooges, from Lakefront’s founding in 1987.

The brewery also purchased the infamous Benny Brewer slide from County Stadium. Unfortunately guests are not allowed to slide head first into the giant beer mug as they have seen at so many Brewers games, a rule that raised signs of disappointment from many in the group.

Of course the main attraction of a brewery tour is sampling the final product, an aspect of the Lakefront tour that does not disappoint.

Guests are offered a wide variety of Lakefront lagers and ales before, during and after the tour. From year round beers like Cattail Ale and Eastside Dark (undoubtedly the best beer they have to offer) to seasonal selections like Organic ESB and Pumpkin Beer, Lakefront offers a drink to suit any preference.

The tour is a bit on the short side, clocking in at a brief 45 minutes. But consider the perks one receives for a mere $5: four amazing beers, a Lakefront pint glass and a brief but entertaining look into the brewing process. Guests certainly get a lot more than what they pay for.

The Lakefront Brewery tour runs at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. every week day with an extra 1 p.m. tour on Saturdays.

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