Ian Wenger & Zach Clark met while cooking at a craft beer centric Irish Pub in Oshkosh, late 2010, and began homebrewing together in the spring of 2012. After catching the “brewing-bug” after only a few batches, they began looking into what it would take to open a brewery and a business plan was drawn up shortly after. Once the plan was revised and polished with the help of the UW-Oshkosh Small Business Development Center, the quest for a location and financing began. It was during this “blind-date” phase that the two were united with Mo, the third partner, and a small group of passionate individuals that shared the dream of opening a brewery. WIth the team assembled, they quickly got to work on procuring the building Fifth Ward bow calls home. The financing came about a year later and the plan was set into motion. Building plans were drawn, equipment was ordered and installed, permits were granted and on October 20th 2017, the first batch of Fifth Ward beer was produced.

Now deep into their 6th full year of operation, the business has expanded from serving the taproom and a handful of local bars and restaurants to now distributing across northern, eastern, and central Wisconsin through two separate distribution outlets and currently employs 14 people. The brewery has produced over 100 different beers and has been awarded Oshkosh’s Best Beer bar and Brewery several years in a row. Open year round, the taproom boasts 22 taps with filled with rotating selections, locally made frozen pizzas, board games and cards, and all the free popcorn you can eat. Plus you can enjoy our spacious beer garden during the warmer months!

Learn more about Fifth Ward Brewing Company.

 

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