Milwaukee’s lakefront museum of innovation, technology and the environment is such a cool place. Discovery World offers programs in everything from circuitry to the anthropology and archaeology of brewing. In November and December, you can learn how to brew Mayan Maize Ale, brewed with corn and cocoa (though I hope we don’t have to chew and spit the maize as did Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Brewing in making chicha, a similar ancient brew). In December, learn to make Mead of Meath from Wisconsin honey. Each session is $20 per person – what a fun way to discover the ancient arts of fermentation, as well as ethnographic variations on brewing throughout the world. Here’s a summary from the seminar teacher, home brewer and archaeologist, Kevin Cullen, and his adventures in brewing with rye. Call 414-765-8635 for reservations.

Discovery World is also the site of the upcoming Great Lakes Craft Brewers & Water Conservation Conference. We have brewers coming from all over the country to Milwaukee to learn about water saving operations: Flying Fish Brewery of NJ; Great Lakes Brewing Co. of Cleveland; Schlafly Brewing of St. Louis; Mark Anthony Brewing Co., MI., Bison Organic Brewing, Berkeley, CA, Summit Brewing Co. of St. Paul, Lakefront Brewery, Sprecher Brewery, Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA, Bells Beer of Kalamazoo, MI, Capital Brewery, South Shore Brewery, MillerCoors, Goose Island Beer Co., Sly Fox Brewery of PA, etc., and industry reps from Alfa Laval, Gordon Lane from Briess Malts, WaterWise Consulting from CA, and conservation groups including the Shedd Aquarium, Clean Wisconsin, Milwaukee Riverkeepers, National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes Restoration Program and more. We’ll be hosting a welcome reception, SPLASH! with special guest speaker Jake Leinenkugel of the Leinenkugel Brewing Co., the platinum sponsor of the conference. Tickets for SPLASH! are $45 each and may be purchased online at the conference website, www.conserve-greatlakes.com, just click on the registration tab to order by PayPal. RSVP required….because we’ll have a fantastic buffet dinner catered by Bartolotta’s, to enjoy with recipes prepared from the cookbook.