SPEAKER_00

0:04

Hey everyone, welcome back to Milwaukee Uncut. This is our first racing episode of all time. It's a great one with rising star Cam Eben, who was in town from Appleton, and our good friend Nick Faluka from Palermos, who races himself as well. Cam is a 14-time iWorld champion, a state go-karting champion. I didn't know there was such a thing, but that is pretty, pretty awesome. And he's a spec MX-5 race winner. He's only 22. He's a rising star with a bright future ahead of him. Before diving in, I want to thank our partners who make Milwaukee Cup possible. We'll kick it off with Nicolai Law, the Midwest Law Firm Injured. Get Nicola and Russell, and the team will take great care of you. Drink Wisconsin Blee Beverage Company, best vodka, brandy and canned cocktails in the game, available at bars and liquor stores across the state and at the Drink Wisconsin Blee Pub, right across from the Pfizer, and now available at the Corner Bar in Wright Field at Ampham, the Drink Wisconsin Blee Corner Bar. Check that out next time. You're at a Brewers Game. And last but not least, our friends over at Annex Wealth Management. If you're looking to get your finances together this year and have a goal that deals with your money, your earnings, your investments, go talk to the experts at Annex. They have an amazing team ready to listen and help you with your personal goals. Annex Wealth Management, know the difference. All right, let's dive in with Cam and Nick. Fun one today. We've got Cam Eben, 14-time iRacing World Champ. To put that into context, he took down about 74,000 people in one of those. Yes, sir. One of those alone, right? Not all 14 combined.

SPEAKER_02

1:53

Some of them have had a bit more than that, so I'm excited to be here and talk about it some more. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00

1:57

I mean, that that is an elite level. He's a multiple spec MX5 race winner. Wisconsin State Carding is in go-karting champion 2021, 2023 SCC first gear Mazda Challenge champ. He's a Wisconsin native from Appleton, kind of the American Gran Turismo over there. And he's only 22 years old, just getting started. Cam, thanks for coming down. Of course, appreciate it, Richie. Thanks so much for having me. Absolutely. And we got my good friend, Nick Faluca. What's up, Richie? What's up? Palermo's Pizza, Chief Product and Innovation Officer, owner of Ember Social, new awesome venue up in Grafton. And I mean, we're we're talking a little esports today, some sim racing. He is a good friend of the iconic Brandon Chocker and has survived trips to Vegas and Lallapalooza with Brando himself.

SPEAKER_01

2:50

I'm happy to be here.

SPEAKER_00

2:59

Mario Kart Champion. I I don't mean to I don't mean to diminish your credentials. I think I won a few races. Yoshi was my guy back in back in the day. Yeah. You do some club racing, though. Some legitimate club racing. Some legitimate club racing. I've seen you out there in a race car. I've seen pictures of you out there in a real race car before. So don't sell yourself short. Yes. You're you're much braver and a better driver than me and most of the people on here. Cam, we'll kick it off with you. What's your backstory? How'd you get into racing?

SPEAKER_02

3:30

So it was kind of handed to me in a way. My grandfather raced professionally in Trans Am as I was growing up, which is a series that is based on American muscle cars. So, you know, raw, ground pounding, lots of horsepower. And then my father raced as well in SECA club stuff, like what Nick races and what I came up racing. So as I was growing up, I was always at the racetrack. And so once I was old enough to, you know, kind of recognize what I was seeing, I realized that that was my passion. And just like that, I started to fall in love with the sport, started to fall in love with being at the racetrack, seeing the race cars. And as we'll talk about today, I kind of made this journey happen to get to the point where I am today, and now racing in the Imsa MX5 Cup as a pro driver.

SPEAKER_00

4:04

So did you start with was it video games, go-karts, sim racing, now in real life, fan swim racing, or how what what did that path look like and at what ages?

SPEAKER_02

4:15

Yeah, so I would say, you know, the console games like Xbox would be Forzo or like Grand Turismo on the PlayStation. You know, those when I was pretty young, not really any good at driving necessarily, but just enjoying the race. Uh that was definitely something that I did when I was younger. And then I started to take it a little more serious as I started to realize, hey, this is what I want to do with my life and my path, and this is my passion. And I was like, I'm only 11 right now. This is when I had this kind of you know epiphany, if you will. I was like, I'm only 11. I'm too young to race anything right now. But I want to learn how. I really want to learn how I can get started in this. And so I turned to iRacing, and this, you know, might be a bit of an interesting fact, but you have to be 13 to be on iRacing. I was only 11 at the time. So we don't have to, you know, go into that too much. But anyway, I was a little too young to be on the game. But regardless, I was on there, and that's kind of how I learned to drive essentially. That's how I learned to race because it's an accurate simulator that has a great physics engine. You learn how to drive a race car, what it's actually going to behave like. And that's when I got a taste of the online racing, right? So from there, it was, you know, from about 11 until 15, I was just doing iRacing, just doing simulator stuff. And, you know, I credit everything that I've done to this point to that time I spent on the sim, really. And so from there, when I was 15, I got into go-karting. And like you said, I won the Wisconsin State Championship in 2021. And after that, I moved into Spec Miata in the SECA club level, which is uh the NB generation of the Mazda Miata, an older version of what I race now.

SPEAKER_01

5:39

Uh and then the Miyata's the lights that go up, right?

SPEAKER_02

5:42

Correct. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Um, and so then I got into NC Miata racing, which is Spec MX5, which you mentioned. That's what I ran for the past three seasons. And now I made the jump into MX5 Cup and all the while, you know, built my skills on the sim, winning championships along the way. And, you know, that's what I think makes me a lot more unique than a lot of other drivers out there is I learned how to race on a computer and on a racing simulator, right?

SPEAKER_00

6:03

So Cam, just a question that that I want to get out of the way. So um, I have a good friend that we call SimGod, who's a fantastic simulator golfer. He bought a simulator, he was he was talking shit to us all winter and he can't sniff 83 on a real course. So simulator golf isn't always that translatable to real golf, but it seems like you've, you know, really taken those skills and brought them into real life. Is sim racing pretty realistic?

SPEAKER_02

6:31

Yeah, I think for the most part, you know, it's down very well modeled because of the fact that they've spent a lot of time, you know, on a good physics engine and not just iRacing, like a lot of Sims have developed great physics over the years. And it's interesting because, like you said, you know, a golf sim is pretty accurate, but outside of a golf sim, I'm trying to think, but it's really hard to like simulate any other sport or like on your free time do like a video game version of a sport and have it somehow translate to real life. Like playing Madden doesn't make you good at football, but playing iRacing has helped me become a better driver. And a lot of people share the same story. So I think it's really unique in that way that you can go to your house, go to your basement, go to your man cave, you know, wherever your simulator is at. And it doesn't have to be the most high-end simulator, but what you're really learning is just being able to practice proper racing lines, how fast do you take corners, how to race side by side with other drivers. And that was the most beneficial to me is just putting myself in those racing scenarios and really just learning how to drive a race car from there. So yeah, it's definitely really unique, and I think it's very translatable versus other things. I mean, golf sims are close, they definitely help with you know what you want to get out of them, but it doesn't always work. And it's not always the case in real life either when it comes to sim racing to real racing. But for me, it's been very translatable compared to other, you know, games to real life stuff.

SPEAKER_00

7:47

You're um you're obviously a a freakish talent if you you've you beat thousands of people in in a sim game. What makes someone so do you have like really good fast twitch with your fingers or good vision or like what um what makes an amazing sim racer?

SPEAKER_02

8:04

I would say, yeah, having quick reflexes, you typically see that the better sim racers are trending a little bit on the younger side, you know, just mainly for the reflex side of it. Um and you also have to dedicate a lot of time to it. And depending on what sim you're playing, like for me, I was heavy on iRacing, um, which that was what I started with, and that's kind of what I've always been faithful to as far as spending my time on that. And I think spending time on a certain sim and learning how the physics are and how you can kind of manipulate, you know, getting the most out of the car on the sim, like that's really what it takes, is mastering what you're working with. I say all the time because, you know, personally, my equipment isn't the most high-end stuff that I use when I sim race, but I don't think that's really what matters. It's just mastering the equipment that you have, becoming accustomed to it, and also understanding kind of the inner workings of the sim and how it works. Um, but yeah, fast reflexes, spending a lot of time bettering yourself. What's nice about iRacing is that if you're in a race and there's someone faster than you, you can go after the race, watch their replay, like you can watch it back on playback, go inside their car camera, see everything they're doing, which is really good to you know help you learn. And that's you know what helped me a lot when I was getting started, kind of figure out how to be fast because I would see fast people in my races and I would see what they were doing and I learned from them.

SPEAKER_00

9:13

Nick, let's let's go over to you, aside from tearing up the club scene being a Mario Kart aficionado. Um how did you initially get into just your love for motorsports? And how did you guys come together for the partnership with with Cam and Palermos?

SPEAKER_01

9:29

Yeah, I mean as a young kid, I just always had uh, you know, matchbox cars, hot wheel cars, and all the road and track magazines, and then my hot wheel tracks were nice.

SPEAKER_00

9:38

Oh, yeah, those are fun. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

9:39

My dad would take me to Road America and we'd watch racing, uh IMSA racing there. And um, and then eventually I wanted to do a track day. And so you take your your street vehicle and you drive on the track and you learn how to drive safely on a on a track like Road America. And so I had my my 2002 BMW 325, and I did a track day and I fell in love with it. And then year after year, I would do modifications to it to make it a little bit faster, a little bit better. And eventually it was undrivable on the street because I had no AC, I had race suspension, I had squeaky brakes, and uh converted it to a race car and got into wheel-to-wheel racing. And the difference is that on a track day, you know, but my issue with my racing is that I learned to drive really safely on a track, and you're learning, you know, to let people pass and to pass them safely, and you're learning, you know, safe driving lines versus even on a track day. Yeah, there, okay, versus learning racing lines and racing um side by side. And so my transition to racing was a little bit more difficult because I knew how to drive safely, but then it's you know, passing someone at 120 miles an hour, going into a turn, and you know, being really uh aggressive. And so, you know, over the years I've gotten better at the racing side, but um I can When did you first do your when did you do your first race? Uh 2015 I got my license.

SPEAKER_00

11:08

Okay, so you're you're in your 30s at the or late 20s at this point ish. So so now late 30s. Late oh, you're late 30s in 2016?

SPEAKER_01

11:18

No, in 2000 well, I'm 38 now, 39 now.

SPEAKER_00

11:21

Yes, so this is a this is a while ago. 30-ish, 30-ish. So you're 30-ish when you do your first race. So you didn't I feel like naturally you're much more fearless in your teens and stuff like that. How how uh was the first race nerve-wracking, the first start? Or was it? Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01

11:37

It was it was because you know when you start in club racing, um you're it's it's not like a standing start, it's called a rolling start. And so you come up the line and you're you know ass the nose, and um the in the green, you know, the green flag drops, and everyone just goes. And it's like a it's a race to that first corner, and everyone's you know spreading out and going crazy, and it's it was a nerve-wracking first race, but it was exciting, and uh I just I fell in love with it because it's it's something that you can you can do into your older age. I mean, there's a lot of club racers who are probably too old to be driving, but they're good drivers. I mean, some of these guys and they're amazing. So it's it was a little scary. And what's crazy is that like I've done some like PlayStation like Sims and nothing crazy, but um, you know, there's a there's a turn at Road America called a kink. And it's a turn that if you're really good, uh you can basically not have to break. And but if you miss it, the wall is right there. And there's been more terrible accidents at the kink at Road America than probably you know any of the horses in America. And and in sim racing, you just go and you're fine, you drive right through it. In real life, there's some it's there, and there's some definite yourself. There's some oh shit moments there. Yeah, and but yeah, it's fun.

SPEAKER_00

13:04

We'll we'll get into that. How did the Palermo's partnership come together?

SPEAKER_01

13:08

Yeah, I mean we we knew each other through uh SECA and you know his his whole family races, and we'd see each other at the tracks, and you know, I followed him on you know his journey through sim racing, and he reached out, had a good pitch, and we said yes.

SPEAKER_02

13:23

Yeah, I feel like I like to be a self-proclaimed visionary a little bit. You know, I was looking at what to do with my racing career going forward into 2026 because for me, obviously, my path is forward. My plan is we'll talk about obviously top levels of IMSA racing. And I knew it was the right time to make that transition into the pro scene of some degree, and I was looking at MX5 Cup, which is what I race in now, and it really started as I was looking at a Screaming Sicilian pizza box, and they have the window mouth there to see the pizza inside. I was looking at this and I'm like, this looks exactly like the shape of the grill on the front nose of an MX-5 Cup car. And all of a sudden I had this vision, and I was like, we can make this come to life. And so if you if you've seen our car or not, not sure, but we have the Screaming Sicilian asset, the the Screaming Face is on the front of the race car with the mustache and it goes right around the grill, looks just like a mouth on the car. It's been a great hit so far, even after two events. Uh, so many fans are not only purchasing Screaming Sicilian items and pizza, but also just letting me know that they're coming out to see the car, really enjoy the car. It's the favorite car on the track. Just so many great takeaways so far from the start. So I had this vision, and yeah, like like he said, I pitched it to them with a lot of other activation ideas of how we could really bring their energy into the experience at the racetrack, and it's just been a smash hit. So yeah, that's how it came together.

SPEAKER_00

14:39

Kim, I'm guessing since your your grandpa and your father were drivers, um, has the family been your family been very supportive? And did you go to college or anything, or have you just been kind of doing doing doing this?

SPEAKER_02

14:51

Yeah, so I went to MSOE in Milwaukee, finished up four years last year in 2025. So I got a bachelor of science in marketing. So you're smarting. Yeah, yes, sir. Okay. I'd like to say so. Um, but yeah, so got a bachelor of science in marketing, so I went to college, but obviously super supportive of the racing all throughout. And, you know, my professors were also flexible in allowing me to go take these trips to races because as I'm pursuing this, it involves going to most of the time pretty far away races because being from Wisconsin, there's not a lot of really close racetracks that are involved in these big national leagues, right? So a lot of far trips, you know, had to take a week at a time, a week here, a week there, you know. But everyone is flexible with it, and the family's been super supportive. My grandfather, who had been racing professionally, like I said, now he doesn't do that so much, but just an absolute mastermind on the wrenches and just a great mechanic, right? And so he has done a lot for me just in general. He was the one who built the spec MX5 car that I won races in last year and years before that. He was basically the one who turned it from a streetcar that we got off the lot and converted it into a race car. He put most of the, you know, the blood, sweat, and tears in. He can change the transmission in like two hours, 90 minutes, like extremely fast. He's just super skilled. And then my father as well, very mechanically inclined. He's been super helpful when I was gone at school and couldn't come back to work on the car necessarily. They kind of picked up their end of the bargain. And so it was just obviously super supportive throughout the years, and even in carding all the while. Like just the commitment behind me has been, you know, super critical to allow me to get to where I am today. It's really hard to do anything like what I've done without the support of your family. So it's been great. What is a typical day of training like for you? Um, so it'll be sim time. I always try to cram probably three hours a day into the evening of sim time, whether that's practicing an upcoming track or just having some fun or doing a race of any kind. Because I always think just racing, no matter what it is on the sim, is really good for mastering racecraft. Because like Nick was talking about, the biggest challenge is you know, often being in those scenarios where you are side by side or battling somebody on the track and knowing how to approach those scenarios. How much space do you leave? How fast do you have to take this corner when there's a driver next to you? Like those are important things to learn. And so the sim has been super helpful, you know, with that. So I try to do about three hours a day, and then I go to the gym six days a week. So I take one rest day, do about two hours there.

