*This is the forty-sixth post in an on-going chronicle dubbed the Great Wisconsin Brewery Tour. Follow the journey here.*
Bare Bones Brewery
4362 County Rd S
Oshkosh, WI 54904
(920) 744-8045
Visit date: 01/30/16
Quick Hits:
1) How many different beers?
6 on draught, usually more.
2) How long operational?
May 2015.
3) Why? (here, this, etc)
Beer nerds, space available from their own family business.
4) Distribution?
Growlers, bottles, barrels/halves available.
5) What sets you apart?
“We are not fancy.” Located directly on a popular bike path.
6) How did you get your name?
“We’re bare-bones: strictly a ‘come in an drink a beer’ operation.”
Bare Bones Brewery in Oshkosh, WI: the 46th stop on the Great Wisconsin Brewery Tour. All photos by Joe Powell.
Dogs, a cheesemonger, and disaster recovery became the perfect cacophony of backgrounds to start the local-focused Bare Bones Brewery in Oshkosh. The giant “Brewery” sign encourages passersby from the highway to pull off and stop in to the industrial warehouse space. The taproom and brewing equipment is housed in a converted area of the family-run disaster recovery company, but with soft lights and friendly faces the space seems decidedly homey.
Come early if you want a spot at the bar.
The owners, a husband and wife duo, are beer lovers (sounds familiar…). Wife, Patti, reported “Dan (owner) has drank more beer than anyone – before we opened, my sunroom used to be full of kegerators.” The brewer is a family-friend of the owners; a self-described beer nerd who used to make cheese for a living. Is there a more Wisconsinite-background than cheese-maker-turned-brewer?
The family dogs were a main artistic feature throughout.
Though we didn’t get to meet them, the owners’ dogs were an obvious influence on Bare Bones. From the art hanging on the wall, to the play-on-words name of the brewery, to the logo and tap handles, this is a place for canine lovers.
Samplers are $1.50 each, and there’s a huge selection of games to play while trying their concoctions.
Happy Tail Cream Ale
Crisp & refreshing; good mouth-feel.
Alpha Pale Ale
Hoppy & carbonated; almost peppery.
Winter Solstice White IPA
Flowery, unique.
Amber Ale
Classic to style; slight malt and head.
A Christmas Tail
Like drinking your Christmas decorations.
Sled Dog Coffee Porter
Coffee-heavy, but smooth.
Bare Bones Brewery made us feel like regulars. The place was packed on a Saturday afternoon, and there was a spice-party going on that invited us to try all sorts of delicious foods. Located on a popular bike and horse trail, this small-town, central-Wisconsin brewery is a neighborly watering hole whether you’re coming from near or far.
