Wisconsin Craft Beer: A Brewing Tradition Enters The Modern Age
Wisconsin is well known for several things, great cheese, football and in the decades following, Wisconsin has been home to some of the most well-known beer in America – making Miller High Life, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Leinenkugel’s and Schlitz household names.
Wisconsin craft beer is rapidly gaining in popularity, style and availability. We want to focus some well-deserved attention on some of the most popular and best Wisconsin beer – brewed in the hidden treasure troves of small Wisconsin microbreweries across the state.
Where is the best Wisconsin beer brewed? Beer Advocate’s list of Best Wisconsin Beers gives the names of 100 best beers in the Dairy State
Nitro or Cask Beer: What’s the Difference?
Nitrobrews are making beer better through science. The idea of crafting beer using nitrogen instead of carbon dioxide was first advanced by Guinness with their dark stouts giving Guinness its signature foamy head. Bottles of Guinness made using nitrogen in the process first came out in the 1960s, while cans didn’t arrive until the 1980s.
For many years, Guinness was the only nitro beer on the market, using nitrogen as a way to give its stouts their unique, creamy texture and taste. Then, Left Hand Brewing started a marketing campaign a few years ago claiming to be America’s Stout. Since then, other microbreweries have turned “nitrobrews” into a rapidly expanding category. Left Hand Brewing is even holding a Nitro Fest to highlight over 35 breweries that took inspiration from its creations.
Understanding Taproom Laws in Your Area
So why should you consider taprooms? The economy caused a lot of exploration by vendors looking to expand their wares and customers looking for alternatives to full-service, sit down establishments that were still upscale from fast food restaurants. These forces exerted pressure on states to expand or loosen their direct sales laws, though each state has subtle differences of which any potential taproom owner should be aware. The rise of the taproom coincides with another trend in modern restaurants; the food truck. Taprooms themselves aren’t new, but usually only offered the barest of non-alcoholic refreshments since they didn’t have the time, money or space to get into the restaurant business.
Now, with mobile restaurants prowling cities around the world, taprooms find opportunities to pair their brews with foods that greatly compliment their taste.