SPEAKER_00

17:04

Um what do you what do you work on at the gym? And is there is there an ideal body type for a racer like there are in some sports, or is it not so much?

SPEAKER_02

17:15

You know, for me, I do just honestly typical muscle building workout, just a push and a pull day, and then legs uh and some cardio naps thrown in there as well. I would say one thing you don't want to be usually is tall in racing. Uh as Nick.

SPEAKER_00

17:27

I was I was gonna ask that.

SPEAKER_02

17:28

How tall are you six four or how six three? Okay. Yeah, maybe with shoes six four, but um, yeah, you are pretty limited on what you can race if you're really tall, because you can't fit in a lot of cars. Like if you think of Formula One cars or any like formula open wheel stuff where it's those really tight cockpits, like you need to be like usually under six feet. So pretty limited sometimes. But you know, for me, I've just luckily been able to squeeze into what I've been racing so far. In my original race car, the Spec Miata, we actually had to basically weld a different floor into it where it had a divot so that the seat could sit lower, otherwise, my head was like hitting the roof. So um there's definitely some limits to what you can race if you're super tall. So I'd say, like, if you want the freedom to be able to race whatever, or just maybe have a bit more of an ideal body type, it would probably be just to be a little shorter. Um which you can't really control. Right, yeah. But I mean, weight is not a huge thing in racing, just because you combine that with the car that's heavy enough, and usually you have to reach a minimum weight at the end of a race, they weigh the car and the driver together to make sure that you weren't too light, because that'd be seen as an an advantage, right? If you're driving with less weight. So they usually hold everyone to a similar standard of like you have to be 2,500 pounds at the end of the race. So usually in most cars, you will have to be adding weight into your car with like a lead block or something anyway, to kind of make that difference up. So it very rarely are you like too heavy to be a racer. That doesn't really come into play because it's hard to reach, you know, those weight limits just by yourself. So it it really is just comes down to if you are a little shorter, maybe you can do it.

SPEAKER_01

19:02

I mean, it's probably like endurance though. I mean, these races, I mean what because like like how long is your race? Like 45 minutes. 45 minutes, two of them per weekend, yeah. And then once you advance, you know, you're racing two hours at a time, and uh, you know, you're getting temperatures of a hundred, you know, like over a hundred degrees, and and your you know, heart rate is well over a hundred, you know, the entire race. So it's it's a pretty pretty tough endurance sport.

SPEAKER_02

19:27

Yeah, staying conditioned in general, like just going to the gym even to just stay fit and conditioned is gonna go a long way. Because like you said, yeah, having that endurance is kind of the biggest thing, more so than body type necessarily. And so it does pay off to be in a in a good you know shape.

SPEAKER_00

19:41

You brought it up earlier. You said there was no air conditioning in your BMW. I'm guessing there's no no air conditioning in race cars in in general.

SPEAKER_01

19:48

Um, so I have a thing called a cool suit where I've got this uh cooler full of ice and it pumps through a um a tube into my into a shirt, and it's got like cooling coils. Interesting. Um I'm not sure what you guys have in.

SPEAKER_02

20:01

Uh I haven't really ran into that just because the MX5 cup car has no roof. So it's kind of warm, but it doesn't like conceal heat much. So I've been okay right now. Um, but I have used a cool shirt before, and yeah, like he said, it's got tubes through it, it runs cold water, and it actually does do a lot to cool you down. And some people have uh like a tube that has like a blower attached to it and it goes into the top of the helmet and blows cold air down into their face while they're driving. So there's some mechanisms, and I feel like if I'm thinking correctly, a few types of cars at a higher level, maybe a bit more, you know, prestigious cars, do have air conditioning in them because otherwise, you know, they have a roof, obviously, windows up, it can get pretty hot in there. But turning on the air conditioning does actually draw power from the engine. So usually you don't even end up using it because you're putting yourself at a disadvantage because your car loses, you know, two horsepower, which you want everything you can get out there. So if you turn on the AC and your car goes slower, it's like I'll rather just kind of get a little warmer or maybe try something else to cool myself off. But some cars do have them, but not what I race, not what he races, and very rarely do they actually.

SPEAKER_00

21:01

Do you uh do you do any mental exercises?

SPEAKER_02

21:05

I don't know. I I I like to think that I'll just go out and kind of do the best that I can every race. I don't try to put too much mental pressure on myself, to be honest. Um, sometimes, you know, having that pressure is a privilege, like, hey, I'm starting first place for this race, you know, I'm in a good spot here, let's execute, right? That's definitely something that comes into play. But, you know, mentally, you definitely have to get in the headspace of I am the best driver in this race for the most part. That's usually not even in a cocky way, but that's just kind of the mindset you have to have in racing sometimes, especially when you're in the conversation to win races. You know, if you don't think you have what it takes, then it's hard for you to succeed, or at least it's hard for you to go out and win if you don't think you can do it. So, not even in a cocky way, but a lot of times you're kind of sizing up, you know, the other people, or at least having that mindset of, hey, you know, I'm gonna win this thing. I'm I'm the best driver here today. Let's, you know, let's go do it. So that comes into play a little bit, but for the most part, I usually just you know, don't put too much extra.

SPEAKER_00

22:00

So obviously that endurance is point Nick, how long how long do your club races go for? Are they still in the 45-minute plus?

SPEAKER_01

22:06

I'd say 30 to 45 minutes or how fast does that go? I think it depends on the situation. Um if you're if you're leading someone and they're right on your ass, that those that goes really slow. Longest. Because it's like in it, you know, in the mental part, it's it's not like it's not like don't fuck up. It's because if you think don't fuck up, you're gonna fuck up. But it's more so like hit your turns, like do the right thing, and don't focus on the car behind. But you also have to focus on the car behind because if you just drive your race, they're gonna pass you. So you have to know like I'm gonna go in the middle a little bit to block their turn, or I'm gonna go on the inside, so I block their outside on the next turn. And so you're always it's like you're driving in your mirrors, and that's when it goes really slow. If you're chasing someone, it goes so fast because you're like, I just need a little bit more time to get past them, just to get past them, or if you're like in a battle with like three other cars, it goes really fast because you're just like in the moment having fun. But when you're leading a race or you're in the front of your competitor, time goes so slow.

SPEAKER_02

23:18

Yeah, I agree 100%. Or unless you know there was a crash and then the whole field has to go behind a safety car where they slow everybody down so they can clean up the wreckage, and then you're spending 20-25 minutes driving at a reduced speed, going like 50 miles per hour, it's pretty mind-numbing at that point, too. So that's another you know, area where it takes a long time or it feels like it does at least.

SPEAKER_01

23:37

Well, and especially with a crash, too, because you drive past the crash multiple laps, and then you're just sitting there, so you're thinking about the crash, and you're not you know, like you're in the zone and you're out of the zone, and you have to get back in the zone and start up again, which is kind of a crazy scenario.

SPEAKER_00

23:55

Uh speaking of crash, what is the scariest moment each of you have had on a racetrack before? Hey everyone, just wanted to take a moment to present a fun fact. Did you know, according to a recent Schwab survey, the Americans say it takes$2.3 million to be wealthy? You may have had your financial plan set on a bigger or smaller number, but if you're looking for added insights on how to get there or how to avoid some tax pitfalls along the way, our friends at Annex Wealth Management are ready to listen. No matter where you're at in your financial journey and if your situation is complex or simple, the Annex Wealth Management team can give you the wealth expertise and guidance on reaching your goals. All right, let's get back with Cam and Nick.

SPEAKER_02

24:40

This actually just happened to me at my last race at St. Petersburg. It was about two weeks ago. Um, there was a forklift on the track after a crash because they needed to move one of those concrete barriers, like we were talking about. They shut down the city streets, and the only limits of the track are just these concrete barriers, right? And there was a crash and one of the barriers got moved, so they had to bring a forklift out to like either move it back or replace it. I don't know which, but the forklift was driving the opposite direction of the traffic on the track. So I feel like there's usually a rule of like the safety vehicles go in the same flow direction as traffic, but he was going counter track and his forks were lifted to like eye level of the drivers. So had someone, you know, ran into this forklift, probably not good for the driver or the track or the liability, or probably someone's life, right? So um it was just interesting because I was not expecting it. It was when we were at a reduced speed, but still, you know, we were coming around the corner, maybe 60 or 70 miles per hour, but it was raining that morning, so the track was wet, and we're not in the utmost control out there at that moment. So it was very surprising and obviously a little frightening to see a forklift with the forks up driving towards the drivers backwards on the yeah, it just was a little odd. So yeah, but that that recently just happened, and I was thinking of that recently, and can't believe that.

SPEAKER_00

25:57

Have you been in any crashes or not really?

SPEAKER_02

25:58

I have, yeah, but not too many. Only two that I can think of. One was a wheel-to-wheel contact with another driver, and it spun me into the wall. And then the other one was one of my first races in spec MX5, and there was oil down on the track or some sort of fluid in the final corner at Watkins Glen, which is a track in New York. And that specific corner, that last corner on the track, doesn't have any area to go off and like gather up the race car or you know, drift it or slide it or anything. It's just a wall right there. And the you know, safety marshals that were in that corner did not display any sort of warning for the drivers. So I just came in there thinking the track was all good. Well, I went in there and I got into that oil a little bit and slid a little bit loose and did kind of save the car, like corrected the slide, but I just ran out of room to do it. So I did get into the wall there.

SPEAKER_00

26:46

But otherwise, that was the only crashes that I've is is getting into the wall, like running into the wall pretty bad, or are you guys so protected? Like, are you trying to like is a flip the worst thing that could happen?

SPEAKER_02

26:57

I mean, usually a flip is actually better as far as safety-wise, because it's not one direct, hard, like G-loaded impact. That you're not going head-on into a wall. It's kind of dispersed as you're tumbling, which is kind of interesting. They look the most traumatic and they're definitely the scariest or the worst to witness, but really the worst kind of hit for the driver is going into those walls, typically head-on or those hard hits where the wall doesn't really absorb much. The car takes a lot of it. So for us as drivers, we're pretty safe. We got the helmets and the seats and stuff. The car takes most of the damage.

SPEAKER_01

27:26

Yeah, I I've only crashed once, which means I'm probably not driving fast enough. But and I just ran out of skill and hit a concrete wall, and and I thought I thought the car was fine. So I just kind of it's called the double doing, hit the front and back, and okay, it's just get back out there. And I just, you know, it didn't wasn't it wasn't total, but it was, you know, done for a couple of days.

SPEAKER_00

27:46

Is that the scariest moment that you you've um probably out there?

SPEAKER_01

27:50

No, I mean that wasn't scary because just kind of it was, it was such a it just happened, but probably the scariest was in the kink where there was a a crash in front of me and it just threw up a whole bunch of dirt and dust. And so you're flying through blind. Oh, and and then you know, because when you hit the wall in the kink, they sometimes they bounce back out and so into the field. Into the field, and so that's where they that's and that's probably the worst, is when the cars come back out into the field, and then a car hits them, oh shit, you know, going 100 and 120 miles an hour. That's you know, those are those are the worst accidents, and that was scary because you know, you're a few feet going 120 miles an hour past the car, and when there's just full dust, you can't stop because if you stop, you're gonna crash. You can't you don't want to swerve, and you're just kind of blindly going through a cloud of dust.

SPEAKER_00

28:40

Yeah. What would you what would you two say the biggest misconception about about racing is to the average person like myself?

SPEAKER_01

28:48

I I think it's like most people in America, you know, see racing as NASCAR, and you're just you know turning left or right the whole time. Um and that is you know a very popular form of racing, and it's that's probably more difficult than people give it credit for, but um, there's so many different kinds of racing. And um I think you know this in the the series at Camsen, the IMSA series, is is probably the most exciting kind of racing you can watch because um you know in his series you've got your top ten cars within a second of each other, the entire race. And anything can happen at any time, and then at the next level up, you've got three uh levels of cars on the same track, and so you have different pros competing at a high level, but you've also got you know uh cars that are you know 200 horsepower more and another 200 horsepower more or something, and and the speed difference is insane. And so when you're watching three kinds of racing at one time, um it's just it's an incredible experience to watch.

SPEAKER_02

30:00

For me, I think the biggest misconception is um the mental side of it. People people don't give that enough credit, right? Um they think of it as all right, we're just holding a steering wheel and driving a car, which I mean at the basis is kind of pragmatic, but like that is what we're doing, right? But I think people don't credit enough of the mental side of it. Like Nick was talking about, right? The strategy that's involved, you're always thinking two or three steps ahead in a race almost at all times. If you're not, that usually means you're driving all by yourself or you're not around anybody or you're way out in front. But typically the strategy side of it is something that is, you know, really underrated and people don't really consider that when they're taking into account what we're doing on the track. So yeah, you always have to think a couple steps ahead, knowing what a move is going to result in for you. What is the consequence going to be? What are the possible negative outcomes and what's the positive? Like a lot of times you're weighing risk versus reward. If a driver is staying kind of in the middle and you see like maybe there's a gap for you to go shoot up the inside of them into a corner, but it's very, very low, low probability that there's like even space or that you can make the pass, like it's better to not risk that. And there's a lot of that kind of numbers game of like, is this gonna pay off? Is it going to go way horribly wrong for me if I try this? And so you really got to think about that. And then Nick talked about it too. When you're in the lead, how do you, if you have people behind you, right? Um, how do you approach the defensive driving, trying to block off the attacks from people behind? So, yeah, there's a lot of strategy that people don't really think about. They just think we're sitting in cars steering and hitting pedals, which obviously is true, but that's really only if you're just driving alone. So there's a lot more to it. Strategy.

SPEAKER_00

31:35

At a very at a very high miles per hour with a lot of stuff around you. Yeah. Um, it's this is a a we've got a good Wisconsin audience. Are there any favorite tracks in Wisconsin? The the we could open it up. We could include go-kart tracks from the former champ over there.

SPEAKER_02

31:53

Uh I would say Road America. I'd say Nick would agree. That's kind of a statement. Not a go-kart track. Not a go-kart track.

SPEAKER_01

31:58

You know, um, I have a soft spot for for the Milwaukee Mile. They uh they open up as a road course. Uh it's the I think it's the longest running racetrack in America.

SPEAKER_00

32:09

Um also hosted a uh NFL championship game before. I didn't know that. Inside of the mile. Wow. In uh I believe the 30s or uh the Packers, I think the Packers won that one, one of their world championships in the 30s. Just a fun fact. There it is.

SPEAKER_01

32:23

It's the uh that that's where I had my my first race win. And uh so it was a fun, it's kind of a special space for me. And uh, but I mean Road America is definitely a better track than Milwaukee Mile.

SPEAKER_02

32:35

They do have a go-kart track there, and it's pretty fun. So that's where I won the state championship, and that's where I won a couple of the local championships at that track. So if you go to Road America, you drive down to the carousel section, there's a big campground, and then there's also a go-kart track, and it goes kind of up the side of the hill there. Um, so yeah, that's where I started racing go-karts. That was, you know, the first place I raced go-karts. Most of the time I raced go-karts there. So they have the go-kart track there. Um, Badger Kart Club in Dowsman is pretty fun. Um, and then there's uh track in Shawnee, which also hosts drift events. It's USA International Raceway. Um, and so I've gone there a couple times. It's very flowy, kind of like a roller coaster. So it's pretty fun for karting. But other than that, um, I don't know, Slinger, Slinger Speedway is pretty close. That's another oval track. It's the world's fastest quarter mile, I think. It's like really highly banked. It's like a bowl almost, so they can take the corners really fast. Um, so I believe it has the title of World's Fastest Quarter Mile. So that's not far from here, actually. But other than that, I mean Milwaukee Mile is obviously a holy grail in Wisconsin and Road America as well. Um, those are my picks, man.

