By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published Dec 05, 2023 at 10:01 AM

Riverwest's Amorphic Beer, 3700 N. Fratney St., Brew City's most science-y brewery, has worked out the equation for success, it seems, as the brewery is celebrating its second anniversary this week.

That's (6t^3 + 1)^3 - (6t^3 - 1)^3 - (6t^2)^3 = 2 to you (I think).

It's obviously also figured out the formula for popular beer as it has brewed 120 batches of beer during that time, with, as Hockersmith points out, only a few repeats.

Celebrate along with co-owners Ron Hockersmith and Alan Willhite and Joe Broeckert on Saturday, Dec. 9 from noon until 10 p.m.

There will be a live music in the back room, food trucks and, of course, a day full of beer releases at two bars.

Here are the special brews (with descriptions from Amorphic):

  • Floofy Chonks (10.5% ABV) - Our first Triple IPA with Nectaron, Motueka, and Mosaic Cryo, with a hint of Madagascar vanilla added for that birthday treat.
  • Dumbbell Indemnity (7.4% ABV) - Double IPA with Riwaka, Nelson Sauvin, and Phantasm powder.
  • Artemis Orange (7.6% ABV) - Double hard seltzer with orange, coconut cream, and vanilla. Basically orange julius from the mall, but boozy and vegan!
  • Experimental Habanero Hazy (7.4% ABV) - Our latest experiment incorporating roasted habanero chiles into a hazy IPA without overpowering heat.

Plus, we're promised three different Czech lagers, sours, seltzers, and two barrel -aged beers from Amorphic's Black Friday 2023 releases.

As for food, from 3 until 8 p.m., Pizza Ortolana will make pizze napoletane in its trailer and Romero's taco truck will serve tacos, carne asada fries and more.

Meanwhile live on the woodshed stage, you'll hear :

  • Thick Needles, 4 p.m.
  • Floor Model, 5:15 p.m.
  • Secret Menu, 6:30 p.m.
  • Wave Chapelle, 7:45 p.m.

As usual, the Riverwest Brewing Syndicate's free FIVE THREE BREW ONE TWO shuttle will run from 2 until 7 p.m. in 35-minute loops between all five neighborhood breweries (Gathering Place, Company, Black Husky and Riverwest).

Happy birthday, Amorphic!

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.

He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.

With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.

He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.

In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.

He can be heard weekly on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories.