Milwaukee's Best New Brew Pub is Maschine

By Dan Lorentz 

MILWAUKEE  (IP) – It's a sunny Friday afternoon in September. Johan Macht, wearing a stained apron, is outside buffing chrome with a bar towel.

He steps back. Squints. One last rub.

Now, he can see his mustache on the gleaming surface.

Macht smiles, and in the once grimy and fetid industrial heart of this racially riven Rust Belt city, every part of his new brew pub—Maschine—shines. 

And it's not just the chrome-clad exterior that shines.  Inside, the mechanical décor glistens. The fare, a German cuisine melded with Soul Food and Latino flavors makes stomachs and cheeks glow with satisfaction. The beers are glorious triumphs.

And the atmosphere—well, how to put it? Maschine radiates genuine multiracial Gemütlichkeit. You'll find out what that means, but first let's follow Macht inside.