SPEAKER_00

33:38

Uh T-Pain drifting at uh at Road America last year.

SPEAKER_01

33:41

Really? Yeah. Probably, right? Yeah, it was like grid life.

SPEAKER_00

33:45

Yeah, probably.

SPEAKER_02

33:46

That does not surprise me.

SPEAKER_00

33:47

Yeah, yeah. I think he's I think he's a big uh big drifter. Um okay, what what's the fastest you have each driven?

SPEAKER_02

33:57

Uh I got up oh, geez. There we go. I got up to 150 at Daytona in the MX5 cup car, which I was very surprised to see an MX5 go that fast. But you're basically full throttle, pushing the car as hard as it can go around this whole oval section at Daytona where it's no real braking required. You're just holding it flat to the floor on the throttle, and a couple drivers behind me were giving me a good bump draft, so had some good top speed. So yeah, I got to 150 um at Daytona this year. That was the fastest I've seen.

SPEAKER_01

34:26

On a racetrack, 120 in a race car 120, in a streetcar 156.

SPEAKER_00

34:34

Was that on a track or just it was in my streetcar?

SPEAKER_01

34:38

I will say that. I've taken that car at Road America, so it might have been there.

SPEAKER_00

34:43

We'll leave it there. How many how many speeding tickets have you each got when you were learning to drive? I believe I have three.

SPEAKER_02

34:51

Well, it's not bad for a for a professional driver. The problem is I got one of them in the probationary period of the license where the points are doubled. So you have to go back to school too. I don't think I had to do that when I was 16. I think they spared that.

SPEAKER_00

35:05

I got a few, uh I got a few not very good tickets off the bat there.

SPEAKER_02

35:09

I think they spared me that time, but yeah, that put me on the back foot because I was already like halfway to the points total to get my license taken. So that's a little scary, but yeah, no. Otherwise.

SPEAKER_01

35:18

I've drive driven longer, but uh maybe like six or so. Yeah, not too much. Not not bad. Not too bad.

SPEAKER_00

35:24

You didn't have to go back to traffic school either. I'm I'm the only one out of us three who had to do that.

SPEAKER_01

35:28

No, you just pay a little bit more and you guys get it your points reduced.

SPEAKER_00

35:34

What um is there is there a favorite pizza to eat while sim racing or between sim racing, a favorite flavor? Nick, I think you gotta tell him.

SPEAKER_01

35:44

I mean, for me it's the screaming sicilian tavern style because it's thin and crispy and you can take a quick bite, especially if you cut it tavern style in the squares. You can you can be driving, you got a quick quick bite. You know, the regular Screaming Sicilians, they're amazing, but there's a lot of it's like a little too thick. It's too thick, a lot of toppings, and you need something lean. You know, and like you get the like a pepperoni, like you know, on your chin or something, and then you'll crash. So the tavern style is the way to go.

SPEAKER_02

36:11

I had the breadsticks the other day. Uh those are good. So good color there. Or holy pepperoni. We like those. Yeah. Holy pepperoni for me also is the is the favorite. So get that one out sometimes as well. But yeah, screaming Sicilian for sure.

SPEAKER_00

36:25

Um what about advice to people who want to get into racing?

SPEAKER_02

36:33

Um, in general, I'd say start within your means because if you're getting into racing, uh, and by that I mean usually financial means is kind of what I mean by that. Because if you're in over your head in something that you maybe can't afford to repair if you crash it, you're always living in kind of that fear when you're on the track. Like, I absolutely cannot crash this car because I am done for. I won't be on the track for three years. And honestly, having that fear is a bit of a a hindrance out there, I think. If you can't really get over that fear hurdle of I I can't, I can't I can't afford to have any sort of damage, like this is it for me, right? I think you have to start within your means, whether that is go-karting or like a cheaper Miata or uh something cheaper than that, like something that's within your means if that makes you feel more comfortable. I'd say knowing that you can have the wherewithal to either repair the car or at least you have the monetary position to, I guess, you know, fix it if you need or cover the costs if you take damage. I think that's really important because people that are in a little bit over their head financially and really can't afford, you know, maybe they have a really nice car, but it's like this is it, like I can't do any damage. I think you always end up living in that fear of what if I crash, I can't make a mistake, and you end up just driving a little slower than I think you really should. And that can be a hindrance when it comes to really trying to find the limit. Because in racing, it's all about finding the limit. So if you're always worried about exceeding the limit, that can really hold you back.

SPEAKER_01

37:56

For sim racing, though, I mean, there's some of these rigs that are, you know,$100,000, but I mean, what's like what's the for sim racing? Well, some of them. Some of them are yeah, some of them are pretty insane. They got full motion, uh the whole thing tilts.

SPEAKER_00

38:10

I mean, those are I guess some golf simulators are like 80, 100 grand. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

38:14

But I mean, you can get a, you know, I guess like how much for like a just a decent setup that can get you into iRacing.

SPEAKER_02

38:23

Yeah, it's funny. So everything I've done, we talked about 14 world championships. Everything I've done with that is with a Logitech wheel and pedal setup, and it was just bolted to my desk. So people have high-end stuff, people have low-end stuff. I've been able to achieve great success on the sim with literally a$300 setup. You have to exclude the PC in that, but most people already have a PC that they're working with. So if we're talking equipment, like you can buy from Walmart, Target, Amazon a Logitech is what I used. Um, and it literally bolts to a desk. You just turn the clamps and it tightens and you push the pedals up against the wall or against a box or something on the ground. And I just race in an office chair, that's what I've been doing. Um, recently uh I got partnered to get basically all of my sim equipment overhauled. So that's a positive that's coming soon. But everything I've done up to this point, achievement-wise, has all been with pretty much as basic as you can get just on a desk. Other people, as we'll see later on at our at our uh sim, you know, convention today, uh, people have you know full sim racing chassis with you know metal or steel frames and you know bucket seats from a real race car and you know direct drive wheels which actually have like motors in them to provide the most accurate feedback. But like I talked about earlier, I think it's really just getting accustomed to what you have. It doesn't necessarily have to be super high end as long as you can maximize what you have, and I think you can be fast on the sim then at that point. So there's obviously a big ceiling, like you said, but you can get into it for really cheap.

SPEAKER_00

39:44

What is uh we'll end it here. What is each your favorite moment racing?

SPEAKER_01

39:49

You got it. I think uh this year I did it's called the June Sprints at Road America. It's uh you know one of the highest levels of club racing there is against uh pro racers. I mean, there's there's some of the best racers in the country racing at Road America in the June sprints, and so for me to be able to compete with these people and be on the track within the same time, it'd be like you being in a golf tournament with Tiger Woods, you know, and so now Tiger Woods would probably kick your ass. And you know, I had the same experience with some of the best drivers in the in the country beating me, but just to be on the same track with them and competing was was pretty pretty special.

SPEAKER_02

40:26

My moment also comes from the June Sprints, and it wasn't even a win or anything, but I'm a very sentimental person. And the 2023 June Sprints in Spec Miata, which was the first class that I started with when I was in car racing, um, I set the track record there at Road America on the qualifying day, which is basically where we drive on the track. It's basically like a seating day, if you were to think of it. You know, it basically determines where you're gonna start the race for that weekend based on how fast you go in this qualifying session. So they give us 20, 25 minutes to go out on track and then try to set the fastest lap time that we can, and that decides where we start. So I qualified first, which was the track record uh in a spec miata around Road America, which still stands today three years later, which is really cool. I'm proud of that. What was your time? Um, it was a two-minute 41.100. Um fast. So that lap uh still stands as the fastest lap ever around Road America and a Spec Miata. But what was more special to me was more so being able to be at the June Sprints, which Nick just alluded to, is a very prestigious race and one that I grew up for many years watching, you know, my grandfather and my dad race in. Since I was a little kid watching on the bleachers, I would stand from sunup to sundown, watching every lap of every session at Road America, and I was just addicted to it, right? And so then being on the other side of the fence and being able to start first place, and just um, I believe I was only in the lead for a couple laps, and then I kind of got ganged up on. But but regardless of starting that race as first place, I believe there was about 60 cars in the race, and even just the first time coming around, leading everyone down, leading the pack, as you know, the person who grew up watching on the sidelines and then being out there for real and you know, qualifying first, leading people around in front of the home crowd, all my family and friends were there. It was just a really special feeling because you see 60 cars behind you and they're all chasing me. So out of it was just a really special moment, and it wasn't even a win necessarily. I did not win that race. Um, I think I got seventh, but I was able to say that I have the track record, but more importantly, I got the poll there that day, started first place, and just a really surreal feeling, even before the race, just when we were doing the formation lap, just driving around really slow, seeing, hey, I'm leading this race and coming to the green flag as first place. It was really special. So that was probably the favorite. It wasn't even a win, but just sentimental to me.

SPEAKER_00

42:40

Awesome. Well, thank you two so much for coming on today.

SPEAKER_02

42:42

Of course. Thank you, man. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00

42:45

Hey everyone, thanks so much for tuning into this episode with Cam and Nick. Before signing off, just want to thank our partners who make Milwaukee Uncut possible. Nickel de Law, the Midwest Law Firm, Annex Wealth Management, Annex Know the Difference, and Drink Wisconsin Weed Beverage Company, best brandy vodka and canned cocktails in the game.

SPEAKER_02

0:04

Hey everyone, welcome back to Milwaukee on Cuts. So Bree and I got to go on a podcast hosted by our friend Josh Albricht of Visit Milwaukee and a man with the exact same name, Josh Albricht, who is mainly of Wisconsin Sports Radio Network, and they co-host Joshin Around Milwaukee, which is Visit Milwaukee's flagship podcast. We had a great time going on that show, and we don't talk that much about our story or the story of Milwaukee Uncut or even our favorite things to do around the city on this podcast, mainly audio. We do do more of that on social. But anyway, had a great time and decided that we should just run this episode on our platform. So we're running our episode of Joshing Around this week. Before diving in, I want to thank our partners who make Milwaukee Uncut possible. We'll kick it off with Nikola, the Midwest Law Firm Injured. Get Nicolet and Russ and the team will take great care of you. That is Nikola. Drink Wisconsin Wheat Beverage Company, best vodka brandy and canned cocktails in the game, available at bars and liquor stores across the state, and at the drink Wisconsin Way Pub right across from the Pfizer. And now, as of this week, as of opening day, at Ampham, they got a new bar there in Wrightfield. Make sure to go to the Drink Wisconsin Blee Pub. I believe it's still called that, the Drink Wisconsin Blee Pub. If not, it does say Drink Wisconsin Blea. All over it in Wright Field. They got their canned cocktails, brandy, and vodka available there. I'm excited to go there on Thursday. And last but not least, our friends over at Annex Wealth Management. If you are looking to get your finances together in 2026 and have a goal that deals with your money, your earnings, your investments, go talk to the experts at Annex. They have an amazing team ready to listen and help you with your personal goals. Annex Wealth Management, know the difference. All right, let's dive in with the Joshes.

SPEAKER_04

2:00

Hi everyone, and welcome into another episode of Josh and Around Milwaukee. My name is Josh Albrecht, and with me as always is Hey, it's Josh Albrecht. That's right, Josh Albrecht and Josh Albrecht. And we are very, very excited to have on the show today our guests Bree and Richie from Milwaukee Uncut. Welcome, guys. Thanks for being here.

SPEAKER_00

2:17

Thanks for having us. Thanks for having us.

SPEAKER_04

2:19

So uh first and foremost, if you don't know about Milwaukee Uncut, you're not spending enough time looking at a screen because they are everywhere. But talk to us a little bit about uh how you guys came to find the idea and put Milwaukee Uncut together.

SPEAKER_02

2:33

I started a show in 2016, so I was podcasting for a while and we had a marketing agency and the show. Um Bree and I have been together for Ten years. About a decade or so. Holy cow. I love the pause. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

2:52

That's how we react to too. I'm like, we've been together how long has it been that we've been doing this?

SPEAKER_02

2:58

There there could be some pauses in us looking at each other through throughout the show. Just just a warning, we we are engaged now, we need to be doing a better job at wedding planning at the at the moment. Um But anyway, we uh when did we started working together maybe four-ish years ago? Um you were a data analyst.

SPEAKER_00

3:17

Yeah, so doing totally something different before. Um, but yeah, joined on when your director of operations had left. I was kind of looking for a new thing, didn't really know what I was looking for, so we kind of thought it was a great time to try working together. We're not always recommend working with your significant other, but for us it's worked out great.

SPEAKER_02

3:38

Kind of a desperate moment in time for both of us, actually, where I'm a very disorganized person and our my ops director left, and I was like, what what am I what am I gonna do? And you were uh mining data on agricultural websites.

SPEAKER_03

3:53

And that's really when Milwaukee Uncut took off. Like that's when the you guys really went all in.

SPEAKER_02

4:00

So it it was a little later than that. That was in 21 or 22 that happened.

SPEAKER_00

4:05

I think 22.

SPEAKER_02

4:06

22. And then um business kind of started going downhill after that happened. We had the marketing agency, we lost a couple big accounts. Um our show, our old show is kind of going down to in downloads. So luckily we had a kind of a good year before then. We had some some money and decided not to throw in the towel and hey, let's rebrand and and build out a studio, which you've been to, which is where we are now. And we launched Milwaukee on cut and story mark studios in the spring of 23, so almost three years ago. And I thought Milwaukee on cut was gonna take off right away. I like the brand. We had a good lineup for in those like first six episodes. I think the Mayor Chevy came on and Deaner Novak and Tommy G, the YouTuber. And I kind of like I think cashed in on all the connections I had to really try and like blow that up. And I liked the brand. And uh, we launched it and it was kind of crickets right away. And we ended up shutting it down after the first six episodes from like that August till December. And we were like we built up a backlog, changed our video format, got a different video editor in then December of 23, so a little over two years ago, that's when it started taking off.

SPEAKER_00

5:21

Yeah, I think we also we started doing in the field videos too, outside of our studio, and I think that also really helped to um up our social.

SPEAKER_03

5:31

Yeah, for sure. I mean, I've seen a few of those where it's like you're at a Packers game and getting the getting the scoop from the tailgating area. Yeah. Um maybe a few jabs that are neighbors to the south uh to help that along. Uh but you've also gone across the the state too over the last year, right? A few other sort of travel jaunts across the state.

SPEAKER_02

5:48

And that that's thanks to you and your team a little bit too. I know we did that campaign around the draft last year, and you guys made some nice intros, and we've got to do stuff around the state now with some other cities, and then sometimes we'll just randomly pop into places and towns if we're on the road and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03

6:03

And we just a few dive bar episodes and yeah, some fun stuff.

