Bass Bay Brewhouse opens beer garden nearly six months after fire

The beer garden will run through October

MUSKEGO, Wis. —

Nearly six months after a fire devastated Bass Bay Brewhouse in Muskego, the restaurant has reopened with a summer beer garden, marking the beginning of its comeback.

NewsChopper 12 captured the destruction last December as flames engulfed the restaurant and banquet hall, leaving the popular establishment in ruins.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

“A lot of it still doesn’t even feel real, you know,” co-owner Ryan Oschmann said. “I just couldn’t have even imagined it and honestly couldn’t feel more blessed to be surrounded by the people I am surrounded by.”

Hundreds of people attended the beer garden’s grand opening on Wednesday, with some parking blocks away due to the crowd.

“They were pulling in the parking lot around 3:15, and now our parking lot is mostly full,” Oschmann said.

Oschmann said this is only the beginning, noting that the city’s planning commission approved their rebuilding plan on Tuesday.

Renderings of the new design show a smaller footprint for the restaurant.

“We’re about 6,000 square feet smaller than it was as a whole, but there will be a residence here again,” Oschmann said.

He said construction could begin as early as next year but declined to disclose the estimated cost.

Despite the loss of the building, the community has rallied around the brewhouse.

“It is absolutely amazing,” one attendee said.

“It is just a great place and great people here always,” said Rod Lauteneach, another attendee.

The Bass Bay Brewhouse is rewriting its story, starting with the beer garden and looking ahead to a full rebuild.

The beer garden runs through October.

Wednesday: 4 to 9 p.m.

Thursday: 4 to 9 p.m.

Friday: 4 to 10 p.m.

Saturday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The beer garden is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

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