Hop Passport-Let's Visit Some Craft Breweries

 

This is our Hop Passport from last year, we have a new one for this year. With this passport we can visit any of more than 100 craft breweries here in Wisconsin and a few others located in Iowa, Minnesota, and even Florida. The deal is that you purchase one beer and get one free, so this book pays for itself in just five visits. The cost of the Passport is $30. We had so much fun visiting a lot of the breweries. 

We wanted to share this here on our site for Seniors because as a retired couple, we have a good amount of time to visit these breweries. We have even been known to arrange an overnight trip just to visit a few breweries in a different part of the state.

One good thing that came out of this is that I have now moved on from Miller Lite and expanded my taste in beers. I still enjoy a Miller Lite but found that I also enjoy creamy lagers and blonde pilsners, still on the lite side though.

We are going to give a short description of each brewery, some will have pictures, some will not. We are going in alphabetical order to keep things simple. We hope you enjoy learning a little bit about Wisconsin Breweries. 

Cheers!

1. Ahnapee Brewery in Suamico. This taproom is a two-stall garage with garage doors that open for outdoor seating. There wasn't anything outstanding about this brewery. There was variety of craft beers available. You could order food from offsite and have it delivered. The first Ahnapee Brewery is located Algoma, we did not visit that one, however.

2. Al Ringling Brewing Company in Baraboo. The brewery is located in Al Ringling's 12.000 square foot mansion. There is a beer on tap called, "Ringling Family Original." It was brought over by Papa Ringling from Germany in the 1800"s. It's the only brewery in the USA and maybe the world that has a Gavioli Fairground Organ which operates on your dime. The decor is all circus related with comfy seating areas throughout. In the middle, it is set up much like a beer garden with long tables. There is an upstairs area as well as an outdoor beer garden. They serve food onsite, most of it is Portuguese but there are typical American items on the menu. Portuguese because some of the Ringling family came from Portugal.

This is one of your favorites, not only does it have a great selection of craft beers, but you feel like you are in a completely different era when you enter. We don't care one way or another if kids go to a brewery but if you have kids, this is one that would be fun for them, there are games for them as well as fusbol, ping pong, etc and lots to look at.

3, Appleton Beer Factory- There is a full service, scratch made kitchen onsite at this brewery. It has the feel of a restaurant, and it is usually pretty crowded. The food was good, the beer was fine. Not sure it is worth a return trip, although for a free beer, we will go almost anywhere.

4. Badger State Brewery in Green Bay located near Lambeau Field. A good place to park if you are going to a Packer game. It's a large space with a big event hall and an outdoor beer garden. They offer food trucks at times. The beer was good, and I remember the bathrooms being large and clean.

5. Barrel 41 in Neenah is a storefront brewery in a strip mall. It has a modern feel to it and it has a famous barrel 41 wood wall. The bartender here was very friendly and really knew his beer. "Taproom features a wide variety of different styles and flavors not normally seen in breweries."

6. Brewfinity in Oconomowoc is located in an industrial area just off of Highway 16. We actually had visited this brewery when it was known as Sweet Mullets and always enjoyed it. It was every bit as nice under its new owners and its new name. The bartender was extremely friendly and helpful, explaining the different beers to us and letting us taste test a watermelon beer that was no longer being brewed. There are lots of board games and food is served so it is kid friendly. It's spacious but cozy. They have a jalapeño beer that many people like.

7. Bridge Up Brewing in Sturgeon Bay is located right on the shore of Lake Michigan and has an urban feel to it. There is an Italian Restaurant, Sonny's Pizza located upstairs. There is abundant outdoor seating with a grassy area with outdoor games, plus a lake walkway so the kids can enjoy that while you have a beer.  There were families playing games inside the brewery which had a little library nook and comfy seating areas throughout. There was even a place where you could pick an album for them to play. Add to that the good tasting beer and you have a very enjoyable place to relax. This is also one of our favorites.

8. Bridge Up Brewing in Fish Creek. This is the second location of Bridge Up Brewing in Sturgeon Bay. Its interior is quite different from the one Sturgeon Bay. It looks like a beefed-up version of my dad's basement with all the collectibles and vintage decor. It has a huge outdoor patio with a stage for events. There are outdoor games on a large grassy area. The bartender and brew master were very friendly and helpful. I tried my first creamy ale there and really liked it thanks to the bartender's suggestion. This brewing Company just gave us one more thing to love about Door County.  Food is available from neighboring place.