SPEAKER_02

6:07

I think Nuts Deep was one of our most popular videos of all time over in Marshfield, one out of the way to the establishment after uh after I randomly saw a uh place called Raw Dog on the side of the road when I was driving to Sheboygan and checked it out. I didn't, I thought it might be a bar, a gentleman's club or something, and ended up being a health pet food store. Of course, very well. I remember going in front of in front of the sign and being like, You won't believe what I just found, and then the owner's like, you know, middle-aged older Sheboygan guy ripping a dart in the parking lot. Hey, you like the name? And then turned out he didn't even know uh turned out he didn't even know what what it meant, and it ended up being a really wholesome video about a guy who just wanted to help dogs live longer lives and has a pet food store out there. So yeah, we just try and make you know fun, entertaining Milwaukee slash Wisconsin content and uh Yeah as far as like an elevator statement, is that it?

SPEAKER_03

7:04

Fun, entertaining content celebrating the Wisconsin culture.

SPEAKER_02

7:07

Yeah, the the mission's to bring Milwaukee and Wisconsin together through non-traditional news entertainment and experiences. So yeah, it's a it's a social media show, a podcast, uh a newsletter, and pretty much everything correlates with with that mission and bringing people together, putting smiles on people's faces, and giving giving back as well.

SPEAKER_04

7:26

I mean, I also I I don't want us to bury the lead. So you guys are engaged. She's actually wearing her ring today. A lot of times she does not um how did how did that tell us that story? How did this all come to be from because it wasn't wasn't like you guys were together and then came up with the idea to do Milwaukee on cut, right? Or was it you guys were were together but not engaged? Tell me the story how'd this all how'd you two come together?

SPEAKER_03

7:53

Oh that's a the company who nobody he doesn't care about it.

SPEAKER_00

7:59

Give me the Milwaukee love story, baby. I feel like you're good at telling the story.

SPEAKER_02

8:05

So I I was what about 27-ish. I was hosting a student office visit day for Marquette University at my marketing agency at the time, and Brie happened to be on that visit day.

SPEAKER_00

8:18

We do have an age gap.

SPEAKER_02

8:19

Yeah, about six, seven years or so. Um I do want to make it clear I did not hit on her while I was putting on the office visit, but we did I did think she was very attractive, and we didn't happen to match on Tinder about a uh a month later. And I didn't know if I should should swipe right because she was on on the student office visit. Yeah, and I thought you were I figured the only way she would know if I swiped is if she would also swipe, and then it wouldn't be a bad thing.

SPEAKER_00

8:45

So Yeah, I thought you were super old at the time. I was like, oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_02

8:51

I was 27, I had hair. I would love to go back to the right.

SPEAKER_00

8:54

When you're 21, anyone outside of like 23 is ancient.

SPEAKER_02

9:00

Uh uh. Yeah, no, I got this going on. But um, yeah, so anyway, we we we matched. Oh my first date. Yeah, I had a first date at Balzac over off Brady RIP. That was that was a great spot. And um, we have essentially been to been together since. Yeah. Although Brie did send me like uh a thank you note after the visit, and then I sent her an email, not like directly asking her out, but oh, thanks for sending that if you want to grab coffee sometime.

SPEAKER_04

9:29

I did not have to be able to super interest, but yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

9:33

She left me on ice, but uh yeah, then we matched on Tinder and we have been together ever since. Yeah, nice. And now very happily, very happily, and now together at work and at home.

SPEAKER_04

9:43

You guys killing it. All right, doesn't stop. That's uh that's awesome. I was gonna be so mad at myself if we didn't get that in. No. And when we come back, we will dive in to Milwaukee and Cut, what you guys are doing, what you guys have coming up, and more. Stay tuned on Josh and Around Milwaukee.

SPEAKER_01

10:00

This is Visit Milwaukee's Joshing Around Milwaukee on WTMJ.

SPEAKER_04

10:05

Welcome back, everyone, to Josh and Around Milwaukee. Josh Albreck here, Josh Albrick there. We're having a great time with Bree and Richie from Milwaukee Uncut. Um, if you missed the first segment where we talked about everything, including the love story, you'll want to go back and listen to that. But let's get into Milwaukee Uncut and specifically the the point when it blew up, what you guys have going on now, and uh and and what we can look forward to going forward.

SPEAKER_02

10:32

When it specifically blew up, so like I alluded to in the first part, it kind of we changed the video format. I think the first moment where I was like, I can't believe this is happening, we posted a video with Milverine on how far he walks per day. And you know, I'm probably used to getting like 15, 20 likes on an Instagram post or something like that. And I remember just hitting refresh like five minutes later and being like, Oh, oh my god, like this like a hundred likes, two hundred likes. And I think that video got a couple hundred thousand views, and then we had a couple more that did well. But I think the it might it might have been where to meet women in Milwaukee. One that one did well. I remember um I put my buddy Ben Anderson, who was uh uh at Colliers over there. I found a shirtless photo of him on Facebook because anyone who's posting shirtless photos on Facebook deserves to have that that plastered all over the internet. So I think I put a I think I put a Ben is curious of him him on a beach where where to meet women or if Joe Cats is the right place to meet women or something like that. So I mean we just we just started doing that and then experimenting and like Bree was saying, uh we ended up going out in the field, it would have been the the next fall at a brewer tailgate and interviewed um yeah, Owen and Casey from Whitewater, who actually came to the Uncut Open at Ampham last week. We keep in touch with a bunch of those people and uh that stuff started doing well, and it's just been continually finding what's working, trying to just do more and get better at that constantly. And then yeah, started the newsletter around this time last year, and that's um done well too, and add some sanity because we kind of know how many people are gonna open those opposed to the videos, which again go like that.

SPEAKER_04

12:15

Sure. So so what what do you see now being in this world and and media of of seeing uh the landscape of Milwaukee and the media to how do you see that changing as you go through? Because you said how you know you weren't even really sure that this was gonna come on, you know, take off and and now it has. How do you stay kind of ahead of the curve with Milwaukee uncut?

SPEAKER_02

12:39

Um I mean it's changes so fast and the algorithms can switch to it's a lot to uh stay on, but I think it's just having that mindset of you know, you the good the good thing about the environment today is you get instant feedback. It can be the good and bad thing, like I know if something's gonna do well ten minutes after I post it, usually, or not do well. Sometimes you get surprised, and sometimes we create something that we think is gonna do really well and we guess wrong, and sometimes it's something not that'll take off. So it is still kind of a crapshoot on social media. So I I don't know. We're just always seeing what's working and trying to trying to get better. I mean, social media content in general. I'm always thinking of is this something people are gonna save? Is this something people are gonna share? Where are people gonna drop off in the video? What second could people drop off? And um Rick can allude to I'm I'm a I'm a mess in real life and very, very detailed when it comes to that stuff.

SPEAKER_03

13:37

Well, I would imagine your background in data and as a data analyst goes into some of the like analytics of social media, following it, figuring out what's what's working, not working. You take any of that old knowledge of sort of office work into this more fun, crazy content creator.

SPEAKER_00

13:53

Yeah, I mean there's so much data too that you can gather within um the different platforms, and especially Facebook gets gives you great metrics. So you you are able to figure out kind of like trends from that. It's kind of funny. I I'm actually a I would say I'm a type B person when it kind of comes to um how performance of the videos, I'm kind of like, uh, video didn't perform, let's just move on, like let's try something different. Whereas Richie's a little bit more tied to a better job of the numbers a little bit.

SPEAKER_04

14:25

Yeah. Well, I would tell you if you can try to have both people that are hosting it have the same exact name. That's that's that's what we have. It might be hard for us to us to do.

SPEAKER_02

14:36

I don't know.

SPEAKER_03

14:37

I don't know, Richie and Richie? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

14:39

I mean, we do we we do have very opposite skill sets. Breeze uh Breeze patient and organized and um yeah works for us.

SPEAKER_03

14:51

Yeah. You have a a super crazy idea uh out there. You have you have like like a whiteboard of crazy ideas, you just jot them down all the time, like tomorrow we're gonna throw pumpkins off a roof. You know, is there something like just wild that you have in in mind for the future? Pumpkins off roof. Yeah, you're gonna use it.

SPEAKER_02

15:07

That the pumpkins off the roof, that is all yours. We will not steal that one. Good. Next Halloween season.

SPEAKER_00

15:13

Um we do have a whiteboard at our office where we do brainstorm kind of like all the content that we do have, events coming up, um new ideas that we think could perform well. So we do brainstorm with our team. Um and even like yesterday, we had a writer's room um kind of meeting where we went over like scripts kind of bringing different ideas from each person. So we do stuff a lot of brainstorming like.

SPEAKER_03

15:40

Do you take reader requests or watcher requests? Is anybody like going into the DMs and be like, Walkie Uncut needs to go to a brewer's game and do XYZ?

SPEAKER_02

15:48

Yeah, for go for going to places, we'll get a bunch of comments in the videos. Um, so so that can be helpful. Um, I mean, we get a bunch of people nominating singles for our gem of the week, our bachelor, our customers gem of the week, our bachelor, bachelorette of the week on the email list. So yeah, we definitely get inspired by what about middle-aged dad of the week? Can I apply for that one? I think we will put you in. We are gonna fool the audience with a great time.

SPEAKER_04

16:14

Yeah, with a much better hairline than Richie. Yeah, you can have way more submissions for that, by the way. Like 10 times the amount.

SPEAKER_02

16:21

I think we're gonna test that. You know, we're our Monday send is newer. I think there's room for that in there. And and you'll be the honorary first.

SPEAKER_03

16:30

Yeah, with my wife next to with next to me with an eye roll. I was I was gonna say I was gonna say, what is what is the meaning of the although I don't know how that Josh? What is this? Yeah. No, I didn't say it was for singles. I said just featuring dads. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Dads deserve to be featured too.

SPEAKER_02

16:45

We do we do do a uh yeah, we do do a Milwaukee end of the week. We do like highlighting people doing good things in the in the community. We do that every Friday, but I like the the the dad angle as well.

SPEAKER_03

16:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

16:57

Well, I wanna I want to talk too about why the idea of Milwaukee Uncut works in the city of Milwaukee. You know, obviously we talk about all the amazing things that Milwaukee has to offer, and we're gonna get into that and how people can, as Josh alluded to, be a part, give ideas, and help Milwaukee Uncut grow. When we come back on Josh and Around Milwaukee. Stay tuned. Hey guys, just wanted to take a quick break in the action to ask a question.

SPEAKER_02

17:22

Did you know, according to a recent Schwab survey, Americans say it takes$2.3 million to be wealthy? You may have had your financial plan set on a bigger or smaller number, but if you're looking for added insights on how to get there or how to avoid some tax pitfalls along the way, our friends at Annex Wealth Management are ready to listen. No matter where you are at in your financial journey and if your situation is complex or simple, the Annex Wealth Management team can give you the wealth expertise and guidance on reaching your goals. That is Annex Wealth Management.

SPEAKER_01

17:55

All right, let's get back with the Joshes. Welcome back to Visit Milwaukee's Joshing Around Milwaukee.

SPEAKER_04

18:02

Welcome back, everyone, to Josh and Around Milwaukee. We're having an awesome time with Bree and Richie from Milwaukee Uncut. And it's time uh for Josh, you're gonna host a little game, a little this or that.

SPEAKER_03

18:12

Yeah, we got a little this or that. Because you guys do all kinds of super fun, amazing stuff on Milwaukee Uncut. There's all kinds of just crazy questions you ask people, uh, like I was saying at the tailgate thing or just in even in studio, you do best date night spots, all kinds of stuff. So I'm gonna give you a little this or that. You guys gotta answer in real time. Audience members, no, they have not seen these questions because these are hard hitting.

SPEAKER_04

18:33

Correct, and don't look at each other for the answer. Yeah. Individual face is ordered out and see if you guys match up. Right, right. Don't you match up? Are you gonna say this? Because then I'll no, no, no.

SPEAKER_03

18:42

All right. First one dive bar or rooftop?

SPEAKER_00

18:47

Dive bar.

SPEAKER_02

18:49

Oh yeah. I'm a big dive bar guy. Yeah, yeah. All right, yeah. And I have an elevator phobia that I've been working on. I've been getting an elevator. I'm on a three-day streak. I'm I'm I'm uh doing exposure therapy. So I have an elevator. Anyway, I'll stick with dive bar for now.

SPEAKER_03

19:04

Awesome. Love it. Cheese curds or frozen custard. Cheese curds. Frozen custard.

SPEAKER_02

19:10

Custard. We go. I'm going Kurds.

SPEAKER_03

19:12

Kurds. Oh, okay. Best custard in town.

SPEAKER_00

19:14

I mean, honestly, I love Culver's. Oh, you want to franchise.

SPEAKER_03

19:19

They're local, Brady. They're local, they're Wisconsin. They are Wisconsin. Cops. I mean, the answer is the answer is Leon's, but for a custard?

SPEAKER_02

19:28

Yeah. Oh man, I I don't need a ton of ice cream.

SPEAKER_03

19:32

This is not ice cream, this is custard. Yeah, this is custard. Did we say ice cream? We'll go we'll go Leon's. We'll go Leon's.

SPEAKER_02

19:37

Leon's butter packets. That's yours? Leon's butter pecan. We'll go Leon's. But I do eat a lot of cheese curds.

SPEAKER_03

19:42

They're all amazing. Well, we'd love to give custard tours to guests. That's what we do. Hit like five or six different spots and it's a good thing. That would be a good video. We could collaborate on something like that. We'll do it anytime. Lakefront or river walk? I'm going lakefront. Yeah. Are you I'm not talking brewery here. I'm talking water sources.

SPEAKER_02

20:04

I'm at the lakefront a lot. I love South Shore Park. Yeah. And I do love a hot spell. I've actually been jumping the lake.

SPEAKER_05

20:13

Yeah? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

20:14

That's awesome. But I do like stopping out. You've got to clarify that it's Lake Friory, not the brewery. I do like stopping at Lakefront on the river. I like doing the Eagle Park walk across the bridge and go to Lakefront, which is right around the river. And I do like the harp as well, so that doesn't mean I dislike the river.

SPEAKER_03

20:30

I know. Well, these are tough choices to choose between these two. They are Milwaukee's a great town. So I apologize.

SPEAKER_04

20:35

You're right. You didn't need to clarify it.

SPEAKER_03

20:37

All right, this is this is a general one that the team came up with, and uh I want to see where this goes. Daytime or nighttime in Milwaukee.

SPEAKER_02

20:44

I'm going daytime. I'm I've gotten a little older in Crogedy. I do like I do like going out during the day and having a good time.

SPEAKER_00

20:51

You like Milwaukee farmers' markets in Milwaukee are amazing in the summer. They are.

SPEAKER_02

20:55

It's not exactly what I was thinking for daytime, but yeah, I really have a big golf.

SPEAKER_00

20:59

Richie's a big daytime drinker.

SPEAKER_02

21:00

Okay. Oh, okay. Just on like the Lake Brother. Which Lake Brother? Are we talking about great breweries? We got great bars, we got good sporting events. I'm excited to go to the Marquette game and then hop on. All right. We'll get some content on the shuffle this weekend. So speaking of day drinking, I know I know you guys are all out really well on this show.

SPEAKER_03

21:21

This is great.

SPEAKER_02

21:22

Daytime. I know you guys are talking about. Only on Saturday sometimes.

SPEAKER_03

21:26

You do have a special beer. So we're joking day drinking, but you guys have a special beer with three sheeps, the tropical pale ale launched last summer in 2025. What what's the what's the flavor profile of the tropical pale ale?

SPEAKER_02

21:45

Tropical toppy. I'd have to talk to Grant and Dr. Nate over there to get the full flavor rundown. I'd take it to the flavor they they brewed it, which is why it's so good. I had no part in that, but it was a it was. Awesome and it's coming back this July.

