Omaha Exploration

Omaha’s second oldest continually operating craft brewery was co-founded by Brian Magee, who originally planned to open a fine dining restaurant while working at Lincoln’s Cornhusker Hotel.

Those plans changed after a stop at Colorado’s first brewpub, Wynkoop Brewing Company. After a conversation with its founder, John Hickenlooper, Magee was determined to start a brewpub of his own in Omaha. Perhaps the success of Nebraska’s first craft brewery, Lazlo’s, also based in Lincoln, played a role.

After considering several locations, Magee landed on the historic firehouse in Omaha’s Old Market. Built in 1903, it had most recently served as the home of the Firehouse Dinner Theater. His vision was to make the brewpub resemble the old firehouse as much as possible. To that end, he completed an extensive renovation of the building. It included the removal of plaster to expose the brick walls, adding numerous large windows, and installing replicas of the original doors. By the time it was finished, the large building had a first-floor brewhouse and an open-style kitchen. The second floor had additional seating, a pool hall, and a patio. To capitalize on its location in the Old Market, he added an outdoor patio along 11th Street.

The name Upstream was the translation of the word Omaha in the Siouan language spoken by the Omaha Tribe. It was one of only a few brewpubs operating in the state when it opened in 1996. At that time it offered six beers on tap, which were designed to complement the food, which included gourmet pizza, fried calamari, burgers, and casseroles, all made from scratch.

Since it opened its doors 28 years ago, Upstream has become a landmark in the Old Market due to both its food and its beer. Omaha’s second oldest brewery is consistently recognized as Omaha’s best brewpub. While they offer upwards of 12 different brews, Upstream, like Jaipur, does not distribute its beer, preferring instead to have its customers dine in to enjoy the food at the same time. While its success can no doubt be attributed to a number of factors including its variety of beer, quality of food, and the uniqueness of the building, the founder credits his employees for its longevity.

This is part of a series in which we explore the history of Omaha’s breweries past and present.

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Until next time, keep exploring!

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