2,600 MILES OF BEER & GRUB. That's what author Heather Kerrigan did prior to pulling together her forthcoming book, Beer, Brats, and Cheese: A Wisconsin Road Trip. (Pictured: 3rd & Vine in Eau Claire.)

The Chippewa Valley gets several nods in the forthcoming book, Beer, Brats, and Cheese: A Wisconsin Road Trip, and if you weren’t already chewing your way through some of the best drinking and dinings spots in the state, you will after reading it!

Up for grabs in February 2025 for $19.95 from the University of Wisconsin Press, the book isn’t just a list of places you could hit while driving haphazardly through Wisconsin. Author Heather Kerrigan, a born and raised Wisconsinite, took a month-long, 2,600-mile roadtrip during which she indulged in dozens of breweries, butcher shops, restaurants, creameries, and more special spots.

The book details some of the mouthwatering dishes she encountered, the brews drank, and and what she learned about the historical roots of beer, brats, and cheese in Wisconsin. Throughout Beer, Brats, and Cheese, there are “Pit Stop” and “Wisconsin Insights” among other highlights that recommend foodie events, other cool shops and places to visit, and more.

“Months of research and planning – and replanning after COVID-19 shuttered many a store, restaurant, and brewery – resulted in one epic twenty-six-hundred-mile road trip over the course of four weeks. Was it crazy? In more ways than one. Did I question my life choices? Maybe just a few times. But was it worth it? Undoubtedly, 100 percent yes.” –Author Heather Kerrigan, ‘Beer, Brats, and Cheese: A Wisconsin Road Trip’

Split into five sections to reflect five portions of the state – Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin; Madison and South Central Wisconsin; Eau Claire and West Central Wisconsin; the Northwoods; and Green Bay and Northeastern Wisconsin – Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley is nestled in the middle of the book’s 200-plus pages.

Kerrigan visited and highlighted about a dozen spots in the Chippewa Valley, including Northwoods Brewpub & Grill in Osseo and its Bacon Mac & Cheese Burger; Lazy Monk Brewing in Eau Claire and its old “bier hall” vibe; The Brewing Projekt in Eau Claire; Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. in Chippewa Falls; an Eau Claire hidden gem, 3rd & Vine; Zymurgy Brewing Co. in Menomonie; and more.

The author also gave shoutouts to the Phoenix Park Farmers Markets, noting local goods and vendors from St. Isidore’s Dairy and Hidden Springs Creamery, as well as Visit Eau Claire’s Brew Pass, The Local Store, and more local highlights.

Besides what was surely a shocked digestion system after four weeks of roadtripping and eating dairy, meat, and beer, the author also fell back in love with her home state: “Months of research and planning – and replanning after COVID-19 shuttered many a store, restaurant, and brewery – resulted in one epic twenty-six-hundred-mile road trip over the course of four weeks. Was it crazy? In more ways than one. Did I question my life choices? Maybe just a few times. But was it worth it? Undoubtedly, 100 percent yes.”

Learn more about Beer, Brats, and Cheese: A Wisconsin Road Trip and preorder your copy online • The book will be available at The Local Store (205 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire) upon its release in February 2025