SPEAKER_03

22:02

Oh, nice. So another summer summer drum.

SPEAKER_04

22:06

Does it taste better if you're drinking it before 3 p.m.?

SPEAKER_02

22:11

I mean, I think I think it tastes good at all all hours almost. If you're drinking one along the way, it does hit nice outside. We had we had we recently, because Third Street, they had the last keg. So um we did a July and January happy hour, and Tropical Paleo still tasted good in January. There you go.

SPEAKER_03

22:29

I can actually think of a better time.

SPEAKER_02

22:30

Yeah. Take it. Take the tropical. We put some inflatable palm trees up right over there. It was good. But yeah, I don't want to butcher the exact flavor profile, but uh Dr. Nate Grant's tropical with all the T. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

22:47

I actually thought you were gonna go, well, it's tropical and it's uh and it's a pale ale. Uh there we go.

SPEAKER_02

22:53

It is uh 5.8% ABV, I do know that because with my hangovers these days, I do kind of do a mental pitch count and uh try and be productive the next days, which is also why I prefer going out earlier than later. Okay, it all comes back to the road. It's rough, especially if I go down the IPA train. I mean, you sometimes you're waking up. I mean, because I can pound those, and uh, you know, yeah. Sometimes you're waking up at three okay, I'll be back. I digress. I digress. Thanks for cutting me off. Probably don't need that out there.

SPEAKER_03

23:22

One last this or that. Okay. I'm a huge keeping up the the beer, the beer theme, going to the brewer stadium. It's the sausage race. Who are you cheering for? I'm going chorizo. Yes! Yes, chorizo every time. I'm a hard I'm always, always on chorizo.

SPEAKER_04

23:40

You know, the underdog story, always for chorizo. You know? Never gets never gets enough wins.

SPEAKER_00

23:46

There's the Italian. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02

23:49

I knew it, I know, I know it's a few. She's like going to be a big thing. Isn't there just the normal bratwurst? Normal bratwurst, yeah. Is there another one? The Polish. There is okay. I know I know my brewers sausages.

SPEAKER_03

24:05

Which one are you cheering for?

SPEAKER_00

24:06

I'm gonna with the hot dog.

SPEAKER_03

24:08

Classic. Way to go out there. Way to go out on a list. The hot dog does win a lot, Josh. Who's yours? The brat. Bratwurst. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

24:14

Chairman. Albrecht. Go crew. Go crew. Yep. Oh, absolutely. So excited for the for the season. I can't wait for a custard collab.

SPEAKER_03

24:24

Custard collab.

SPEAKER_04

24:25

Sorry, you said that like four minutes ago, my brain has been a little bit more.

SPEAKER_03

24:28

No, that'll be a good video.

SPEAKER_02

24:28

We could just roam around and uh would you actually eat the custard? Yeah. I just it gives me a bad stomachache. I don't know why.

SPEAKER_00

24:34

I'm also lactose intolerant, so this should be a great video.

SPEAKER_04

24:39

This is a slam dunk. We got nothing to worry about.

SPEAKER_02

24:42

So long as we don't have to take down like a pint at each each place. I think so.

SPEAKER_04

24:46

I think and then in between you drink a tropical pale ale on the way to the next one.

SPEAKER_03

24:50

Yeah, some sort of new like social challenge, right? You can throw up the fastest.

SPEAKER_04

24:53

This is exactly what we need to be doing. Come on, sounds like a perfect summer day. As long as we get it done before the sun sets.

SPEAKER_03

25:00

Alright, so before we close up, because I I can sense it, Josh is getting there. He's like it's almost hot. I am. I am where do people watch Milwaukee Uncut?

SPEAKER_02

25:08

Anywhere. You can just Milwaukee Uncut, yeah, we'll keep it simple. Any social platform, podcast, YouTube, podcast, Milwaukeeuncut.com. You can find anyway and subscribe to the newsletter. Yeah. Fantastic.

SPEAKER_04

25:20

Absolutely. You guys are everywhere, and we appreciate you coming on and being with us here today. We do appreciate it. We love what you guys do, and thank you for having us on. And thank you for joining us on this episode of Josh and Around Milwaukee. For more information on Josh and Around, as always, go to visitmilwaukee.org. We'll see you next time.

SPEAKER_01

25:37

You're listening to Visit Milwaukee's Joshing Around Milwaukee.

SPEAKER_04

25:41

All right, everyone. Thanks again so much for joining us on this episode of Josh and Around Milwaukee. If you're seeing this part of the show, it's because you're watching or listening on one of Visit Milwaukee's social media platforms, and we truly do appreciate it. We are here with Bree and Richie from Milwaukee Uncut. And guys, this is when Josh asks his big question. Josh, take it away.

SPEAKER_03

25:59

Yeah, it's a big one because around here, we'd like to say that Milwaukee has a ton of momentum. So many cool things going on right now. We affectionately call this as fresh city vibes. So what's giving you fresh city vibes right now?

SPEAKER_02

26:12

I I think it it's staying lighter out later. I think this is the best place to be in the summer. I'm excited for spring. I like playing some golf. I love going to beer gardens around and uh looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_00

26:25

Yeah, well, I think I I feel like for you specifically, a specific thing is actually going into Lake Michigan right now.

SPEAKER_02

26:32

I have been I have been going into Lake Michigan a bit. That is very, very nice.

SPEAKER_00

26:36

So taking advantage of the lake even in the wintertime, um, and then at Hotspell you can go in the sauna.

SPEAKER_03

26:41

Yeah. Yeah, it's a good experience. They're a partner of Visit Milwaukee, they do a great job. Uh fun experience. Oh, we'll see how you feel about going to the sauna when it's 100 degrees out in the summer.

SPEAKER_02

26:50

Yes, no, no, no kidding. I don't know if I will be doing that. But the sauna feels great after going into the lake right now for about 30 seconds.

SPEAKER_04

26:57

Yeah. So that's that's awesome. What uh Brie, what about you?

SPEAKER_00

27:01

Oh, I mean, I think a big thing for us, we're into old fashions right now. So I think just trying different old fashions at different restaurants and places.

SPEAKER_02

27:10

There's only a place to try one in Milwaukee. I mean, honestly, we'll give a shout out. Uh Ray Ray's intosa, they've got a bar on top of the liquor store. We had one of those the other uh last ride. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

27:23

True Wisconsin. True Wisconsin. Yeah. We we love to feature that when we bring guests in from out of town with Visit Milwaukee. We always make them sure that they get the Wisconsin style, sweet or sour.

SPEAKER_00

27:33

I'm a sour.

SPEAKER_02

27:34

I might I might get uh I'm not gonna get some good tension. I kind of like press. Oh, interesting. I don't want to lie on your show. Well, that's all I can do. We were doing press and then I'm a press guy. I'm not I I don't like rich dressing. I'm like, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

27:58

Stop. What are you doing?

SPEAKER_02

27:59

You don't like it's gonna lose. We're gonna lose our sponsors after this and cheese.

SPEAKER_03

28:04

I do like cheese. I do like cheese. Cheese.

SPEAKER_05

28:07

Uh I don't really like cheese.

SPEAKER_02

28:08

Uh maybe I'll get a non non-pressed one. Um I like going to I'm gonna drink Wisconsinably right by the Pfizer on Saturday. We'll we'll probably be able to be able to do that. Wisconsin, we'll take care of you. They'll put you on the right path for sure. I do drink sweet and sours as well. I'm not that dick too. They're all good. Richie's a layer. You blew it.

SPEAKER_04

28:27

You blew it. Oh, that's awesome. Well, thank you so much, guys, for for joining us today on Josh and Around. And if you guys miss it, literally Milwaukee Uncut everywhere, just on every social media platform website. Uh you can't miss it. Sign up for the newsletter. It's the content is amazing. We appreciate what you guys do. And again, for joining us here today. And thank you so much for joining us again for this episode of Josh and Around Milwaukee. As I mentioned before, you can find out more info on Josh and Around at visitmilwaukee.org. We'll see you next time.

SPEAKER_02

29:02

Hey everyone, thanks so much for tuning in to our episode of Josh and Around Milwaukee. If you do like Milwaukee Uncut, you're gonna like that show. So make sure to check them out. Give them a subscribe on this platform. And before signing off, just want to thank our partners, NX Wealth Management, Nicola, and Drink Wisconsin We Beverage Company for making Milwaukee Uncut possible.

SPEAKER_01

0:04

Hey guys, welcome back to Milwaukee Uncut. We've got a special episode with an absolute legend, and this one was not planned. So a couple weeks ago, I was creating a video for Saz's 50th anniversary, thinking I would get a couple sound bites from the founder Steve Sazama, and ended up getting 25 minutes of Milwaukee greatness that included the Saz's origin story and how he went from nearly going broke to building an iconic company with over 800 employees and five divisions, 800 employees every summer. He had some great stories about Don Nelson, Robin Youth, and more Milwaukee Legends. We talked Summerfest, the State Fair, his expansion, best bars in Milwaukee, Dead Are Alive, and more. It was recorded live from Saz's on a Friday afternoon. I walked in and Saz, who I think is 80 years old, was manning the bar, playing dice with some regulars. Apparently, he he's still doing that on Fridays. Um, what a great guy. So wanted to wanted to run this as a full episode. The audio is not in studio quality, but it's it's still good. It's still good. And I thought you would you would really enjoy this one. Before diving in, I want to thank our partners who make Milwaukee on Cup possible. We'll kick it off with Nicolay Law, the Midwest law firm injured. Get Nicolay and Russ, and the team will take great care of you over there. That is Nicolai Law. Next, we've got Drink Wisconsinably Beverage Company. Best vodka brandy and canned cocktails in the game. I absolutely love their canned old-fashioned, available at bars and liquor stores across the state and at the Drink Wisconsinably pub, right across from the Pfizer Forum. And last but not least, our friends over at Annex Wealth Management. If you're looking to get your finances together in 2026 and have a goal that deals with your money, your earnings, your investments, go talk to the experts at Annex. They have an amazing team ready to listen and help you with your personal goals. Annex Wealth Management, know the difference. All right, let's dive in with the legendary founder of Sazes, Steve Sazama. Thank you for having us down today. Well, thank you.

SPEAKER_00

2:21

It's uh a pleasure having you, and it's can't believe it's been 50 years. And you're still man in the bar. You you were right back there. Well, I've got a friend, a bunch of friends of mine that we shake bar dice for drinks on Fridays. So, and the bar chips, but a uh it's it's just a lot of fun. I mean, we walk away, we're not drinking, we end up with a big pile of chips. Yeah. But and bar dice is just uh a Milwaukee traditional game that you play at bars. I I agree. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

2:52

Every Friday you're still down here rolling the dice? Yeah, but I'm in town, yep. Oh yeah. That's good to hear. That's good to hear. So '76, how did this place start?

SPEAKER_00

3:02

Well, a good friend of mine, Pep Palmer, had Pep's Place, and which is Colonel Hart's now. Uh great bar. All right, and I was working for Pep. And Jerry Cohn in 19, he opened in 73, and then Jerry Cohn asked me to go to open up Major Goolsby's. So I was the first general manager down at Major Gouldsby's. At Golesby's. Yeah. Right when it opened. Yeah. Oh, yeah, I opened it.

SPEAKER_01

3:25

You got your footprints on all the iconic places.

SPEAKER_00

3:27

Well, I didn't know it. And Jerry was just a great owner and a great guy, and we're best of friends today. And um, and and from there, uh Pep, after three years, Pep saw this place was for sale. They said, Saz, what you have to, this is a place you have to have it. I suppose he knew I didn't have two nickels and whatever. So he guaranteed the money, and uh, which was ten thousand dollars. Interest rate was four percent.

SPEAKER_01

3:54

You know, yeah, yeah. Not bad.

SPEAKER_00

3:56

And uh we we took it over and uh we were very successful from day one. We knew so many people from major rules which came up and we ran shuttles to the brewer games and just it just great.

SPEAKER_01

4:10

Well what was uh was this a bar or restaurant when it opens or a building or bar and restaurants or oh since uh 1915. So this building's this 110 years old.

SPEAKER_00

4:22

Yeah, and uh there used to be a boarding house years ago. In fact, um again, now you're going back in the 30s, 20s, and 30s, when people used to go like from South Milwaukee to Pewaukee, they would bed their horse down here and they would sleep upstairs.

SPEAKER_01

4:43

And then you turned it into a bar and slept upstairs.

SPEAKER_00

4:46

I did. Unfortunately, how was that?

SPEAKER_01

4:50

So, how old were you when you started this place?

SPEAKER_00

4:52

Well, I was well, this is why it's such a big deal.

SPEAKER_01

4:55

I was uh 30 years old, so it's the 30 years old, having your own bar, living upstairs in the 70s. What was that like? Sounds like a great time to be alive.

SPEAKER_00

5:05

It was very fortunate, and we knew so many people, and it just it was a a story that I I know could be duplicated nowadays because of uh such good, you know, you had 400 people working at the brewery. They were in all the upper upper guys or the uh the factory guys were in. Um people went out for lunch. You know, this is before all your your sandwich shops and and uh you know, it just it just was was a great time. And we were very fortunate. We always had a big party opening day and uh put a tent down. From 76, you you well that was two years later because we started having so many people come here opening day that we finally put up a tent. And our record was I think it was 82 or 83. Uh then the old stadium held 56,000 people. So the brewers had plenty of tickets to sell. I mean, they wanted to sell the taverns, but they had plenty. So one year we had a thousand tickets and we had twenty-six school buses. As far as you could see down State Street, we had school buses. Nowadays you you can't get three school buses.

SPEAKER_01

6:14

No, twenty-six is quite a bit. Yeah. Do you have any great memories from the was it the 82 run that they went on?

SPEAKER_00

6:20

Oh, yeah. They had the tent was up the whole time, and uh it was just just just a great time, and the players were here, and I mean it's just we were the players dropped in here. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

6:32

Any good any good stories about any of them?

SPEAKER_00

6:36

Uh not during the World Series so much.

SPEAKER_01

6:38

You know, not the outside of the World Series.

SPEAKER_00

6:41

Yeah, well, some I don't know if he would like Paul Moller's rookie year. He was playing third base.

SPEAKER_01

6:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

6:48

And uh he had one hell of a game, one hell of a series, and it was a Sunday night, and he came in here, and uh he said I said, What are you hungry for, Paul? He says, I need some good meatballs. So uh took him down to the town room on Thurnd, Wisconsin, where you wouldn't eat Thurnd, Wisconsin is is nothing now. Right. But there used to be a town theater, which is the movie theater. Yeah, and then below it was the Maniachi Sicily Cafe. Uh-huh. So we went down there and uh it was just he ordered spaghetti and meatballs. They didn't order a big steak, he didn't want veal. Yeah, he just wanted spaghetti and meatballs, you know. Um but no, a lot of good people today. In fact, you know, Robin Yountwin's in town. He's he's probably the greatest, he's the nicest, the greatest person you'd ever want to meet. And forget about that, he's in the hall of pain. Yeah. But he's that's good. He's a hall of fame guy. You have any good memories with him here over the years? Oh, one time he was meeting Bob Euchre here, and um, and another big week at Miller Brewing Company, and my dishwasher, John Leonard, he was my dishwasher for like 30 years, and he drank Miller Light as Robin did. So he says, Robin came in and he says, Robin, I want to buy you a drink. And of course, Robin's so cool, he said, sure, I'll buy one. Yeah, and I'll I'll take it. And he congratulated on and he said, Robin, just so you know, we're both in the hall of fame. And and Robin says, Hall of Fame? He says, Yeah, I'm in a dishwasher's hall of fame. And congratulations. So about three weeks later, it was uh John's birthday, yeah, and he sent him an honograph ball. And this is right after we got into the Hall of Fame. And it is so it was Robin Young, H O H O E on the baseball.

