MILWAUKEE — New details are being released about an event called the “Red, White and Brew” party, that will kick off the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee.
Country music artist Trace Adkins will perform for delegates and guests at the welcome party on Sunday, July 14 at Henry Maier Festival Park. A group of local business leaders are helping make the event happen.
Jim Kanter, chief commercial officer of Central Standard Craft Distillery, is one of them. He shared a first look at one of Central Standard’s new drinks that will be featured at the “Red, White and Brew” party.
“This is literally a new product we just launched today,” said Kanter, as he showed the can of cherry vodka lemonade. Central Standard partnered with another historic Wisconsin brand, Leinenkugel’s, for the product.
Kanter is one of the co-chairs of the 414 Council, a group of business leaders and organizations that stepped up to help pay for the RNC welcome party. They are working alongside the nonprofit, nonpartisan MKE 2024 Host Committee.
“We want to make sure people have a good time,” he said. “The first thing you see and experience in a city, is usually what you remember the most. We’ll have brandy old fashioned bar, where you can choose what you want: sweet, sour or press. Then you can add your garnishes, so it’s like an assembly line of old fashioneds.”
Kanter said the 414 Council sees sponsoring the event as a key investment in Milwaukee, and a way to showcase Wisconsin products.
“Whether it’s Door County cherries in our Door County cherry vodka, or the honey from Indian Summer Farms, which is in Germantown, or the great grains we get from our farmers in Dousman, Wisconsin,” he described. “We’re all about boosting local companies.”
Anne Zizzo, the founder and CEO of Zizzo Group Engagement Marketing and Omar Shaikh, the developer of 3rd Street Market Hall and owner of Carnevor, are the other co-chairs of the 414 Council.
Shaikh said at least 15,000 delegates and guests from all over the country will come to the welcome party.
“This is what really shows we are a world class city, and that we can have the infrastructure and assets to win these large-scale conventions, to really win business in the long run,” said Shaikh.
This group of local business leaders said regardless of national politics, hosting a convention of this size is a huge opportunity for Milwaukee, and Wisconsin as a whole.
“The good news is people are going to have a great time here,” said Kanter. “They’re going to have great experiences whether it’s food, drink or hospitality, and that’s really the impetus of all this stuff in the 414 Council, to make sure people have such a good time that they’re going to want to come back at their own leisure.”