Rebellion Brewing opens its doors in Cedarburg, in the former Silver Creek Brewing space

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Rebellion Brewing has opened in Cedarburg.

Dale Georgeff was out with friends when they asked, as friends do, if he wanted to buy their brewery.

Does "of course," work as a commitment?

Georgeff and home-brewing partner Rod Otto bought the former Silver Creek Brewing in Cedarburg in March. Rebellion Brewing, N57-W6172 Portland Road, opened for the July 4 holiday.

"It's something we talked about for a few years," Georgeff said. Saying no didn't seem like an option.

Georgeff and Otto gutted the interior of the 150-year-old building "from the floor to the coolers." They added patriotic touches of red, white and blue, and old photos that nod back to pre-Prohibition days.

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Patrons still take a bridge over water to get in the former grist mill. The two added lighting to the picturesque patio with a view of falling water and a rushing creek.

"You can see the dam is all lit up," Georgeff said. "It's been fantastic."

It's also been a fair amount of work. The boiler gave out, and Georgeff and Otto not only had to purchase a new one — they have to wait for it to be installed before they can serve some of their own beers.

For now, Rebellion is serving Wisconsin beers, but Georgeff figures they'll have their own available by late August, early September.

Georgeff, a part owner of Paint Doctors and an insurance salesman, and Otto, an engineer, are keeping their day jobs while the brewery gets off the ground. They're working with a crew that includes wives Karla Georgeff and Wendy Otto.

"We have plans to go back to what the brewery was meant to be, which was a package-and-ship brewery," Georgeff said. There also are plans to make a blonde root beer based on a patent Rebellion already owns.

The brewery will serve hot pickles that Georgeff makes. He calls them "the best in the world."

The home-brewers have more than 22 recipes in their pockets and expect to start with an Amber brew on tap. The plan calls for an Oktoberfest, and Georgeff said he has a banana beer called Rod's Spicy Banana that he describes as a cross between a Hefeweizen and an ice cream Stout.

But mostly, he'll stick to traditional beers like Kolsch and a light lager he calls Ding-a-Ling because it's based on a failed attempt to replicate Yuengling. There will be the occasional IPA.

"Everybody keeps reminding me it's not beer for Dale," Georgeff said, with a laugh.

Rebellion will be open from 4 p.m. to midnight Wednesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

For a complete list of Wisconsin breweries, see Beer Near.