SPEAKER_01

8:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

8:42

And whenever he was here, he was coaching for a while. Yeah, you know, and little John would go to the table and talk to him, and just just the nicest, nicest man in the world. Still is. Did you did you come in here much? No, he did not. Okay. Yeah. And actually, he was getting a little later then. You know, he really didn't go to many places. Uh but uh we used Of course, Pete Bukovich, of course, what bar didn't he go into? I mean, Vukwood was credit character and um it it was just a lot of them had gift certificates, so they'd come in. We used to we used the sponsor the the pregame interview. So but very nice. And of course, then we had a lot of good friends with the Milwaukee Bucks being at Major Goolsby's. So like Wayne Emory and uh and Don Nelson that would come out, you know. And uh in fact, Nelly, if uh uh don't remember when Don Nelson used to have a a tie out, a fish tie. Yeah, I don't know if you ever saw one, but i it was contrived in a booth by the men's room back there. Really? That's where he sighed uh came up with the his his fish tie.

SPEAKER_01

9:53

At the same size as men's room, basically. Yeah, well, yes. Right outside right outside of here. How was Nelly a good guy to have a beer with?

SPEAKER_00

10:01

Oh yeah, oh yeah, he was great. And in fact, when Nelly got fired, um we both living in the Hermitage downtown. And of course, yeah, that it was not high raise, it was only three floors, right? I was on the second floor, but he was on the third floor, and it was a lot nicer than mine. So he calls me up. He says, Sassy, Sassie, do you want it? And I said, Do I want what? My place. And I said, sure. He said, You got it. And I said, Well, thank you. And then he hangs up. Well, I'm waiting a couple of weeks. I don't hear from him, wondering what the hell is this all about. So he calls me back up and gives me a price. And of course, I I can't say it because the words I used to, but are you effing nuts? You know, I said, here's what I'll pay you. He said, Okay, you know. So I bought his place. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

10:51

Who who would you say um the best guy to have a beer with was over the years? Bunts of brewers who came who'd come in.

SPEAKER_00

11:00

Well, well, Robin and Nelly were right up there. And another good guy was um who just passed away. I get a little emotional now, it's uh Bruce Freddy. Okay. He passed away two days ago. And Bruce was a good guy to have a beer with, be it here or in the uh Umpire's locker room after the game. So it was just a good guy, you know.

SPEAKER_01

11:23

Uh yeah, I'm sorry, I got a little bit of a good. You're good. Um I mean you you have you've grown this so big, you have so many divisions now, you have festivals, catering, this place, retail. Um when you got started, was it was there moments where were there some difficult obstacles you had had to overcome or any time where you were like, wow, I'm I'm in over my head.

SPEAKER_00

11:51

Well, I was very lucky because Pep Hammer was also not only on the bar, but he was an accountant. So he took took care of the bookwork of that. And and Pep is a best friend of mine, but he never had any for surgery of the place. Just helped out. And that was an old story because Morrie's on Prospect, which was a famous East Side Bar, loaned Pep money to go in the business. And part of the part of the deal was in Pep had to loan money to somebody to go in the business. So I was the lucky guy. And uh, no, we just grew so fast, it was and the place was so small. Yeah. The biggest problem we had would be uh we had the fire department, the you know the occupants too many people in here, you know. So I mean we had lines all the ways to the to almost where the where the meat store is, but and then uh built that and built the room and that was in 1980. And that almost bankrupt me because interest rates were 18 and a half percent. It was like a credit card.

SPEAKER_01

12:54

In 1980. Yeah. So you're four years in and you almost go broke? Yeah. What was that like?

SPEAKER_00

13:02

Uh hard to believe, you know. And uh there were a couple other facts because I expanded so much that um I almost went broke. But you know, I I I I had a firm belief that it, you know, you gotta expand. And and a lot of it was forced expansion. When uh people started eating my barbecue pork or the ribs. Well, first of all, they'd wanted the sauce for their Kelgate parties. Well then then they used to pick up their pork here and take it to the ballpark. Well then they didn't want to pick it up. They wanted us to serve them. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

13:38

So that's how the catering thing grew, and it grew and it grew and and uh uh So you so you you essentially over the years saw opportunities that I don't want to say they were safe, but you had had clear signals that you should go after them and then you just took them.

SPEAKER_00

13:56

Yep. I mean, I would say but I mean not Kenya, we're just fortunate as as heck, but and I just and I owe it all to my employees too, because I've had I've got so many people that owned me 25, 30 years, and and uh they're just wonderful, and now four of them are are my partners, and it's really kind of neat because so is Kurt one of them? Oh yeah, who's running the show?

SPEAKER_01

14:19

Well, how's he how he started here all a long time ago, right?

SPEAKER_00

14:22

He was like 14 years old. No shit. My my cousin was a Jesuit at Market High, yeah. And he calls me up and says says, You gotta hire this kid. He kind of looked kind of geeky looking, but you gotta hire him. So and and those are the words, I mean, I'm not making them up, and hired him. And now he's what, 45 years old? Run running the show now and so everything. I mean, does the books for everything, and he just he's probably one of the most amazing first he's they'd ever want to be. And I have Joe Bruegerman who's and and Nat Hawkins, and they run the catering end of it, and they've grown the catering so much, and um uh it's just just been a weird.

SPEAKER_01

15:07

What do you think your key to to growing and retaining people has been in this business?

SPEAKER_00

15:12

Well, as you walk in, if you see we won the outstanding employer ward every year, we and that's a Milwaukee Journal base, and that's not one where you give them ten thousand dollars and they give you the plaque to put on the wall.

SPEAKER_02

15:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

15:25

I mean your employees have to have to answer the questions and process. Yeah, yeah. Right. So and you know, you if you don't treat people right, they're gonna leave, you know, and and and also I have a thing where if I I I don't know if much uh when I went to market high school, they had seven classes. The every like 25 kids were in a class, so there's one class, two, three, four, five. Well anyway, I was in seven, the dumps at market high. Yeah. But the sevens where were attorneys, business owners, and and and the ones and twos of the doctors and the physics, and the attorneys also were I say we're in the sevens. And the three, fours, and fives worked for the ones and twos of the six and sevens. They were they just they just had to be comfortable.

SPEAKER_01

16:16

The sevens are probably very entrepreneurial. I would I would think I couldn't I couldn't do well in school either. I I was not. Um let's talk about this. We have some iconic items on here. We've got the the combo platter all over Stay Fair, Summerfest. How how did this all come out in this this mozzarella marinara is yeah?

SPEAKER_00

16:38

You know, it's funny when um Tracy Sprohl was the food and beverage coordinator at Summerfest, and her uncle was one of my original customers, and a very good customer. Well, then there were two gentlemen from Miller Brewing Company, Sigway Saki and Dennis Basie, and they were at fairs and festivals. And Miller used to sponsor fairs, maybe a Jazz Festival in New York or whatever, out easter. And uh they're the only company that did it. So uh Tracy contacted them and said, you know, would you know we need to find somebody in the Miller area because there was an Arthur Treacher's fish and shits. I can't figure out mission chips, I'm sorry, uh there. And uh so they wanted us to um to go in there, and of course, obviously we're thrilled, but not the what the heck we're gonna serve. Yeah, and uh my uh mozzarella marinera in an Italian restaurant is the pan-fried mozzarella cheese. But I thought, boy, if we could eat it with our fingers, we'd have a winner. So my chef, Dick Nash, uh went out with a Chinese chef, and of course, cheese egg roll. So these are all hand rolled in True River Fish. What year what year was that around? Well, we went in the Summerfest in 82, so um not not much before that.

SPEAKER_01

18:07

Hey guys, just a fun fact before we dive back in with SAS. Did you know, according to a recent Schwab survey, Americans say it takes$2.3 million to be wealthy? You may have had your financial plan set on a bigger or smaller number, but if you're looking for added insights on how to get there or how to avoid some tax pitfalls along the way, our friends at Annex Wealth Management are ready to listen. No matter where you're at in your financial journey, and if your situation is complex or simple, the Annex Wealth Management team can give you the wealth expertise and guidance on reaching your goals. That's our friends at Annex Wealth Management, AnnexWealth.com. All right, let's dive back in with Saz.

SPEAKER_00

18:51

This this story is really one of the most amazing stories. I mean, I laugh about it every time I tell us. We used to use a um, you know, you go to a place, you got a cottage fly, the the fresh potato they slice, like potato chips. Well, we used to put all the potatoes in a 55-gallon uh barrel, yeah, and then put water and and uh an antioxidant in there. And then we would open up the drain and drain the water up, and of course, then we use that for the potatoes. Uh well, one day, right before the health inspector came, Bruce Kress, who was a great guy and still alive, the kid missed the drain, so he's like standing over there and opens it up. Snag got water all over the floor, and then comes the health department.

SPEAKER_01

19:42

He misses the drain.

SPEAKER_00

19:43

Yeah. So Bruce says, Well, you know, that's kind of a mess. He says, But I think on a product you may want to try. And he told me about the sour cream and chai French. But had that kid not missed that drain like that, these would not have been a thing.

SPEAKER_01

19:59

And that would have been never would have happened. And I I heard uh after these came out, what year did these come out?

SPEAKER_00

20:04

That came out about 84.

SPEAKER_01

20:06

So in 84, you went to Summerfest with both regular fries and these, right? And these outsold those.

SPEAKER_00

20:14

Yeah. So then we got rid of the other fries. But the original stand, if you ever saw a picture of it, it was so small. Yeah. I mean, we were rolling mozzarella sticks right in the stand to order, you know. It was it was amazing. And with the Miller Brewerin coming, they've been so helpful. We'd had such a good relationship. And of course, at State Fair. Um like Summerfest, when Summerfest they wanted to bring in local vendors, so like Jerry Cohen from Major Goolsby's is someplace else. Uh-huh. They want to bring some legitimacy. Yeah. And the Venice Club went in, and that was the maybe the third or fourth vendor to go in there, local vendor.

SPEAKER_01

20:56

Do you have a I'm gonna give one of these a try, but um, not that I haven't tried them before quite a few times. I'm a fan of them, but do you have a favorite Summerfest or State Fair story that stands out?

SPEAKER_00

21:09

Um well, uh I can do a state fair story. I mean maybe in the future. Miller Highlight used to have the Miller Light All-Stars commercials where they had uh uh Euchar was the main guy, but they had Ronnie D'Ajaville, Mickey Spillane, they had um everybody, everybody. Well, they had a guy named Jimmy Schroeder, and Jimmy was like the babe roof of Bronco Riders. Right. And he was about maybe five, nine. Well, she's obviously shake your hand, you know what I mean. Your your hand would fall off. Well, his bull was Buford T Light, and they betted Beauford T Light right up where the Miller stand is. uh the the miller light yeah yeah they had them bedded outside during the day well the fair ended up making them change it but beautiful tea light they used to take him in the bars at night he went to Billy's old mill and he'd have well the last Sunday of the fair all of a sudden it's getting late and everybody's had a few beers and a couple of guys the Miller and of course Jimmy I'm saying up the road with Buford T Light so Buford comes into the tent and then we had a tent then and we had there was a person in a wheelchair right about this far away maybe three feet away from the tent pole and of course Pam DeRonio at the time was there she had a great band great jazz singer so she's on Buford T Light singing and Beauford T lights making his way in the bull yeah she's on she's singing on the bull in a tent she was just riding she was riding the bull in the tent and and puzzle waitress who we had two people on Buford Buford could take two people. Okay but how he could slink through this little opening without hitting this crystal in the wheelchair was like I still don't know how the heck you guys would just bring the bull into the bars that night? They did he would tour the country you remember there's a famous it was a famous bar called Billy's Old Mill in Milwaukee?

SPEAKER_01

23:28

Yeah was on 76th and uh Forrest home I I I I don't I've been here since 2008 ish. Okay yeah so I that leads to my next question though which I wanted to ask you what do you think the best bars in Milwaukee are dead or alive?

SPEAKER_00

23:45

So best bars of all time they own well you know my I got married in 1991 so my by going out of bar into Mars is okay I would have to say uh restaurants we could put those in there as well the restaurants easy uh but bars uh well it was more's on prospect for years and that was on prospect and Brady okay not I mean sorry prospect and uh no silver on prospect yeah right there yeah yeah yep uh that was a great thing um Gary's at the time and then it's O'Donoghue's and of course now on Donahue's is is in in in Elm Grove uh Bob Cross Carlos's off the clock and that's on South Hull um you know and my light changed as far as going to bars but what what about restaurants that do or don't exist anymore that you you really enjoyed going to well I'll tell you what there's a book upstairs that at all Milwaukee restaurants from XW and I think there's only like two of us left you know yeah um I mean right now I mean I love Katarinas I love pastiche I love BB's pizza on North Avenue any from the 70s or 80s that that stood out well they're not around uh that aren't around they're not around uh you know I I used to love salines for the prime rib okay yeah now I gotta go down I go down and see Brian wore to his prime rib but he was at Brian was at the open hearth and he was a dishwasher there really so he learned uh he learned the recipe so so Brian's been very successful with that uh pizza I love I enjoy Balastraries on uh on Blue Mound yeah and it's a also good vibe for me now uh um yeah things have any other throwback restaurants from the 70s eighties or nineties well with the old ownership Curpris Five o'clock club yeah when they when the original guys owned it and and nothing against the new guys but I mean um but we used to go there quite a bit and it was it was wonderful um oh well of course once in a while you'd have to go down to uh Sally's and that was in the Knickerbocker Hotel. Oh interesting okay and Sally Papia so she very interesting character and and it had great stakes but it was the only place in town where you could get an eight o'clock Saturday night dinner reservation.

SPEAKER_01

26:50

Really so you had the reservation yeah yeah you had the reservation yeah that didn't mean you got your table she's passed away yeah and her daughter's passed away but yeah well the only way you could get in sooner if you used uh a doctor in front of your name if you get in okay and one of the best ones that I'm sorry I didn't bring it up in Mannias Susan Cafe when they moved over to uh uh Whitefish Bay yeah Fox Point and Arnie and Rosie they were just fantastic very cool in fact they had a they they they had a a very clicky clientele and they couldn't seat certain people next to each other so when they got a reservation they had to figure out where are we gonna sit 'em I wasn't one I would have you don't strike me as that kind of guy um coming up on fifty what what are you most proud of?

