Leinenkugel’s Brewing Company president Dick Leinenkugel shows off the new mini-brewery Thursday that the company has launched inside the Leinie Lodge in Chippewa Falls. Leinenkugel said it will allow for innovation in trying new brews.

Leinenkugel’s Brewing Company president Dick Leinenkugel shows off the new mini-brewery Thursday that the company has launched inside the Leinie Lodge in Chippewa Falls. Leinenkugel said it will allow for innovation in trying new brews.

CHIPPEWA FALLS — A new, in-house pilot brewing system launched at the Leinie Lodge has produced its first beer. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the lodge Thursday to celebrate the opening of the mini-brewery, which will allow workers to make between three and seven barrels at a time.

“The capability it gives us for innovation is tremendous,” said Leinie’s president Dick Leinenkugel. “It will help us develop beers for the future. It gives us flexibility. Ideally, we’ll hit on something, and we’ll get positive feedback.”

The first new brew is actually a centuries-old family recipe, a variation of Leinie’s original, with more malt and a spicier hop. Leinenkugel said employees started making it four weeks ago, and it was ready to be shared with the public Thursday.

Because the beers will be made in small batches, most will only be available on tap inside the Leinie Lodge.

To make way for the new system, Dick Leinenkugel’s office and a storage wing on the south side of the lodge were removed. Leinenkugel didn’t want to divulge total costs, but he said the new system cost more than $1 million. The idea for the new brewing project started two years ago.

Tony Bugher, who will become Leinenkugel Brewing Co. president in January 2023 when Dick Leinenkugel retires, pointed to the large glass panes that show off the new equipment.

“It’s great for our visitors who want to see our beer and see how the sausage is made, so to speak,” Bugher said.

Bugher echoed Leinenkugel’s comments that this mini-brewery will spark innovation.

“Our expectation is we get the next big thing out of this for Leinenkugel’s,” Bugher said. “We’re thrilled we are up and running.”

Brewmaster John Hensley said he will be pulling from the company’s entire history of brews.

“I’m excited to bring innovation back in-house to Leinie’s,” Hensley said. “We have ideas in the works for new, innovative brands.”

Chippewa Falls Main Street director Teri Ouimette praised the company for making the investment in the lodge, which adds to the tourist destination.

“The community support is fantastic. I’m excited for the unveiling,” Ouimette said. “Leinie’s is the cornerstone of downtown, and we’re excited to see this come to fruition.”

Any beers that are considered successful with lodge visitors could wind up being brewed in larger quantities across the street in the main brewery.

The 13,500-square-foot Leinie Lodge opened in its current location on June 15, 2003, at a cost of about $2 million. Prior to the pandemic, the lodge was seeing about 120,000 visitors annually.

In the old lodge, adjacent to the brewery, the company averaged about 32,000 visitors annually. Visits jumped once the new lodge opened.

The lodge has 75 employees, most part-time or seasonal workers. That doesn’t include the people working in the brewery.

Plans for the new lodge were announced in September 2001. The lodge was built on a 2-acre site that once was the home of the Woolen Mill, across Duncan Creek from the brewery. To connect the brewery — and the tour — to the lodge, a 114-foot walking bridge was constructed over Duncan Creek.

The brewery generally doesn’t release production numbers, but on a daily basis, about eight beers are brewed in Chippewa Falls. It’s about 40,000 gallons of beer brewed a day. Most of the Leinenkugel’s varieties are made locally, but some of the top-sellers, like Summer Shandy and Honey Weiss, are also made in Milwaukee.

Contact: chris.vetter@ecpc.com

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