For nearly 30 years, Russ Klisch has helped reshape Milwaukee’s brewing landscape. He’s the founder of Lakefront Brewery, located in Milwaukee, Wis. Russ started the brewery with his brother Jim in a 3,600-square-foot space that had been a bakery. The brewery is now located in the old 15,000-square-foot  Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company, a stone’s throw from the Milwaukee River.

Lakefront makes regular and seasonal beers and produces innovative beers across the spectrum. They brewed the very first certified organic beer (Lakefront was the first certified organic brewery in the U.S.). Lakefront also brews a gluten-free beer, which is made with sorghum, rice, hops, water and yeast.

“When we first came up with gluten-free beer, everybody kind of laughed at us. Now it’s huge,” Russ said.

In addition to making innovative beers, Russ is finding innovative ways to run his brewery. Lakefront became the first brewery in Wisconsin to join Travel Green Wisconsin, in part because of Lakefront’s energy-efficient brewing.