SPEAKER_00

27:57

Well I guess I'm most proud of that um now you're getting the goosebumps there uh you know the good people that I know and the good relationships and it's something I stress to the all all my employees but basically to the owners and is that you have to have relationships. Now you look at the relationship you have with Kirk he's amazing and and with our vendors and that and it's all about relationships you know and you don't worry about this is ten cents a pound or this and you know yeah you know you don't have to say I I know some guys I won't use their name but you know sales are waiting in line and they're you're you know they're 75 cents high in a case of toilet paper you know you know and uh but it's all about relationships and the other part about is we're very active in the community as far as giving back and I'll tell you I myself been on quite a few boards very very proud of it and and we've got uh uh Hannah Kitzrow Hannah's on the Sharp Literacy Board uh Kurt's on the the State Restaurant Association board he's on the Visit Milwaukee board and he's on the Wisconsin State Bear Foundation board which he he replaced me and uh so we're very very active in why why why is giving back important to you well I paid my own way to market high so I I I had nothing and you know you paid your own way through market high at 14 to 18 yeah what what jobs it was a hundred dollars done how much was tuition back then well the first year it was a hundred because I had a brother there so it would have been it would have been a year high little different yeah well then because I had to pay my way own way through school but at at one time and I'm not making this up and it may take minutes but I had I believe six jobs and eighteen credits at Marquette. High school no college college college I drove truck for Boltman trucking for like three to eight and then uh I had referee basketball uh on some days I didn't drive truck I I I had referee basketball or or touch football that's job number two job number three at one o'clock in the morning one a Saturday morning or Friday night I'd go to Bolton trucking and we used to wash 20 trucks and half of them were outside you had to bring them in yeah so that lasted till about eight in the morning at nine in the morning ten nine three in the morning then I'd referee youth basketball at uh sixth and walnut I don't know what the name of the school is now so that's the fifth job or sixth job and Saturday night about one in the morning I used to take a bakery truck you know those bakery they're not very big and I used to drive it down to Bernie Brothers in Chicago and pick up bakery and I'd have about eight stops somewhere in Illinois and some were the parties west I went to was Brookville Square which was there was a Woolworth there and I went as far north as uh well forget the name of the wrestle but the Sibrus is right next to it. Mekwan Mekwan yeah so I went that far and then um just a couple here yeah well there were like six eight stops and then Sunday afternoon I ran the Division IV CYO which was St. St. Bernard's St. Thomas Mother Good Counselor and um St. Sebastian's so I used to hire the officials and they went to school when when did you sleep I don't know you just got it done um I love it any uh what but one thing it did cause though is that I couldn't make it to a class I needed to graduate from you needed Father Pierre wrote said Marquette had the theory of business ethics so it was eight o'clock on Monday morning well by then I was a noodle there's no way am I going to make did they let you graduate no they wouldn't let me graduate if they didn't think of did you ever graduate no you did all right you did all right I didn't have the theory of business ethics no that's amazing you you've done you've done just fine um do we want to end it what's your favorite piece of life advice would you say to give to give to someone well it just seems like the harder you work the luckier you get you know and and even as I tell my wait staff here the bartenders you know I know this up it's a part-time job for you but when you're here you've got to look at this as it's a profession and and that it our guests demand nothing but the best service yeah and that's where we come up with the finest.

SPEAKER_01

33:19

Well then thank you so it was an honor spending some time with you today and um congrats on everything you've done and thank you for everything you've done as well. All right before signing off want to give a huge thank you to Saz what a what a great guy an amazing Milwaukee story and an amazing company that does so much for the community so it was it was great getting to know Saz and before signing off just want to thank our partners who make Milwaukee Uncut Possible annex wealth management Nicola and drink Wisconsinably beverage company

SPEAKER_01

0:00

And we literally taste 75 to 150 wines each and every week, just so we know what we're putting on the shelves. And that's where a lot of these high-end tequilas are are really taking their moment and shining.

SPEAKER_00

0:11

What do you think the best bottle of liquor under$25 that people are sleeping on is?

SPEAKER_01

0:16

Can we uh can we bump it up to 30?

SPEAKER_00

0:19

What's the most eye-opening purchase that you've seen?

SPEAKER_01

0:23

I would have to say we had one person.

SPEAKER_00

0:28

Hey everyone, welcome back to Milwaukee Uncut. If you like drinking or a great local business story or both, we've got a good one for you today. We're joined by my friend Ori Liv, who owns one of Bri and I's favorite spots, Ray's Liquor in Tosa, which has an amazing bar on top as well, and has been a staple since the 1960s, and they just expanded to an amazing new building in Mekwan this past fall. We go over the Ray's story, what it's like running a liquor store, best bottles under$30, how the industry has changed, and what sectors are hot right now and which ones are struggling, and more. Before diving in, I just want to thank our partners for making Milwaukee Uncle possible. We'll kick things off with Nicola, the Midwest law firm injured. Get Nicola. Annex Wealth Management. If you're looking to get your finances together in 26 and have a goal that deals with your money, your earnings, your investments, go talk to the experts at Annex. They have an amazing team ready to listen and help you with your personal goals. Annex Wealth Management, know the difference. That is annexwealth.com. And last but not least, something that is sold at Rays, we've got Drink Wisconsinably Beverage Company. Best brandy, vodka, and canned cocktails in the game. Personally, I love their canned brandy old-fashioned available at bars and liquor stores across the state and at the Drink Wisconsinably pub right across from the Pfizer. All right, let's dive in with Ori. Raise Liquor, an absolutely iconic spot in Tosa since 1961, known for its parking lot parties, amazing bar upstairs, which I've spent a lot of money at. Willingly, willingly spent a lot of money at. You are welcome. It's well deserved. And its selection of 6,000 plus wines, a couple thousand liquors, and a thousand beers. But you have recently expanded the Raborhood, opening up a new 13,500 square foot location. According to Google, is that correct? It is correct. You did your research today. 13,500 square foot location in Mekwan, which was years in the making. It's got an event space, it's got a delicatessen, it's got a temperature-controlled wine cellar for ballers like SimGuy in Buddy J. It is an amazing space. I appreciate it. Over in Mekwan. Ori, good, good to have you here. Thanks, man. Great to be here. Thank you so much. Um everyone loves Raze that I talked to. It's obviously been around for a while. I didn't I didn't go there much before we moved right by it in 2021. It's right on North Aventos. Uh how did how did what's the story behind it?

SPEAKER_01

3:16

Raise, yeah. So it's always been a family business. Um, that's what we like to promote first and foremost. Uh so in the early 60s, the Dietz family, um, the only other family to own the shop uh before me and my uncle um many decades ago, opened it as a small grocer, um, paper goods, a few spirits items, uh, kids' toys, things of that ilk. Um, and eventually became morphed into a more of a beer depot and then a liquor store as the liquor business proliferated in the 70s and 80s. And then, you know, when me and my uncle took it over in 2002, he was a wholesale wine salesperson for the original owner for decades. They were great best friends, in fact. And he took it over in 2002. I graduated in 2003 and joined him to help with the marketing. And we really kind of pivoted from being this old school beer depot, which if you've driven by, it still certainly looks like that, to being more of a wine-centric location. And from there, we just sprouted up as, you know, trying to be one of the premier wine destinations for an independent wine shop in Wisconsin. When did the bar upstairs get added? The bar upstairs, so a fascinating story. It was never meant to be a bar, uh, sadly. So around 2010, there was the absolute explosion of craft beer in America. And we'd been reading about these things called Growlers, uh, which on the coasts, you know, there would be these filling stations where people would get their beer from their local establishments and get their vessels and then fill them up and take them home to go. So we thought it was this genius idea to open an entire establishment on top of the store at a growler filling station. I appreciate that. So that started uh in 2013, and for about a full year, that's all it was. We tried to get the best craft beer that you could not find in a bottle or a can and have those exclusive beers on tap at the at the filling station. We called it the Growler Galleries. So was there even a bar where people sat down and had pints, or was it just fill the fill a growler and leave? So we did things a little backwards. We had a bar poured, but that was just for folks to wait in line. We didn't, we never meant to open up a bar because we didn't know anything about running a bar at the time. So we'd only have these exclusive fills for about the first year, and people kept asking, hey, can't we just sit and have a beer? Can't we just sit and have a beer? And after a year, we're like, you know what? We should let people sit and have a beer. So then it just sprouted from there, uh, from our eight-tap system, um, eventually, you know, churning out slushies, uh, a lot of whiskey pores and wine, and then we ended up building out the event space. So that's been going on about a decade now.

SPEAKER_00

6:11

Yeah, it seems uh it seems like the core mission has remained though. I love going up there as a beer guy because you guys rotate, you have eight beers, some some you've heard of, but there's usually three or four or five or six on the menu that I've I've never heard of. And you can get samples, you can try them. It's just 100%. It's a great place to go. You did a great job on the interior. Just sit down and thank you and pound some beers for an afternoon.

SPEAKER_01

6:37

I mean, I appreciate that. Thank you very much. Yeah, it was just uh supposed to be a cozy neighborhood spot, and we've always tried to just keep it that way. Uh, it was never supposed to be the biggest. We just wanted a nice place to have a drink. And the whole thing about not changing from eight taps to more was so that we could rotate them out, have the freshest, most fun, unite, unique, and exciting selection.

SPEAKER_00

6:59

Yeah, I like checking the website most weeks, seeing what you got going on over there. They keep it up to date, very nice. Uh raisewine.com. Razewine.com on Raise Bar. I know where to go. Okay, so so you have that going on in Toast. It seems like business has has been good for you guys from what I can see. Why take on this massive second location? Tell me about that. When did you want to do that? How long did it take?

SPEAKER_01

7:24

I appreciate that. Yeah, so so, like I said, I came on in 2003. Uh, me and my uncle had the pleasure of working together um for nearly 20 years. And when he came on board, our whole business was just to grow our location and give folks uh the best quality of life we could and have a ton of fun being a family-owned shop, and we had an absolute ball. And by the time he had retired, you know, this was shortly after COVID. Obviously, the industry has changed quite a bit in the last four or five years with COVID and the patterns of drinking in America. And every day when I drive home from work down 76, I'd see this gorgeous building. And I live, you know, close to this new shop. Of course, at the time we didn't know we were opening the new shop, but there hasn't been a proper wine and spirit shop in Mekwan in going on 20 years, and it was always my dream to bring something to the North Shore, uh, a kind of new vision to provide the best customer service and have a great selection and have folks from the North Shore enjoy that.

SPEAKER_00

8:29

Yeah, and do you wanna do you wanna talk about it at all?

SPEAKER_01

8:32

It is a it is a huge building you walk in, and there's a lot of different areas within the it looks massive, but there's actually no basement. So it's actually the exact same square footage essentially as our location on North Avenue. Really?

SPEAKER_00

8:46

I would not have thought that. Right.

SPEAKER_01

8:47

It's a beast, and you know, while we use kind of every piece of the buffalo in Wawatosa, if you've been in the shop, there's there's things everywhere. I I really want to have a more free open space concept for the new location and and just put a different spin on it and just make a beautiful mark for the building because as the custodian of this building, it's gorgeous, it's been there for decades, and we want to give it a good home and really make it shine.

SPEAKER_00

9:12

Very cool. And it's it's more than a liquor store. You guys got the delicatessen in there.

SPEAKER_01

9:16

We do. Yeah, so Ray's Deli actually, the Dietz family, the original family, did have a very small space right around the time they opened uh Ray's Liquor that was a delicatessen. So that's actually where we had the building or different building. It had been a different building, but also on North Avenue, but a very, very small space. So that's how we got the name. We've always wanted to have a food component. Uh, due to size restrictions, unfortunately, we could not do that uh for Wawatosa. We've always wanted to do it, not a full-blown restaurant, if you will, just a few snacks, uh, really fresh, delicious goods that you can enjoy with a glass of wine, a sip of bourbon, or a beer.

SPEAKER_00

9:55

So the Dietz family, did you uh and your uncle work with them at all, or did you just buy it from them in the early 2000s?

SPEAKER_01

10:02

No, so my uncle was great friends uh with Ron Deets, and him and his mom were really the ones that blew up Rays in the 60s and 70s. He called on Ron as a wholesale wine salesperson from the 80s on, and in 2002, when Ron retired, uh my uncle took over.

SPEAKER_00

10:20

Very cool. Yeah, very cool. And what was um your uncle's retired now? He is how how was working with him?

SPEAKER_01

10:28

It was awesome. It it really was. I mean, family business has definitely no stress at all, right? None whatsoever. Uh the first two or three years presented a few different challenges. We literally shared- you would have been in your early 20s when I would have, yeah. I graduated University of Arizona in 2003, so I came aboard right after college. Um, and I moved up here to Wisconsin. Yeah. But we shared an office literally with no windows for almost 20 years. So it was it was definitely tight quarters. So communication's the key, though, every single time, and that that's really the key to any business, but especially family business.

SPEAKER_00

11:08

When did you all start doing events? It seems like um even in the winter, and obviously you have your parking lot parties and you have the new event space in Mekwan. It seems like bring it bringing people together has is an important thing that you do.

SPEAKER_01

11:22

Right. So when we started the bar, the Growler Gallery, as it were, and now just known as Ray's Bar, we did a tremendous amount of tap takeover events, really trying to highlight different breweries and beers week after week. And then one year, this was roughly 10 years ago, we decided to do an anniversary party in our parking lot. And we just had an absolute blast. Uh, from there, the proliferation came when we'd work and partner up with other breweries and have just sole events predicated on one brewery or a certain type of food, like a barbecue bash we've had uh during the summer for many times. And now uh through the last number of years, our Rose Fest, which we've had every year in Wawatosa, and this year we'll be utilizing our Mekwan parking lot uh due to its robust size to have an awesome rose day where you can try over a hundred roses on Sunday, June 7th.

SPEAKER_00

12:15

What what gets what gets better than that? Yeah. What would you say um are the biggest misconceptions of owning a liquor store? What what do people not know?

SPEAKER_01

12:26

I think there's a lot more intricacies um than folks probably realize. We uh many businesses obviously try to make it look as effortless as possible um when they're front-facing with their clients. But I we have to be honest, uh in 2026, brick and mortar is not like the cool thing, right? Everything's available online, social media, you can get dang near anything from any website in the world, right? So it's really a constant it trying to be constantly innovative to be fresh and new and excite your client base and grow your client base by being kind of landlocked in your one or now two locations. How do you decide what uh products you take in?

SPEAKER_00

13:12

You have so many of them.

SPEAKER_01

13:13

Right. So we have a really robust staff. Our staff is like our family, and we literally taste 75 to 150 wines each and every week just so we know what we're putting on the shelves. We do spit everything, or else it would not be a very productive uh. No, that would not be a very productive thing. But but but our team has specific days where all they do is taste and we go through everything, compare notes, and then buy as a group. What's the most eye-opening purchase that you've seen? Oh, for sure. Um I would have to say we had one person try to supply his entire company with Jack Daniels and purchased 40 cases of Jack Daniels one very random afternoon in the summer.

SPEAKER_00

13:58

You had it.

SPEAKER_01

14:00

We did.

SPEAKER_00

14:00

40 cases.

SPEAKER_01

14:03

It was a 1.75, so 240 bottles.

SPEAKER_00

14:08

241.75.

SPEAKER_01

14:10

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00

14:12

How large is that tab?

SPEAKER_01

14:15

Uh it was over five figures.

SPEAKER_00

14:19

Good sales. There was a lot of God bless them. Yeah, there was a lot of phone calls back there. I mean, if you're buying probably your highest end bourbon, you could run up a five-figure tab if you're walking out with a bunch of those, but it's great Jack Daniels.

SPEAKER_01

14:35

At the time though, bourbon wasn't, you know, it didn't have this explosive nature that it does, you know, over the last four or five years. So but it was just a top seller, and that and that's what they purchased.

SPEAKER_00

14:45

Speaking of, what's the most expensive item someone's bought from you? Single item?

SPEAKER_01

14:51

Recently, um, a Louis the Thirteenth, uh, which was a little north of$4,000.

