MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) - More than a thousand people waited, some for more than 12 hours, for an extremely limited Black Friday sale. It was not for a TV, a laptop or a smart speaker. They were there for beer.

Lakefront Brewery’s Black Friday beer release has become a tradition for craft beer drinkers. Friday’s coveted offering was one of two four-packs with high-octane stouts and ales aged in bourbon, rye or rum barrels.

Unlike some Black Friday sales, Lakefront’s does not involve deep discounts or shoppers jostling toward the merchandise. The hours before the 8 a.m. opening actually look more like a tailgate or beer festival. Hundreds of craft beer aficionados brought coolers, chairs and even tents to the brewery grounds to pass the time.

“It’s really turned into a party,” said Zach Frankowski of Milwaukee. “It’s an excuse to open up a new beer and open up yourself to new people.”

Chicago’s Goose Island Beer Company started the Black Friday beer craze in 2010 with a limited release of its Bourbon County Stout. Lakefront offered its first Black Friday beer the following year.

Lakefront Brewery founder and president Russ Klisch said this day has turned into a beer drinker’s holiday in Milwaukee, with more than a dozen breweries offering special releases.

“I’m happy we have this holiday now where Black Friday means more than shopping,” Klisch said. “It means beer, and it shows not only for us; it gives brewers around the city a chance to shine.”