When the opportunity arose to visit all the local eateries and drinkeries in the area that serve unique or local brews, I asked myself, “Why in the world would I want to do that?” I mean, why would I want to visit a bunch of really cool places to sample a variety of extremely tasty microbrews?  Reluctantly, I forged ahead and somehow talked my husband, Shawn, into joining me on this beer adventure. Now, before I tell you about what we found, I must let you know that neither of us really knows a whole lot about beer. Shawn did brew a couple of batches at home a couple of years ago, but like a lot of his hobbies it quickly fell by the wayside. We don’t know when something has a lot of hops or if wheat was used. We can’t tell if it tastes like chocolate, coffee, or Rocky Mountain spring water, either. The extent of our knowledge is visual – is it light or dark beer? Plus, we know what tastes good and that’s all that matters, isn’t it?

HAYMARKET GRILL
Taps: 10
Bottles: 35
Notable Brews: Angry Minnow, McStukie’s Scotch Ale, Capital Brewery Maibock, Haymarket Grill Ale
Pint Price Range: $4
    Haymarket Grill is an upscale establishment that strives to serve food that is grown, raised, or created locally. Their slogan is, “Think Globally. Dine Locally.” Keeping in step with this philosophy, they also serve many beers that come from the area. Brandon, the bartender working when we arrived, was very helpful in educating us on the beers they had available and knew a lot about where they came from and how they tasted. The beers on tap include Rush River IPA, Bell’s Porter, and South Shores Bavarian Wheat. One of Brandon’s favorite beers, though, is the Angry Minnow McStukie’s Scotch Ale. This beer comes from a brewery in Hayward that I was unfamiliar with. It has a very smooth taste with a hint of chocolate and caramel. Another good seller is always whatever seasonal Capital Brewery beer is on tap. Make sure to go Tuesdays for half off bottled beers! Oh yeah!

HOULIGANS STEAK AND SEAFOOD PUB
Taps: 15
Bottles: 7 specialty and 12 domestics
Notable Brews: Rocky’s Revenge, Franziskaner
Pint Price Range: $3.75-$5
    Houligans is one of those places where you can get awesome food, but the atmosphere is so chill that I don’t get that everyone-is-looking-at-me-because-I-don’t-have-a-lot-of-money feeling. In addition to the food, every time I go there I get to see Mike the Bartender. He is one of my favs in town because he always calls Shawn and I “kids,” in the form of “so, how are you kids doing today?” I am sure this is something he repeats to others throughout the day, but if it makes me feel just a couple years younger, so be it! Mike is a self-described New Glarus “Spotted Cow kind of guy.” The other bartender, Adam, told us that he prefers the Franiskaner. This is a German beer that has a very strong flavor. If you like a hefeweisen or wheat beer, this is your new beverage of choice! Another popular beer there is the Tyranena Rocky’s Revenge Bourbon Brown. Tyranena is a brewery found in Lake Mills. According to their website, the beer is named after a beast who legend says once lived in Rock Lake. That is reason enough for me to drink it, don’t know about you, though.

MOGIE’S PUB & RESTAURANT
Taps:  19
Bottles: 5 microbrews and 12 domestic
Notable Brews: Goose Island Mild Winter, Sand Creek Golden Ale,
Surly Bender
Pint Price Range:  $1.50-$3.75
    While I have always loved Mogie’s for the burgers and yummy beers, they recently won even more of my heart. On their menu they write, “The economy is poop,” which I think is something we all can agree with, but maybe don’t always say in such a blunt way. Because of this, they have happy hour pricing ALL DAY on Thursdays! So, if you are looking for a great beer at a good price, Mogie’s is a wonderful option. Of the 19 beers on tap, 13 are not your typical domestic beer, and all but two are seasonal. That means the beers change often. One of the beers that never changes is Guinness, which can only be described as the God of Beers. If you don’t think so, I tell you now that you are completely wrong. The beer that I tried on one particular day was the Surly Bender, brewed by Surly Brewing Company out of Minnesota. I truly thought this was an excellent beer. It is quite dark, but very easy to drink.

