Tapping into a new market

DE PERE – In November 2025, Nicolet Ale Works announced that it would transition from a home-brewing operation to open a full-scale production brewery, taproom and outdoor beer venue in downtown De Pere.

Co-owners Ben Rank and Jeremy Voss began Nicolet Ale Works more than five years ago.
“We’ve been homebrewing for a number of years, both Jeremy and I, and then just started expanding and really enjoying it and kind of honing the craft,” Rank said. “Then we had an opportunity last summer to do some Alley events and had a really good response from that and felt like we needed to find a more permanent home for Nicolet Ale Works.”

While their current location just down the road is simply a production facility, Nicolet Ale Works’ new location will expand Rank and Voss’ production capacity while adding space for people to gather and enjoy a drink.

“The homebrew set-up was pretty small,” Voss said. “Most homebrew batches start at a five-gallon batch, which isn’t going to supply much of anything. Then we scared up to a smaller pilot system — a one barrel-size system which is what we have now. To get into this space, we’re going all in on a commercial kind of full-scale brewery. We’re looking at having roughly a 13-barrel capacity — a full-on brew system — along with a retail taproom and all the supporting enhancements that you need for a full-scale brewery.”

“It’s going to bring people together in a way that I don’t know that any other brewery can and it’ll be intimate,” Rank said. “We want people to connect. We’re going to have a really nice outdoor beer garden space where people will be able to enjoy the outside and then come in and enjoy the inside. Along with Alley Eats, we’re going to have a nice food option for people… The satisfaction of having people come down, relax, have a really good beer and spend some time with their family and friends is going to be the rewarding piece.”

Located at 301 Main Ave., Nicolet Ale Works will be downtown De Pere’s first brewery.

“It’s an untapped market — pardon the pun,” Rank said. “It’s a market we’ve been excited to get into, because they haven’t really had a brewery home for themselves. In the downtown area with all the other development going on, I think it’s going to be something that’s really exciting.”

The brewery will also be a part of De Pere’s evolving Alley District.

“The Alley District is designed to be a destination for businesses that bring people together, and Nicolet Ale Works is a perfect fit for that vision,” said Tom Gavic, property owner and developer of the Alley District, in a release announcing Nicolet Ale Works’ plans. “We’re thrilled to welcome De Pere’s first downtown brewery and to help create a space where residents and visitors can gather, celebrate, and enjoy the heart of our community.”

“Starting a business is not easy, no matter what industry you’re in. There’s a lot of things that have to align to make that a worthwhile decision,” Voss said. “It’s been a combination of things. The building owner is super supportive. The community has been super supportive. We had the mayor in here and he was excited about it.”

“This is an exciting moment for the City of De Pere,” said De Pere Mayor James Boyd. “Nicolet Ale Works’ expansion strengthens our local economy, supports small-business growth and adds a vibrant new destination for residents and visitors. We’re proud to see this level of investment and creativity taking shape in our downtown.”

Nicolet Ale Works’ new location is scheduled to open in the fall once extensive renovations to the building are complete.

Before officially opening the doors, Rank and Voss are offering the opportunity for interested community members to join Nicolet Ale Works’ Founders Club with various tiers of membership tied to different perks once the brewery is open.

“With what needs to happen in this space, it’s obviously a very expensive endeavor,” Voss said. “We really need the community to come together to help us get this thing off the ground and that’s our way to do that… It’s a lifelong membership and they can be proud of the fact that they were part of this brewery coming to De Pere.”

Perks associated with the lifelong memberships include discounts on beer and merchandise, event rebates and more.

Learn more about Nicolet Ale Works and stay up to date by following Nicolet Ale Works on Facebook or checking out the Nicolet Ale Works app.