Kathy Flanigan

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Stock House Brewing was set to open by now. But there was one more detail. There's always one more detail.

The brewery, at 7208 W. North Ave. in Wauwatosa, expects to open in the coming week. Wood from a pallet is affixed to the front of the bar. The glassware is set up on shelves. Most importantly, the beer is ready.

Mark Mahoney and Paul Hepp own the brewery with its flanking accordion windows and high-top tables stamped with the Stock House hop logo. Mahoney, Jason Pinkowski and Shane Grulke handle brewing duties.

"Our concept is to be that neighborhood brewery," Mahoney said.

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Behind the bar is a wall-sized pay-it-forward sign where customers can buy pints in advance for friends. Artist Fred Kaems created the mural on the west wall with its oversize map of Wauwatosa's east side and a row of houses that mimic homes in the surrounding neighborhoods.

The space is small. The 1 1/2-barrel brewhouse is tiny. Windows to the brewhouse offer a view of a room that is "one level above home brewing," Mahoney said. Each batch of beer will produce about 2 1/2 barrels of brew. Right now, eight batches are ready to go starting with Smash the Teapot, a single malt, single hop beer made with Columbus hops grown in Oconomowoc.

Mahoney said they'll have a Cream Ale, an Amber — there's a stout nearly ready in the basement — and a series of beers called Yard Sale that will test creativity and use the leftover hops and malts. Stock House hopes to have a Fermentorium beer on a guest tap, a neighborly nod. Fermentorium has plans to add a taproom and barrel house at 6399 W. North Ave.

More:Fermentorium plans to open new taproom and barrel house at North Ave. site in Wauwatosa

Mahoney once talked about Stock House as a brewpub, but brewpubs by law must serve food. There's no need for that, said Mahoney. Tosa Bowl is next door. Ono Kine Grindz Hawaiian food and Cosmos, a Greek cafe, are across the street and willing to work with patrons.

Mahoney has a long relationship with beer. He's worked in marketing beers and for Goose Island, Tyranena and Furthermore breweries. He's written about beer. He's made beer and served it at Firkin Fest. This summer, he hosted six pop-up beer gardens to introduce Stock House to its Wauwatosa neighbors.

Hepp teaches high school American history and economics by day and is the owner of Fun Beer Tours, which offers shuttles, walking tours, scavenger hunts, games, historical brewery tours, road rally pub crawls and more with Milwaukee breweries. Hepp created a historical wall in the back of Stock House and will run his Fun Beer Tours from there.

The name Stock House serves a dual purpose. It pays homage to Milwaukee's brewing history. Stock houses were the buildings where breweries stored their beer during fermentation. The name also is meant as a tribute to the country's 11 million home brewers.

Stock House will be open daily. Specific hours aren't yet scheduled.