DAS BIERHAUS
Taps: 6
Bottles: 7
Notable Brews: Pilsener, Marzen, Schwarzbier
1/2 Liter Price: $4.50
    I am so excited to tell you about Das Bierhaus in Menomonie! Honestly, I never knew this gem of a place existed in our area. All of the beers on tap are brewed on-site by a Bavarian Braumeister who was trained right in Germany! In order to keep the beer authentic and of top quality, all beers adhere to the German Beer Purity Law, also known as Reinheitsgebot or the 1516 rule. What this means is that only malts, hops, yeast, and water can be used to make the beer. Each of the six beers has their own individual glass, which is used to accentuate their differences. The best selling beer here is the Pilsener, a lighter golden beer with some punch. Shawn really liked the dark beer, Schwarzbier, that was on special the night we were there. Personally, I quite enjoyed the Marzen, which tastes much like a beer you might drink during Oktoberfest. Now whenever I get a hankering for polka music, wiener schnitzel, brats, or good beer, I just need to take a short ride on the interstate to Menomonie.

NORTHWOODS BREWPUB
Taps: 13
Bottles: 13 beers brewed on-site
and 12 domestics
Notable Brews: Bumbl’n Bubba’s Buzz ‘n Brew, Floppin’ Crappie, Lil’ Bandit Brown, Mouthy Muskie
Pint Price Range:  $3.75
    When you walk into Northwoods Brewpub, you feel like you have entered a log cabin situated far back in ... well, the Northwoods (with a lake just inches away)! The smell of the fire burning in the fireplace makes you relax instantly. It doesn’t hurt, either, that they have soft couches for relaxation. An even better bonus, as far as I am concerned, is the free popcorn, a staple I couldn’t live without, and the trivia game. Northwoods brews their beer right on-site. In addition to the beers always made, they also brew some seasonal beers. Right now they have the Bumbl’n Bubba’s Lingonberry Light, which has zero grams of fat for all you dieters out there, and the IPA. Of all of their beers, one of the best selling is the Lil’Bandit Brown, which isn’t surprising given the fact that it won the silver medal at the Great American Brewfest in Denver. This darker beer is just a touch sweet, making for an interesting combination.

ZANZIBAR
Taps: 7
Bottles: 20
Notable Brews:  Rush River Broken Arrow, BubbleJack IPA, Peroni
Pint Price Range: $2.75-$5
    Zanzibar is located right across from the Mabel Tainter Theater in downtown Menomine. It is a wonderful place to go before or after a show. I would highly suggest the lahvosh, which is similar to a flatbread. It is enough to feed a couple of people, so don’t order one for yourself. OOPS! As unique is their food is, they also serve some rare beers. Among them is Peroni, an Italian beer that some might compare to a Heineken, but it isn’t nearly as skunky. Two other awesome beers that we tasted, Lost Arrow and BubbleJack IPA, were from Rush River Brewing Co. Out of River Falls, all of Rush River’s beers are unfiltered and unpasteurized. Lost Arrow is an extremely dark, super smooth porter that both Shawn and I loved! Loved! The BubbleJack is an excellent India Pale Ale that is described on the Rush River website as a “hop explosion.”

MILWAUKEE BURGER CO.
Taps 8
Bottles:35
Notable Brews: South Shore Nut Brown Ale, Capital Brewery Island Wheat Ale, Tyranena Bitter Woman IPA
Pint Price Range:  $2.50-$3.75
    OK, so I know many restaurants here in Wisconsin claim to have the best cheese curds. I tell ya, Milwaukee Burger Co. can give any of them a run for their money. They are extremely huge and full of gooey cheese that can string out of your mouth for miles. Plus, instead of delivering in a bunch of frozen generic foods, a lot of what they serve is fresh from their kitchen. For example, they make all of their own buns and french fries. Although this is probably considered a sports bar, there are many non-traditional beers. They have eight beers on tap, including PBR, two Leinie’s, Spotted Cow, and Rush River. One of the Leinie’s taps and the Rush River tap is being changed every couple of weeks, usually on a seasonal basis.

DOOLEY’S PUB
Taps 7
Bottles: 18 specialty, 56 imports, 13 ciders/malts, & 24 domestics (111 total)
Notable Brews: Guinness and Smithwicks
Pint Price Range:  $2.75-$3.25
    While Dooley’s has all of the qualities that an authentic Irish pub would have, they also have much more. In an attempt to include all parts of the world, they have beers from 18 different countries, among these being Australia, Belgium, China, Holland, Singapore, New Zealand, and Poland. So, if you want variety, I would say this is your place. Plus, they have happy hour every day during prime bar hours, from 9pm to midnight, and also Monday through Friday from 3 to 6pm. There were many beers on the menu that I had never heard of before. Shawn talked me into trying Carlsberg, a beer from Denmark. Apparently, he has fond memories of this beer and getting lost on a train in Spain. Don’t ask! I didn’t. The friendly bartender, Jeremy, told us that his favorite beer is Smithwicks, Ireland’s favorite ale. He said it isn’t as heavy as Guiness, but it still fills him up.