The young adult group Sursum Corda gathered at the St. Stanislaus Church rectory in Milwaukee recently to hear a talk by a representative of Tridentine Brewing. (Submitted photo)

Tridentine Brewing takes a beloved Milwaukee beverage and serves it with an unlikely twist of Catholicism.

Its owners are spreading faith — not only in its marketing but in a recent talk about how everyday tasks and hobbies can provide opportunities to praise and worship God.

About 30 members of the young adult group Sursum Corda gathered at St. Stanislaus Church, Milwaukee, to pray the Rosary, go to confession and attend Mass prior to the talk.

Representatives of the Madison-based craft brewery joined the group for Mass, gave a talk in the rectory afterward and offered those age 21 and older samples of Catholic-themed beers.

“It was definitely a fun event; different than we normally do, which is normally focused on theology and spirituality. It was a lively discussion, with people who typically don’t ask too many questions to our speakers finding them very approachable,” said Jacob Minock, a member of Sursum Corda.

The event was a change of pace for Sursum Corda’s monthly speaker series, which usually invites local clergy or Marquette academics to speak on complex issues of theology on the third Friday of every month.

“We covered the genesis of the brewery, how it came about, what is behind the different styles of beers, their unique stories, and getting deeper into how our Catholic faith influenced the brewery, and how to stand up for your faith in the public square without backing down,” one of the company’s founders, Trevor Alcorn, said.

Tridentine Brewing has built a sizable reputation online in the past six years, with 6,300 Instagram followers and 20,500 followers on X. The company — started by Alcorn, an IT applications specialist; his father, Jeff; and his graphic designer brother, Cameron — began as a multi-generational family hobby and recently broke out into a growing small business. The company’s quick rise of notoriety even saw them profiled by Forbes this past November.

“Brewing beer for the greater glory of God” — Tridentine Brewing’s motto featured in large lettering at the top of its website — reflects its openly faith-based approach to its work. Jeff Alcorn is a convert to Catholicism and raised his family to strongly value their faith. Tridentine starts its brewing sessions with prayers, draws on existing Catholic beer blessings and has had its brewery blessed by a priest.

Their main strategy as a company is to use their beers to tell stories. Each of their currently available beers, soon to be five, has a unique story that explores a faith-based story, such as their Mexican lager named for the Christeros who fought against Catholic oppression in Mexico. Their Quarter Master Jerry Blonde Ale is similarly named for the late Jerry Alcorn, Jeff’s father who served in the Armed Forces.

The artwork and storytelling have gone a long way in selling the beer in a competitive market, where Christian imagery is rare or discouraged. Trevor even has been able to open up conversations about faith with new customers, while giving away samples, thanks to the curiosity of customers walking up and initiating conversations about the artwork.

While the family lives in Illinois, the actual brewing is contracted to Karben4 Brewery in Madison.

Sursum Corda offers three to four events per month to young adults, ranging from a book club and speakers to more social gatherings such as dances. Anyone ages 18 to 39 is welcome to attend. Find more details on its Sursum Corda Milwaukee Facebook page.

“Our main purpose, at the end of the day, is to keep our faith and religion at the center,” Minock said.