vegan & sustainability

we care,

and love

good

beer.

Dead Bird Brewing Company was founded in 2015 in Madison, WI, and in 2019, it found its new home in Milwaukee, WI.

Sustainability is a core value for owner Nick Kocis, who is dedicated to minimizing the brewery's carbon footprint with waste, energy-efficient appliances, solar panels, recycling and composting.

“We brew in one year what Miller pours on their floor in one day and we brew a lot!” - Nick

Dead Bird Brewing Company is proud to be Wisconsin’s only all-vegan brewery, a commitment to sustainability. A vegan diet, for instance, can reduce an individual's food-related carbon footprint by up to 73%. Our kitchen offers a variety of delicious options, including homemade pizzas, soft pretzels, famous nachos, and more.

What’s up with the name?

“Back in college while everyone was frying turkeys and burning down their garages with fat kettles, my business partner and I wanted to brew beer in them. His parents had a retired turkey kettle in their attic and when we found it, sure enough, there was a little dead sparrow in it.

I worked at the UW Chemistry stockroom and we cleaned it every way we knew how. The joke became whatever beer we made in the kettle, it would have a little dead bird in it.

15 years later, we don’t have the kettle anymore, but the name stuck. In remembrance, we put a little dead bird at the bottom of our pint glasses.”

- Nick Kocis (owner)

customers say:

  • "Finally, a place where i can play games with my kids and enjoy a good beer. very family friendly!"

  • “the bbq chicky pizza is my favorite and the nachos are out of this world! get the nitro stout, it's sooooo silky."

  • "we love the dog-friendly patio!"