MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee is known for beer. It’s the birthplace of Miller, Schlitz and Pabst.
Newer, smaller beer makers are popping up all the time. Two Milwaukee brothers are getting noticed for an amber ale with a Puerto Rican twist.
Yaphet Morlaes and his brother Jimmy Morales started experimenting with beer 12 years ago. They would come up with different brews just for family and friends to try.
“Being from Milwaukee, beer is really important to us and we really wanted to add that Latino flavor,” said Yaphet. “That’s why we started experimenting with tropical flavors.”
They turned their love for beer into a livelihood, creating Los Morales Brewing. It’s adding some culture to the local brewing scene.
“Being Latino, you don’t really see a lot of Latino breweries, so we kind of wanted to incorporate that into our beer,” said Jimmy Morales.
They had the CEO of MobCraft Beer try their latest microbrew creation. It’s a passion fruit amber ale with hints of guava. The beer, Playa Breeze, was immediately put into production at MobCraft for a limited, special release.
Seeing thousands of gallons of it being made at one time was something they’ll never forget.
“Seeing what came from a beer being made in a house and basement to being distributed to multiple states and being sold out that quickly was really humbling,” said Yaphet Morales.
The excitement over Playa Breeze doesn’t mean they’re quitting their day jobs. The Morales brothers both serve the Milwaukee community as members of law enforcement.
Jimmy Morales served for in the U.S. Army Reserve for seven years and currently serves as an officer for the Milwaukee Police Department. Yaphet Morales is currently an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard and has been a member for 10 years.
They said beer will remain their passion project and side hustle.
They’re ready to make history as Latino brewers. The Morales brothers said they are ready to come up with new bold flavors that honor their heritage.