Few places on earth are more synonymous with beer than Wisconsin. Names like Pabst, Schlitz, and Miller spread the fame of the state worldwide while many amazing beers were seldom available beyond a 50-mile radius of the brewery. Ranking the most important beers in Wisconsin history is only slightly less controversial than ranking its “best” … [ Read more]
The Cheese Stands Alone: Willi Lehner forges world-class wheels on his self-sufficient wisconsin farmstead
May 28, 2019 by
Above the rolling hills near Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, at Willi Lehner’s 16-acre farmstead, a turbine spins in the wind. It looks like a child’s toy on top of an Erector set, but that wind turbine, in combination with a fleet of solar panels, generates about five times as much power as the whole farm needs. … [ Read more]
Indeed Brewing to open second brewery and taproom in Milwaukee
November 10, 2018 by
Indeed Brewing is expanding its operations in Wisconsin by building a second brewery and taproom in Milwaukee. The new 10-barrel brewery will be located at 530 South Second Street in the Walker’s Point neighborhood, which co-owner Tom Whisenand says reminds him distinctly of their home hood of Northeast Minneapolis. Whisenand says that, while the project … [ Read more]
25 Years in Beer: A Q&A with New Glarus Brewing Company President Deb Carey
October 15, 2018 by
W hen Deb Carey told her husband Dan that she wanted to start a brewery and wanted to hire him as the brewer, he brushed off the idea as little more than a pipe dream. While Dan, a Diploma Master Brewer who was working as a brewing supervisor for Anheuser-Busch in Colorado, liked the idea … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Copper Crow Distillery in Bayfield, Wisc.
October 9, 2018 by
Lake Superior’s South Shore is one of the world’s most legitimately spellbinding places. Add the character of a mighty, ever-changing body of fresh water to a series of tightly knit, remarkably welcoming little communities, and you’ve got a spot that invites visitors to return again and again. For Copper Crow Distillery owners Curt and Linda … [ Read more]
First Course: Revolution!
September 26, 2018 by
A ‘Guerrilla Harvest Dinner’ heralded the birth of the Ashland and Bayfield chapter of the Wisconsin Farmers Union I. An Improvised Feast The spreadsheet for the harvest dinner stretched 49 lines deep. Each line was an offering from an individual that reflected a different aspect of the harvest: “Two pecks of apples and some onions.” … [ Read more]
New book on Duluth and Superior’s brewing history sets the record straight
September 25, 2018 by
There are lots of stories that people want to believe about history,” says Tony Dierckins, publisher at Zenith City Press in Duluth, Minnesota. “Like the People’s Brewery ‘creation myth,’ for example. It was supposedly started as this socialist movement of tied house saloon-keepers that revolted against the corporate breweries, and all this other stuff, but it turns out that … [ Read more]
Thirsty Pagan Brewing moving to Superior’s Soo Line Railway Station
September 5, 2018 by
Superior, Wisconsin’s Thirsty Pagan Brewing has announced plans to move from its current space at 1623 Broadway Street to the Historic Soo Line Railway Station, a 110-year-old building also in Superior that has hosted a wide array of businesses since its construction in 1908. To date, the Soo Line Railway Station, located one block from … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): 608 Brewing Company in La Crosse, Wisconsin
August 6, 2018 by
Phil Humphrey doesn’t mince words when he talks about his favorite beer styles and what he wants to brew at 608 Brewing Co. “We’re focusing more on the newer, trendier beer styles—you could say the New England IPA for sure,” Phil says of the soon-to-open La Crosse, Wisconsin, brewery. About four years ago, Phil really … [ Read more]
Taste of the Twin Ports: A six-stop restaurant blitz through Duluth and Superior
June 22, 2018 by
Here’s our Twin Ports tour by the numbers: six restaurants, 14 hours, a five-year-old, and a baby riding shotgun. We had a blast checking in on the insanely active dining scene in Duluth and Superior, although we caution readers that this schedule and/or this choice of traveling companions may create a noticeable strain on your … [ Read more]
Superior Sounds: Great summer concerts along the shores of the greatest Great Lake
June 8, 2018 by
Summer in the Upper Midwest—so much to do, so little time! Like any other Minnesotan, I enjoy hopping a plane to somewhere warmer for a week or so in the winter, but summer is the perfect time to enjoy local offerings out on the open road. Some vacation for leisure; others for adventure. I always … [ Read more]
UW–Madison Arboretum brews up partnership to turn unlikely fruits into local beer
April 18, 2018 by
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum is partnering up with nearby brewery Funk Factory Geuzeria to take advantage of an unexpected, often overlooked fruit—the Osage orange. The pale green, lumpy, softball-sized fruit found scattered across the grounds of the Longenecker Horticultural Gardens appealed to brewery owner Levi Funk, who noticed their citrusy scent on a stroll … [ Read more]
RJ’s Meats in Hudson installing a meat vending machine
May 18, 2017 by
In the most uber-Wisconsin development of the day, RJ’s Meats, the terrific butchery in Hudson, took delivery of a Regiomat meat vending machine from Germany. The refrigerated unit will be stocked with an unspecified selection of meats in the near future. The company claims, via Facebook, that the machine is the first of its kind in … [ Read more]
Old school brewing at Old World Wisconsin
October 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Milwaukee may be steeped in brewing history, but travel about an hour west of the Brew City and you’ll find a farmstead where old brewing traditions are truly alive. Old World Wisconsin, a historic site and museum administered by the Wisconsin Historical Society, has teamed up with the Museum of Beer & Brewing in Milwaukee … [ Read more]
Come on inn: The Oxbow Hotel and The Lakely open Thursday
October 17, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Indie folk band, Bon Iver, has won Grammy Awards, collaborated with Kanye West, thrown multi-day music festivals, and just released their third studio album, “22, A Million,” on September 30. And in just a few short days, the founder and frontman behind the group, Justin Vernon, will be able to say that he helped open a … [ Read more]