John with the Brewmaster

9. Copper State Brewing Company in Green Bay is a Brewery, Coffee Shop, and Restaurant all in one. They offer unique Brewery tours according to the Hop Book we did not take one so cannot attest to that fact. We did eat lunch there which was very good as was their beer selection. This was one of four breweries we visited in one day with our daughters. If you are in Green Bay, you might as well take in a number of them.

10. Delafield Brewhaus in Delafield located right off of I-94. While they do brew some fine beers, we feel this is more of a restaurant built around a Brewhaus. The menu is large, has a variety of choices and the food tastes great. There is a nice large bar and eating areas.

 

11. Door County Brewing Company located in Bailey's Harbor on the quiet side of Door County. It has the feel of an old general store with reclaimed barnwood. There is a large outdoor area and we enjoy the swings and benches on the big front porch. It is just very welcoming. You can order food from a BBQ place right next door. Add to that the view of Lake Michigan from the porch and it is a perfect place for a brew. The Brewery is seasonal.

12. Duesterbeck's Brewing Company located outside of Elkhorn. The brewery is located on a 160-year-old farm and is one of only a couple of farmhouse breweries in Wisconsin. It is known for its German beers. There is a huge outside area where there were many families enjoying food and drinks. The kids have room to run and play.  The taproom itself is on the small side with just a few tables inside. Definitely worth a stop on a hot summer day!

13. East Troy Brewery located in an old bank dating back to 1892. What a fun place, many of the bank original furnishings are still onsite including the vault. They serve a full menu as well as tasty beer. There are cute little seating areas throughout. A number of families there enjoying food and drinks. There is a lot for the kids to look at and there are board games. The drive through was converted into an outside room.

14. Emprize Brewing in Menasha is located right on Main St. It has a nice bar with very friendly, helpful bartenders. There is a large restarrant area and we did have a pizza which was very gool. There is a wide variety of beers on tap. It is more of a restaurant than a brewery.

15. Fermentorium located in Cedarburg. We made a quick stop at this brewery after a long day of hiking at Lion's Den Gorge and to be honest we cannot remember much about it. It was just opened in 2016 so it is fairly new as breweries go. We should probably give it a second chance with our new Hop pass.

 

16. Fermentorium located in Wauwatosa. The bartender was very friendly, we learned a lot about her and her family. The beer was good enough for us to have two each and there were a lot of board games. We were there early in summer, but she said they were preparing an outdoor area on their sidewalk located on 69th and North Ave.

17. Fifth Ward Brewing Company located right here in Oshkosh! We have been here numerous times and it is always a nice, fun place to go. They serve pizza which is also very tasty. It is located right across from the Oshkosh Arena so on event nights, parking can be difficult. There is a big outdoor seating area and live entertainment. It was named after the historic Oshkosh Fifth Ward Brewery of the 1800's. 

18. Grumpy Troll Bew Pub is located in the charming town of Mount Horeb, the troll capitol of the world. We went to this brewery for dinner after a Pat McCurdy show at Lucky's on the Lake in Okee. We were mainly there for the food, which was very good, as was the beer. It's a charming place but what else would you expect of a place in Mount Horeb. We would suggest spending time exploring this city and having a beer and dinner here. If you enjoy biking the Military Ridge trail goes right through Mount Horeb. There are many nice stops along the way.

19. H. H. Hinder Brewing Company located in Waupaca, just a short drive for us from Oshkosh.  Everything about this Brew Pub is fun including its name and its slogan, "I grabbed a Hinder!" The decor, even is the bathrooms is fun to read. The bartenders have always been friendly and helpful. Hartman Creek State Park is located in Waupaca and might we suggest, a day of fun there ending in grabbing a Hinder. One of our favorites, we go there even without the Hop Pass.