SPEAKER_00

14:56

Okay. How often do you guys sell one of those? Uh, usually one to two times a year. What do you think the best bottle of liquor under$25 that people are sleeping on is?

SPEAKER_01

15:06

Can we uh can we bump it up to 30?

SPEAKER_00

15:08

Hey guys, just a fun fact before we dive in with Ori, did you know, according to a recent Schwab survey, Americans say it takes$2.3 million to be wealthy? You may have had your financial plan set on a bigger or smaller number, but if you're looking for added insights on how to get there or how to avoid some tax pitfalls along the way, our friends at Annex Wealth Management are ready to listen. No matter where you're at in your financial journey or if your situation is complex or simple, the Annex Wealth Management team can give you the wealth expertise and guidance on reaching your goals. Just head on over to annexwealth.com and let's get back to the episode with Ori. Sure, you can bump into the let's do that then.

SPEAKER_01

15:50

Uh, I would say number one with a bullet uh to me is uh Green River, their weeded bourbon. You should be able to find$30, maybe$35 a bottle. Freakishly good if you're a whiskey fan. Uh just beat out some very culty uh whiskeys at at a whiskey fest just this last year and was named the best bourbon in the world. But for at$30, and it's fairly easy to find, it's an absolute steal. Uh great mixer, great on its own. And what's cool about it is whiskey has become uh as such where there's a lot of folks chasing certain things, and and that's great if that's your hobby, obviously. But it's really nice to find a product that's so consistent at such an affordable price that you can get almost anywhere.

SPEAKER_00

16:38

Any uh any vodkas or brandies or anything that you think are a steal right now as well?

SPEAKER_01

16:45

That are a steal or tequila's well, tequila's, I mean, tequila's having its moment right now, right? And I mean, tequila and rum has absolutely exploded, and there is a wonderful array of distilleries, you know, to the point where some tequilas are now becoming allocated. You have things like Arete, Cascahuin, Fortaleza, all these distilleries, you know, mom and pop shops that are making their way here, and they're becoming really hard to get. So I wouldn't say there's one quote unquote steel, um, but there's some wonderful additions that you can still find fairly readily on the shelves at your local wine and spirit shop that are really exciting to watch right now.

SPEAKER_00

17:24

Yeah, it's um it's interesting because liquor itself is getting a lot of bad press recently, or a lot of people aren't drinking anymore, etc. But you've seen certain categories doing well in this environment.

SPEAKER_01

17:36

100%. I mean, like I said, uh post-COVID, you know, uh many folks went, you know, went the other way in terms of their consumption habits during COVID.

SPEAKER_00

17:46

Well, co I like judging everything off like 2019 numbers, basically, because COVID was not real life. I mean, it was like it was the end, we would call it the end of days, right?

SPEAKER_01

17:56

So people a lot of industries just shot out of a cannon and then revert it. It was it was something obviously we've never seen in our lifetimes, um, but the numbers were absolutely out of control. Uh, we we definitely called it kind of a hollow victory uh to see sales numbers rise in such a difficult period of time in so many folks' lives. But yeah, that's totally a fair assessment, 2019. And I would say things are akin to that. Certain categories are way lower. Uh, wine consumption, for instance, over the last three years has taken a pretty good dip. It's it's slowly, I think coming back now with things like Sauvignon Blanc is absolutely on fire. Italian reds, French reds in the$20 category absolutely on fire. But things like beer taking a massive hit, a lot of California wines taking a massive hit. Um even Tito's uh experienced a dip last year, which we haven't seen in in years. But but I would say things like those value-priced wines, bourbon is still holding steady. I'd say it's kind of at this happy plateau right now. It's not like this, like it has been, but certainly still maintaining. But tequila, absolutely on fire, rum absolutely on fire, rose is holding its own, sparkling wine is doing quite well. Um, what else would I say is absolutely doing quite well? I mean, for Wisconsin specifically, THC is explosive, and that has been the big thing akin to seltzer's or white claws a few years ago.

SPEAKER_00

19:27

Yeah, how much how much THC drinks do you sell compared to a year ago?

SPEAKER_01

19:30

It's the number one growth category. I mean, with a bullet, emphatically. Uh well over double-digit growth the last few years. It's it's explosive.

SPEAKER_00

19:40

Is that gonna be legal this year?

SPEAKER_01

19:42

It's gonna be something. I mean, there's definitely gonna be some regulation coming down towards the end of the year. So right now, it's for lack of a better word, kind of a free-for-all. I think you might not see things like a 50 milligram drink come the end of the year, but right now, I mean, people are going to go.

SPEAKER_00

19:59

I don't know how people drink 50 milligrams.

SPEAKER_01

20:02

It's um that's gotta be a special talent, or you know, maybe sharing with friends and family.

SPEAKER_00

20:08

I felt a bad after like a 10, right? Yeah, I could feel it after a 10.

SPEAKER_01

20:12

And I will say fives and tens are really the go-to for 99 out of 100 people. But it I if you're feeling squirrely or you know, I guess our I guess our guy Billy Deuce had about what seven seventy milligrams?

SPEAKER_00

20:25

Yeah, he what do you throw he he had like a four pack and then another four pack? He had in the eight eight to ten, ten milligrams, he took down eighty to a hundred milligrams. How is Mr.

SPEAKER_01

20:35

and Mrs. Deuce's kid after that? Was he okay? Billy Deuce? Yeah. But was he doing all right after that? Oh yeah. Well, guys a machine. Seasoned pro then. He's a seas he's a seasoned pro thing for everyone.

SPEAKER_00

20:46

I'm sure I'm I'm sure, sure, sure am not. Um, but yeah, Billy.

SPEAKER_01

20:50

Well, that's why they start a yeah, two milligrams and up is is really the the show right now.

SPEAKER_00

20:55

So tequila, I feel has has I don't know if you feel the same way. I think its brand of being a healthy liquor sculpt it. I hear a lot of people talking about how if you're gonna drink alcohol, like tequila is is the way to go.

SPEAKER_01

21:11

Well, I think more people are stepping away from the mixed drinks with tequila in terms of like a sugary margarita and doing more like tequila and tonic or just you know, lime juice, or just literally by itself or on the rocks with a with a wedge of lime. And certainly if you have the distilleries that don't have the additives in them, and that's where a lot of these high-end tequilas are are really taking their moment and shining, as opposed to like a Cuervo or something like that. So if you look at a a Fort Laza, a Valan's, a Cascajen, I mean, those things, there's no additives in them, very clean tasting spirit, so that really gives them, you know, a healthy healthier in essence, not in terms of the alcohol content itself, but but what comes along with that in terms of the additives, sugar content, etc. Why do you think rum is taking off? I think again. It's these smaller producers. So it's a higher end. We're not talking about Captain Morgan, you know, exploding right now. Those are drinking high school right there. Captain and Coke. I mean, delicious. But I mean, as of right now, you know.

SPEAKER_00

22:16

Do you consider Malibu rum or not?

SPEAKER_01

22:18

I mean, it's it's categorized as rum. That was yeah. Good to do. Those aren't booming. It is not booming. Yeah. Those are what we'd like to call mature brands. Small the small batch high. Yeah, if you're looking at things like Hamilton and Foursquare, these are not cheap selections, but uh a lot of the things you know, when you talk about the liquor industry shifting, a lot of individuals have taken away the quantity and supplanted that with quality, right? I'm gonna drink a little less, but I'm gonna do it right. 100%. Same thing with wine. I'm not buying a full case of a perfect bread. If that's what you enjoy, I know I was I was a volume shooter back in the day, not anymore. Shooter. Not anymore. Okay. And that's all right. I mean, you have to drink what you enjoy, and that's our number one rule. It's just it's what you if you think it's good, then it's good. The Carlo Rossi, that was a while ago. Get a get a jug of that in the this isn't this is a judgment-free podcast.

SPEAKER_00

23:14

Those those those those were good times over in Schrader Hall on Marquette's campus. I think you know what? We got we got caught um by our RA when we were moving out because there were ceiling tiles, so we weren't allowed to drink in there, obviously. It was a software dorm, so we would take the empty drugs and that's where we keep them to the ceiling. Wow, okay. Well, that's pretty innovative. I don't remember how he found it, but Remington, our R A uh busted us. Sorry, Remington, we apologize. Yeah, he was cool though. He would he would drink with us sometimes. He was he was he was a fantastic RM, all-around good guy. He's down in Houston. We should look him up. Very smart guy, one of the smart and and a good people person. He's he's got a deadly combination of skills. You you brought up one earlier, but any any bottles that are just on fire right now, or any, even though beer is going down, any beers that are doing real well.

SPEAKER_01

24:10

Yeah, I think surprisingly, things like Micelobe Ultra are are making this huge comeback. You know, you still see things like Three Sheeps, uh New Glaris, Third Space, a lot of local breweries are still hitting home, are still doing quite well. You know, Spotted Cow is is certainly the name of the game. Uh a lot of folks are still loving those beers and they're still doing really well at a local shop.

SPEAKER_00

24:35

So is it kind of like uh turning into a winner-take most game in the craft industry? Well, I think I think we saw that coming. Absolutely well. Good people, good beer, and it seems their their chaos pattern has shot off.

SPEAKER_01

24:51

Absolutely. I think when there was just this explosion 15 years ago, you knew at some point, unfortunately, there would be this retraction and the independence that really stayed true to their brand, you know, didn't come out with a new flavor every other week and kept to the recipes and really maintained that high level of quality. You knew at the end of the day those were going to be the breweries that stood the test of time. And that's unfortunately really what we're seeing across the country with a lot of breweries.

SPEAKER_00

25:19

Destination hits them. What do you got, Ori?

SPEAKER_01

25:22

Well, I think a lot of the places, if you're looking just to go to our neighbors in Chicago, if you go down to Pipe Works Brewing, that's always been a favorite of mine. They're Lizard King, I think, is one of the tastiest beers you can find with a lower ABV.

SPEAKER_00

25:35

I've had that in the in Rays Bar before. It's I've heard of that place. Lovely establishment. Make sure to check it out.

SPEAKER_01

25:42

Right. No, I'm a big fan of kind of sub 6% ABV hoppy beers. So I think that's absolutely delicious.

SPEAKER_00

25:48

The Milwaukee Uncut tropical pills.

SPEAKER_01

25:51

Love it back this summer.

SPEAKER_00

25:52

5.5 ish percent.

SPEAKER_01

25:54

We should do another keg race at Rays Bar. I thought it was a delicious beer.

SPEAKER_00

25:57

We'll get that on the calendar.

SPEAKER_01

25:58

Absolutely. I think you know, three Floyds, they're gumball head hoppy wheat beer, exceptional. I think once you see some of the IPAs coming out of the East Coast, the other half IPAs are exceptionally delicious. They're obviously a lot more robust in their ABV and their body type. Trillium, when those come around, absolutely superb. I love it. But West Coast IPAs also having a major moment right now. And kind of those crispy pilsners and everything, people are really taking a step back from the you know, five, six, seven years ago, beer was just like every single one, you're like, I can't feel my face. Like a lot of people now, when they have a beer, they want to taste a beer and maybe be able to have a second or a third one.

SPEAKER_00

26:39

The uh yeah, the um the milkshake IPAs are those on the decline. I l I loved a good milkshake IPA or three by you know, five years ago or so. Yeah, I think the days of the meal replacement or the meal replacement beers are are probably on the decline. They are for me. I just my body can't take them anymore. That's that's when you know you have a few of those. You're waking up at 3 a.m. with night sweats and a racing heart, and it's just not not not the party it used to be, Richie. It's not no, no, it's not the evolution of Wisconsin alcoholic food.

SPEAKER_01

27:11

I mean, literally, when I started, it was just brandy, brandy, brandy, right? For Wisconsin liquor. For Wisconsin specifically. I can't I can't speak to the early 2000s. Right. I can't speak to the rest of the country. Amen. So when when I first started, it was Corbell all day. That that's what you sold. I mean, even with thousands and thousands of SKUs, that was number one with an absolute bullet. Even if the rest of the country was on the uh the E and J tip, if you will, Corbell was just number one, punched above everything in the weight class. And I think while that still does sell quite a bit, you're really getting people into things like Armagnacs, higher-end brandies, cognacs, shifting to other drinks outside of brandy and old fashions, which, you know, when people are branching out, rums, tequila's, lesser heavy selections. Um Tito's has become an absolute juggernaut since I, you know, it wasn't a thing when I first started, but that is a brand that's unlike anything I've seen in the 20 plus years I've been in the industry. Tito's shot out of a can of what like five years ago? More more than that. More than that. Okay. I mean, it's on a run. I've I've never seen anything like it. Yeah, you know, for for Austin, right? Out of Texas, no flavors, no other brand extensions. I mean, they did just uh purchase a tequila brand, Lalo Tequila, but but at the time there was no flavors, no other uh any other brand extensions. It did, it did, and Deep Eddy still sells well, but T Dos, it's just a beast. It's just you know, you hear it everywhere you go. I'll have a T Dose, I'll have a you know, it's like it's like when you go to the pharmacy to say, I'll grab band-aids. Well, that's the that's the brand name. Now for vodka, you're supplanting just I'll have a T Dose. Fascinating to me. From a marketing perspective. As someone that studies marketing, I think it's just wild to me. Yeah. Any other brands that you think are really doing it right? Locally, nationally, internationally?

SPEAKER_00

29:10

It could be either.

SPEAKER_01

29:11

Yeah, no, I think bears looking and into going to your local wine spirit shops and checking out other family-owned wineries. That to me has always been a big, big thing, especially out of California. We love supporting local. Y'all are local. My my shop is local, and I think that speaks volumes, especially in this day and age, when you have certain wineries that are family-owned, local. We have a producer um from Sonoma, uh, they produce higher-end Zinfandels, and their their last name is Gamba, so it's a Gamba Gamba family winery, G-A-M-B-A, just for as one example. They've been farmers since the early 1900s, you know, over the last 25 years, they started making their own wine instead of selling their fruit. And folks like this are literally the American dream. So when you grab a bottle off the shelf, it really tells a story. They produced three different Zinfandels, all small production, under a thousand cases. This is not easy to do when you have these marketing juggernauts, you know, producing millions of cases of wine. And it's really cool to speak to that when you go to your local shop and ask for a family-owned producer and you get just this beautiful bottle of wine or or spirit or beer. And I think that's something to be incredibly proud of. At Central Waters, they've been doing it over 20 years. And you can go to the brewery in Hammerhurst, Wisconsin. You can, you know, you shake the hands of the owner while you're there. I mean, that that doesn't that experience doesn't always exist anymore. And I think that's a really special thing to say.

SPEAKER_00

30:47

Um go going off that a little bit, you've kind of ki carried on the torch and are building such a cool business and a community hub. What what are you most proud of when it comes to Rays?

SPEAKER_01

30:59

My goal is really to try and provide the best in customer service and selection. We try we try to make uh going to Raise more of an experience, not just someplace to get a a bottle of wine or booze or beer. We really want you to have a great time while you're there. As as I mentioned earlier, you can really find a lot of the products almost anywhere. So it means so much when when people step through that front door and know that you're supporting a local family-owned, owner-operated establishment. And I think that's really the most important thing. Um, our staff is like our family and our customers are too.

SPEAKER_00

31:34

Hey guys, thank you so much for tuning into this episode of Milwaukee Uncut with Ori Lave. Before signing off, I just want to thank our partners for making Milwaukee Uncut possible. Annex Wealth Management, Nicola, and Drink Wisconsin Bleed Beverage Company.