LEDGEVIEW, Wis. — Moving a number of hoses and clamps, Josh Green is preparing to transfer a batch of a new beer at Cocoon Brewing Co. from one vessel to another.
Green is the head brewer at the new brewery located in Ledgeview near Green Bay.
“We’re getting a transfer set up for a new hazy IPA. It’s called Clouded Yellow,” he said. “It’s got Strata Hops and Citra Hops in it. Very heavily dry hops and a lot of haze. We’re excited to have it out… soon.”
Cocoon opened in early February and has seen a brisk start to business. Green said part of his goal crafting the beer selection is staying ahead on customers trends.
“We’re just trying to do some new things. There’s not a whole lot new you can do in the business anymore, but we’re trying to stay ahead of it a little bit,” he said. “We’re doing a lot of hazy IPAs and stuff like that which are really popular right now. I want to get into pilsners and a lot of lagers, Czech-style lagers, that are coming around a little bit.”
The micro-brew business has boomed over the past decade. The Brewers Association reports there are more than 9,500 breweries in operation around the country.
Alex Wenzel opened Lion’s Tail Brewing Co. in Neenah in 2015.
“Since then, Wisconsin has grown from I think somewhere around 160 or so breweries up to the 250 range,” he said. “In most communities there’s one or several different breweries so we definitely have to keep providing new experiences for customers to come try.”
For Wenzel and Lion’s Tail, that means variety.
“We made 100 different beers in 2022, so really, it’s always something new here. We’ll release one or two beers every week,” he said. “There’s really no one beer we specialize in. We do a little bit of everything and have a lot of fun with that.”
Lion’s Tail has taprooms In Neenah and Wauwatosa.
The Brewers Association said more than 550 breweries opened last year nationwide. More than 200 closed. It forecasts the number of brewery openings to be at their lowest in a decade this year.
Cocoon Brewing’s CEO Matt Walters got into the business with his brother after a long-term interest in the craft beer scene.
“There are closings and openings, but it’s not like the restaurant industry as much,” he said. “Interest in craft breweries still seems to be pretty high. Certainly, around here everybody who comes in is saying ‘we needed this so much, thanks for opening.’ A lot of that stuff. We’re certainly encouraged.”
Cocoon features four rental cabins — or cocoons — for small groups.
“They can have as private of an experience as they want out there,” he said. “A lot of people don’t have the space for that type of thing or never even thought to do it and we randomly thought to do it. People seem to have really taken to it.”
Green said he looks forward to seeing the reactions of customers to his beers.
“It’s always been a passion of mine to put something out there that people like and want to drink,” he said. “t’s exciting to look out the window and see people drinking what you made.”