20. Hinterland located right in the Titletown area of Green Bay is another one of our favorites. The entire area is full of fun family activities in all seasons. Lambeau Field is just across the street so be sure and visit there while stopping for a brew at Hinterland. On football game days, it can be pretty crowded as you can imagine.This is definitely a family friendly Brewery and area. Hinterland is the oldest Green Bay Brewery, serving its first beer in 1995, which is pretty young as far as breweries go! There are lots of unique decorating touches, too.

21. Hubbleton Brewing Company located in the little place called Hubbleton, don't blink! For such a little place, this brewery is very nice. It started out on a farm but the noise was too much for neighbors, so it moved to a bigger location in "downtown" Hubbleton.where the loud music doesn't bother anyone The Brew Master is very friendly and informative. He enjoys telling you about his journey from home brewer to Brew Master at a successful Brewing Company. There's plenty of outside seating and a stage for that loud music. Food is served, beer is tasty.

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23. McFleshman's Brewing Company is located in Appleton. We visited it early in our Hop Pass visits before we decided to take photos. Hence no photos. It specializes in English Ales and German Lagers and definitely has a German style to it. There are multiple levels with seating available in many nooks and crannies. We plan to revisit McFleshman's so we can document it properly.

24. Moose Jaw located in the hustle and bustle of the Dells. We have eaten there numerous times when visiting the Dells with the girls. You all get a moose antler hat upon arrival. We feel it is more of an eatery than a brewery. The food is good especially the pizza and it is very kid friendly. They do boast of having the first female Brew Master in Wisconsin. The beer was fine, but it is not a place we would return to without a free beer pass or grandkids in tow. 

25. Mosinee Brewing Company is located in downtown Mosinee. The decor is modern, so I am assuming it is a newer brew company. The beer was good. They do not serve food, but you are welcome to bring food in with you which is nice. There is ample indoor and outdoor seating.

26. Ooga Brewing Company is located in Beaver Dam. We stopped there on our way home from Lake Mills. We had our daughters and neice in tow so the company was good. We enjoyed our beers, and it seemed like a really nice brewery for a town the size of Beaver Dam. It was built in a 1930's era auto sales and repair shop. It's the first brewery in Beaver Dam since 1953. You can carry in food.

27. Petskull Brewing is located in a big old mill type building. The bartender was very friendly and helpful in selecting some good beers for us.We enjoyed a beer called Ode to the King which tasted very similar to the old Kingsbury. There was lots of room to sit and enjoy. There's so much to do in this area, so be sure and make a day of it, enjoying a beer or two here at some point.

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28. Plymouth Brewing Company is located in downtown Plymouth. We actually took a little road trip to the other side of Lake Winnebago and visited three breweries. This was our last stop and neither of us remember much about it except that it looked much like a neighborhood bar when we walked in There was nothing that stood out or caught our eye. There were a number of locals sitting at the bar and it wasn't as welcoming as most Brewers are.

29. Rebellion Brewing Company is located in Cedarburg. Follow the signs, it's a bit hidden away but once you find it, it is worth a visit. It is located in an old grist mill built in 1844. You can still see the mill run as it flows through. The beer was good, the bartender was friendly and attentive. It has a old patriotic theme apparent in its decor. This was a fun place to visit and since Cedarburg is such a touristy town, you can easily kill a day checking it out. Be sure you stop at Rebellion.

30. Rio Lobo is located in a country setting on the Wolf River in Weyauwega, another one close to Oshkosh. Rio Lobo is both a winery and a brewery. They serve wood fired pizzas on the weekends and we can attest to the fact that it is tasty. There are truffles for dessert, too.They are a family-owned business and grow many of their ingredients for their food and beer right on site. They offer live entertainment, too. 

31. Rowland's Calumet Brewing Company is located in Chilton. We were disappointed with this stop, and we don't plan to go back. The bartender who I think was the owner told us story after story with F bombs flying everywhere. Now we don't judge and swearing really does not bother us, but when we are senior customers walking in your business for the first time, it does not make a good impression.

The building was Chilton's first fire house and city hall so there is history in its walls. They were the fourth brewery in the state to sell beer on premises.

We thought the beer was fine, but our daughter and son in law went there on another occasion. They reported the same language, and they also did not enjoy the IPA beer. So, if you want to give it a try, to but be warned.

