State bread, good cause inspire beer

Sahale Ale Works in Grafton recently developed a new brew to support Family Sharing of Ozaukee County.

Owner Matthew Hofmann said Born and Bread, a German-style maibock, uses day-old bread from Family Sharing’s food pantry and sale proceeds will go to support the organization.

“When I started this place in 2019, my mission was to be a good community partner and make connections that could be reciprocated,” Hofmann said.

The new beer was to be released on Wednesday, April 14, in honor of Milwaukee Day, since he was born and raised in Milwaukee. Hofmann said there are many variations of the bock style that come in all sorts of colors, but what ties them all together is they are stronger. His version has a 7.2% alcohol content.  

Hofmann said he initially contacted a few local bakeries but realized it would be best to work with Family Sharing because they have supported each other in the past.

“I didn’t expect them to have day-old bread, but they did. They allowed me to pick what I needed,” he said, noting the bread is given to Family Sharing from area grocery stores and bakeries. “I knew I wasn’t going to use Wonder Bread or cheese bread.”

He uses a mixture of artisanal bread such as baguettes and rye bread.

“I wanted to use something that wouldn’t have preservatives and hopefully would be a little more flavorful,” Hofmann said.    

This isn’t the first time the microbrewery has partnered with a local organization to brew a new type of beer. Last year, Sahale used staghorn sumac from the Riveredge Nature Center in the Town of Saukville to concoct Wisconsinade Gose, a German-style wheat beer.

Hofmann said he hopes to continue working with Family Sharing, Riveredge and other local organizations. He said he is planning to create another beer in May, using dandelions sourced from the Mequon Nature Preserve.

“I want to continue using these ingredients that are available in the county to help support local causes and introduce customers to other types of beers and flavor profiles,” Hofmann said. “I think it’s a win-win for everyone. I hope other organizations will want to work together.”