Brewery Offers Beer Made Of Christmas Tree Spruce

MILWAUKEE, WI — A Milwaukee brewery will release a beer brewed with spruce from the city of Milwaukee's Christmas tree at its taproom on Saturday.

Black Husky Brewing will release "Tree Sproose" beer, a 9.9 percent alcohol double IPA made with needles from the city Christmas tree at its taproom at 909 E. Locust St.

The beer will be on sale as long as supplies last, brewery co-owner Toni Eichinger told Patch. The beer release is through a partnership between the brewery and the city of Milwaukee.

Mike Connell and Katie Major donated this year's tree and helped bottle this year's Tree Sproose, the Milwaukee Department of Public Works said in a statement.

Great to join tree donors Mike Connell & Katie Major and their family/friends in bottling Sproose, brewed with boughs from the @cityofmilwaukee Christmas Tree. Big thanks to @BlackHuskyBrews for their hospitality and we look forward to the Double IPA's taproom release Dec. 4! pic.twitter.com/wua9cH3wFe
— Milwaukee DPW (@milwaukeedpw) November 24, 2021

Connell proposed to Major on Christmas Day 2020, and Major's grandfather made the suggestion to donate a tree, Eichinger said. This is the second year they have donated a tree to the city.

The beer is made with the help of the city of Milwaukee Forestry Department, and sales will benefit the Milwaukee Urban Forestry Fund, which supports planting trees at Milwaukee schools, parks and other green spaces, Eichinger added.

This year's Christmas tree was lighted on Nov. 18, the city's public works department said.