32.Runaway Micropub and Nanobrewery located in Burlington has a food menu and outdoor patio as well as some good beers. There were seats by big windows that looked out onto the downtown area so people watching was fun. The entire area had a quaint feel about it.

33. Sabbatical Brewing Company is located in Manitowoc. It is housed in the old factory building called Oriental Milling. I know I had a can of beer here because none of the ones on tap were to my liking. The canned one was good. We don't remember anything else from this brewery.

34. Sawmill Brewing Company is located in Merrill. We were joined by our friends, Connie and Paul on this visit. The Brewery is an old ranger station built in 1940. The wooden bar and tables are made out of white pine wood that fell in the tornado of 2011.There is a large outside area and it is set in a beautiful, wooded area. We plan to go back in the summer so we can enjoy the outdoors there. The beer was good.

35. 608 Brewing Company is in La Crosse. We were not very impressed with the venue. It was just a building located on a busy street. There was outside seating that looked over the street. The beer was fine, but the atmosphere was lacking.

36. Stillmank Brewing Company in Green Bay was nothing to write home about considering the other breweries we had visited that same day in Green Bay. It's on the east side so not as close to Lambeau Field as the others. The beer was good but that's about all we can remember.

37. Stone Arch Brewpub is located in Appleton so close to home for us. It's in a pretty cool historical brewery it's the oldest continually operating brewpub in Wisconsin. The name Stone Arch fits it perfectly as you walk through a stone arch to get in. We had pizza which was very good and we enjoyed the beers. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful in choosing our beers. Definitely worth a second visit.

38.Stubborn Brothers Brewery located in Shawno is such a cool place. They used an old theater to house it. Many of the features of the theater are still there including the box office, orchestra pit and other memorabilia. It's like a museum and brewery all in one. They do serve food and the beer was tasty. We will definitely make return trip to this one.

39.Sunshine Brewing Company is a small brewery in downtown Lake Mills. They serve some Mexican food and their beer is good. We met my neice and her boyfriend there and enjoyed the food and beer. Lake Mills is a nice town to explore so if you make a trip to the brewery be sure and do some sightseeing along with the beer visit.

40. Switchgear Brewing Company is located in Elkhart Lake. We enjoyed the venue and the beer. Other than that, we can't remember anything outstanding about it.

41. Thumb Knuckle Brewing Company is located out in the middle of somewhere on the thumb knuckle of Wisconsin. We stopped there on our way home from Door County. It is near Luxemburg. The bartender was so talkative and friendly. We really enjoyed our visit. 

42.Titletown Brewing Company is located in Green Bay, thus the name. There is roof top seating and from there you can see downtown Green Bay and the Fox River. It's housed in an old canning factory. We loved sitting on the roof, soaking up the sun and drinking some yummy beers. Definitely a favorite of ours.

42 Tumbled Rock Brewery and Kitchen is located right outside of Devll's Lake so after a day of hiking and swimming you can have a brew and a meal at Tumbled Rock. It is a woman owned business  There is a huge outdoor seating area plus ample room inside. We really enjoyed this brewery and have been there a few times with plans to return.

43. Turtle Stack Brewery is located in downtown La Crosse, very close to the Mississippi River. Cute place with outside seating and good beer.

44. Whitewater Music Hall Brew Works located in Wausau is a coffee house as well as a brewery. It also serves as a venue for events, so it is a big building and lacks the small coziness that some breweries have. It is located in an old masonic lodge and is billed as beer, coffee, art and music. It feels too big to be a craft beer pub. The beer was good, however. The best part is we shared this visit with our friends, Connie and Paul.

And because we were in St. Pete Beach on vacation and because there was one Florida brewery in our Hop Passport which just happened to be in that area, we visited Mastry's Brewing Company and enjoyed one of their brews on a beautiful sunny day. They had nice outside seating with couches and tables. We are glad we got to use our book in Florida!

That brings the end to our Craft Brewery Post. We hit many breweries in the past year, and we hope to continue our Amazing Brewery tour this year with our new Hop Passport Book. Of course, there are many breweries worth visiting that are not included in this book, but it was a place for us to start.

We had fun, we met some very cool people along the way, and we drank a lot of good beers.

Drink Wisconsibly and Cheers!.