Black Friday at the Lincoln Warehouse Moves as One
By midmorning on Black Friday, the Lincoln Warehouse settles into its own rhythm. Open signs flip on early, hallway lights warm up, and the first visitors start moving between floors without much direction. With three breweries stacked inside the building, the day feels less like a crawl and more like a single connected gathering spread throughout the structure.
At Component Brewing, co-owner DJ Kowalske sees the pattern form early. People arrive knowing their day will not end in his taproom alone. Black Friday is one of their busiest days, anchored by a release designed for the holiday. “It is something pretty heavy, something you share,” he says. The bottle count is small by design, but the draw is the shared space. You can settle in for a drink and know another brewery is a short walk away.
That closeness shapes the entire day. The breweries work within the same building year round, borrowing ingredients, lending tools, and checking in on what the others are brewing. John DeGroote at New Barons Brewing puts it simply: “We all like each other.” Their beers do not overlap, their approaches do not clash, and the geography makes collaboration feel natural.
A floor up, Torzala moves through its own Black Friday rush. A minor flood greeted the brewers first thing in the morning, but co-founder Tricia Torzala waves it off as part of the building’s older personality. Nothing ever goes exactly right on Black Friday, and they have come to expect that. The draw for them is never just the release window. It is the conversations that build throughout the day, people talking Milwaukee stories, trading memories tied to the beer names, and recognizing parts of themselves in the taproom. “Connecting with people is the fun of it,” she says. Black Friday brings a steady, unhurried crowd that makes room for that.
As the day unfolds, the warehouse shows the benefit of having three breweries under one roof. Doors stay open, conversations spill into the hallways, and the stairwell becomes its own meeting point. People recognize each other from earlier stops and point newcomers toward the next taproom. The building does not feel divided by floors so much as linked by the people moving through it.
None of the breweries treat the day as a competition. Component leans into its annual barrel aged tradition. Torzala brings out beers tied to local history or neighborhood references. New Barons focuses on classic styles that anchor the cooler months. The differences do not separate them. They give visitors a reason to move through the building and see how each space adds something distinct.
Black Friday elsewhere can lean toward a narrow, solitary kind of consumption. Inside the Lincoln Warehouse, it becomes a reminder that Milwaukee’s beer community still works best when it works together. Three breweries share the same walls, trade the same hallway air, and shape a day that feels communal from the moment the doors open. What could be three separate events becomes one story told across multiple floors, neighbors brewing side by side, lifting each other’s work, and offering a holiday gathering shaped by the building itself.
Featured Breweries and Interviewees
Component Brewing
DJ Kowalske, Co-owner
New Barons Brewing Cooperative
John DeGroote, Head Brewer and Co-op Member
Torzala Brewing Company
Tricia Torzala, Co-founder and Director of Operations
Jeff Torzala, Co-founder and Brewmaster
Location
The Lincoln Warehouse in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood. Home to three breweries, a distillery, and a mix of artists, makers, and small businesses.
Black Friday Coverage
All interviews were conducted on site during Black Friday 2025 at the Lincoln Warehouse. Quotes and observations reflect the experience of the brewers throughout the day.
Music
Live in-taproom performance inside New Barons Brewing by Mitch Bell Music.
Production
Interviews, filming, and editorial by Cream City Think Tank.
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