Things to do / Travel Guide
Alcoholic drinks are the social lubrication of Wisconsin, and Madison, the state's capital, is also well-known for its inhabitants' alcohol consumption. Long gone are the days of the Schlitz and Pabst factories, but still standing strong is the Miller Brewing Company, along with handfuls of amazing micro-breweries in Milwaukee and Madison.
Wisconsin brewing started in the 1830s by German immigrants. By the 1890's nearly every community in Wisconsin had at least one brewery. Milwaukee soon became known as the beer capital of the world and still pays homage to their beer-making past with the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team.
Miller Brewing Company
America's second largest brewing company, Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been in production since 1855 and produces 45 million barrels of beer a year. The company was founded by its namesake, Fredrick Edward John Miller, a German immigrant; the yeast they use today is a direct descendant of that yeast first used by Miller in his first successful beers.
Miller is located at the east end of West State Street, near Washington Park and U.S. Highway 41. Upon visiting, the Bavarian Hut offers free samples of the frothy drink, and free tours are given every day save Sunday. These tours include a visit to the hi-tech packaging center, the hangar-sized shipping center, and of course the brew house.
Southern Wisconsin Microbreweries
As for the microbreweries in Milwaukee, the Sprecher Brewing Company, near Whitefish Bay, is one of the best. Specializing in the Scotch-Ale, which has a slightly smoky aroma and is very smooth, it's equally well known for its Mai Bock, a pale ale with a strong fruit bouquet. Reservations are required for a tour, which are only held at 4 p.m. on Fridays and 12-2 p.m. on Saturdays.
Lakefront Brewery, also in Milwaukee along the Milwaukee River, is known as another top brewery. Another other favorites, the brewery has created a beer without barley. Can it be done? Yes, it can, and it's called the New Grist. This unique beer is made from sorghum, water, hops, gluten-free yeast grown on molassess, and rice. Maxim Magazine called the beer fantastic; Milwaukee Magazine has rated the tour as the best beer tour in the city! Learn how they make their finest beer, and then sample the suds. There is a small fee for the tour, and that fee is doubled on Friday nights, but fear not! That fee goes towards the Friday fish fry dinner the brewery provides.
Located west of Madison, in Middleton, Wisconsin, the Capital Brewing Company offers tours on Fridays and Saturdays, while their bier garden runs Wednesday through Saturday nights from May until September. They offer eight different beers produced annually, and four unique beers produced seasonally. Capital Brewing also produced between two and four specialty beers per year. Capital is a truly unique brewing company, and it has been rated America's number one brewery by the Beverage Testing Institute.
There are fully 20 breweries in the Milwaukee area, and another dozen around Madison. No matter where you are in the southern parts of the state, you'll find a brewery close by.
Breweries in Chicago, Illinois, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells, Madison
Breweries
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