For young local breweries, questions always swirl around about monetary investment and where to get it. One Madison brewery will answer this dilemma on “Shark Tank.”
MobCraft, founded in 2013, will be featured on the March 11th episode of the ABC reality show, where they’ll vie for funding from the likes of Mark Cuban and Kevin O’Leary to invest in the budding company.
Henry Schwartz, MobCraft cofounder, couldn’t speak much about what happens in the episode before it airs, but he did have share what the experience was like.
“It was the most intense experience of my life,” Schwartz said. “I studied entrepreneurship in college, but for this, it was intense. You walk into the room, and you just pitch to the sharks.”
While the experience may have been tough, it was humbling and gave the MobCraft crew some great insight into how to pitch their brand.
“Preparing for the show, we really knew we had to make sharp projections and really pitch and do our research on the industry well. Even with all of our preparation, they were able to offer us some great advice for the future,” Schwartz said.
The future is bright for these folks, no matter what may come from their Shark Tank episode, as the team has big plans to expand in Milwaukee. MobCraft will be opening a new 14,000 square foot brewery in the Walker’s Point, Milwaukee neighborhood.
“We’re going to be super close to the Harley Museum, we’ll be near a few awesome local distilleries like Great Lakes Distillery and Central Standard Craft Distillery, and also close to Milwaukee Brewing Company,” Schwartz said. “There are tons of restaurants too in the area, which will be perfect for a growing brewing company like us. We’ve got a lot of outdoor space, and we’re so excited for our opening in June.”
In terms of space improvement with the move, Schwartz said the brand will have more than enough space to add another 2,600-2,800 barrels per year immediately. Eventually, they hope their total production at the plant could be anywhere from 20,000-30,000 barrels a year.
What sets MobCraft apart from other craft breweries in the area may be its unique business model. They’re a crowdsourced brewing company, meaning that every beer they brew comes from recipes that anyone can submit on their website. Each month, new beers are made, and new ideas are constantly being submitted, Schwartz said.
I decided that I’d try out one of MobCraft’s year-round brews, Batshit Crazy, to get a feel for what the company has to offer.
Batshit Crazy, MobCraft Brewing Company
Style
English Brown Ale, 5.6% ABV
Aroma
Very strong roast and coffee aroma, with slight hints of vanilla as well
Appearance
Deep chocolate brown with tan head
Taste
Coffee flavor is strong, but not too intense. There’s a slight sweetness as well, and also a slight bready taste in the finish
Room temperature taste
Flavor remains strong throughout, yet a tartness begins to develop in the finish
Consensus
A great Brown Ale, this is definitely a solid pickup from MobCraft. I would love to try out some of their more outlandish flavors, though, to see just what the company fully has to offer.
