In mid-January, Chameleon Brewing bottled its first batch of beer. The new brewing company was founded by Randy Sprecher, founder of Sprecher Brewing Co. Inc., to make American craft beers.
Sprecher Brewing Co., established in 1985, is the oldest microbrewer in Milwaukee and one of the oldest in the United States.
Because Sprecher Brewing has a long-standing reputation for making European style ales and lagers, Sprecher decided to start a second brewing company to produce American-style craft beers.
“Today, American craft beers are considered the class act of the world,” said Jeff Hamilton, vice president and general manager of Sprecher Brewing. “We (American brewers) have creatively gone wild here.”
Chameleon Brewing was started to tap into the creative, vibrant American craft brew movement, while maintaining Sprecher Brewing’s heritage and following, Hamilton said.
“It was named Chameleon to represent the changing age in brewing,” he said. “We started it to have an appeal to those who don’t drink our Sprecher products today.”
Chameleon Brewing’s beers are made by Sprecher Brewing, but both companies are separate entities. Chameleon now has two employees who are working to get the beer into more stores and bars.
Chameleon’s first beer is named Hop on Top, an American pale ale, that highlights Cascade hops using a proprietary dry hopping technique that showcases the fruity, citrus notes of the hops without becoming bitter. Hop on Top is now available in several Milwaukee area bars. Six-packs should be available in liquor stores over the next several weeks, Hamilton said.
In early March, Chameleon will unveil its second beer, named Fire Light.
“It’s a Milwaukee style ale, similar to what we think Milwaukee’s original beers were like,” Hamilton said.
The formula for Fire Light was created by examining some of the recipes of Milwaukee’s heritage beers. Instead of brewing a lager, which would require cold conditioning, Chameleon’s Fire Light is an ale, which can ferment at higher temperatures – reflecting the fact that there was no refrigeration available during Milwaukee’s early history.
Later this spring, Chameleon plans to introduce a yet-to-be-named white wheat beer, Hamilton said.
The Milwaukee microbrew scene has grown in recent years. Its longstanding players – Sprecher Brewing, Lakefront Brewery and the Milwaukee Ale House’s Second Street Brewery – have been joined by a handful of brewpubs and brewing companies in recent years, including Horny Goat Brewing Company’s Horny Hideaway at 2011 S. First St., Milwaukee; the St. Francis Brewery & Restaurant, 3825 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., St. Francis; and Milwaukee-based Buffalo Water Brewing Co.
Although there is more competition in the craft beer world in Milwaukee, Hamilton there is plenty of demand in metro Milwaukee for Chameleon’s line of beers.
“I think there is a lot of opportunity in this area,” he said. “We don’t want to move (distribution) outside until we do it well here.”
For more information, visit www.cameleonbrewing.com.
