Third Space Brewing hosts a gathering that connects veterans, community partners, and the Center for Veterans Issues.
On Friday night at Third Space Brewing, the room took on a different energy. What is normally a place for casual conversation and craft beer became a setting where veterans, community partners, and supporters of the Center for Veterans Issues could connect in an honest and meaningful way.
Years ago, CVI rented out most of the brewery for an event. After it wrapped, Third Space’s Austin Rothbauer stayed for a beer and ended up talking outside with a group from CVI. Somewhere in that unplanned conversation, something clicked.
“These are my people,” he said.
As the only veteran on the brewery’s staff, Austin is used to moving through the space with a different awareness. Being surrounded by others who had served felt grounding in a way that stayed with him. When he later reached out about creating a veteran-focused beer for the brewery’s Pints with a Purpose program, the connection deepened.
That beer became Charlie Mike, named for the military term meaning “Continue Mission.” Austin described the name as simple and natural, something that felt right from the start. He is proud that it is a canned beer and that he helped name it, proud that it honors service in a straightforward, unforced way.
The meaning behind it is personal. Austin has served with people who struggled after leaving the military. Knowing that beer sales help support veterans as they return to civilian life matters. It turns a familiar Milwaukee ritual into one small way to support that work.
Inside the event, CVI staff stayed immersed in conversation. Fund Developer Sarah Fierek said the night was a clear example of why community gatherings matter. CVI has served Milwaukee for more than thirty-five years, yet there are always veterans encountering the organization for the first time.
Throughout the evening, the team met veterans they had previously supported, veterans still learning about CVI, and veterans now working in fields like finance and wanting new ways to engage. For Fierek, that mix is the point. These gatherings build relationships, raise awareness, and keep the mission visible.
CVI President Greg Fritsch viewed the night through the lens of partnership. Leaders from across the veteran community attended, including the executive director of the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce. The brewery setting allowed people to be themselves.
“It gives our partners in the veteran community opportunities to socialize in a non-pressure, non-competitive environment where you are just getting to know each other as people,” he said.
For veterans who had never heard of CVI, that same casual environment made it easier to ask questions and learn about the organization’s work supporting those who have struggled to reintegrate after service.
For anyone who pays attention to how spaces shape people, the night at Third Space offered a quiet reminder of what a good setting can do. The brewery provided the backdrop. CVI brought the mission. The people who showed up brought conversations that mattered.
Events like this reveal something steady. A space becomes powerful when it helps people feel seen, when it sparks connection, and when it supports work that improves lives. For one night, Third Space Brewing became that kind of place, and Milwaukee’s veterans felt the impact.
If you would like to learn more about the Center for Veterans Issues and the work they do throughout Wisconsin, their programs and stories are available on the organization’s website. https://www.cvivet.org