GWBT: Katie’s perspective of what it’s really like to visit 100 breweries

I never thought I’d be congratulated on my drinking habit, but I guess once you’ve traveled to 100 breweries in the state of Wisconsin it’s customary to receive accolades.

TSC head-writer and husband extraordinaire, Joe, and I at GWBT #100. All photos by Joe Powell for The Squeaky Curd.

Joe and I started chronicling our Wisconsin brewery journey in July 2014, but since May of 2015 we’ve averaged one brewery a week. It’s a great conversation piece with friends and strangers, and it’s a ton of fun; but it’s definitely a hobby we schedule into our lives.

With Milwaukee as our home base, we hit most of the Milwaukee-area breweries earlier in the journey; so, this past year we started weekend brewery getaways, which have been an awesome way to see the state. Stevens Point, the Eau Claire area, and Green Bay are just a few of the trips we’ve ventured on in our past 50 stops. We cram as many breweries as we can into the visits – our top count sits at 11 breweries in 3 days. We have yet to travel to the furthest north, but we do intend to make it all the way up to Superior someday… hopefully in summertime.

We’ve dragged along friends, family, readers, and co-workers to many of our visits. The top spot on the brewery tag-a-long leader-board currently sits at 28 breweries, and is currently occupied by Greg Holdahl (#props).

Thanks for joining the fun, Birthday Buddy!

Although “Wisconsin Brewery Expert” isn’t a promotion-worthy line on my resume, it does give me some solid millennial street-cred. As explained in my recap of 50 breweries, picking out a favorite would be like choosing a favorite child; but if you find yourself traveling around the state this year, these are my recommendations from visits 51-100:

GWBT #59: The Fermentorium, Cedarburg, WI

I was a big fan of their well-balanced brews and their suhweet beer wall art:

GBWT #61: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Chippewa Falls, WI

We were lucky enough to get a behind the scenes tour thanks to a friend of TSC, but the brewery history, friendly staff, and picturesque backdrop make this is a must-see for any Wisconsin Beer Lover.

GWBT#71: Port Huron Brewing Company, Wisconsin Dells, WI

Owner & brewmaster’s wife, Solare, was incredibly friendly, passionate, and knowledgeable about their well-made beer. The free popcorn was also a plus.

GWBT #76: Black Husky Brewing, Milwaukee, WI

Full disclosure: I was a big fan of Black Husky’s beer before they moved to Milwaukee in 2016, and their new location did not disappoint me. They are the first brewery who made me realize I could enjoy an IPA, as all of their beers are incredibly drinkable.

GWBT #81: Kozy Yak, Rosholt, WI

Owner, Rich is the most memorable brewery owner we’ve met, thanks to his welcoming conversation over his small-batch brews.

GWBT #84: The Lone Girl Brewing Company, Waunakee, WI

After sampling the beer, I honestly thought their brewmaster must have worked at another big brewery; when we found out his previous brewing location was his home garage, I was even more impressed.

GWBT #86: Badger State Brewing Company, Green Bay, WI

My new favorite spot to hang out before a Packer Game. With tailgating allowed in the parking lot, food trucks if you want someone else to cook, and fantastic beer, it’s basically a triple-threat pre-game location.

GWBT #89: Moonridge Brewpub, Cornell, WI

Owners Roger & Cindy welcomed all our questions and served up some classic German brews. We arrived shortly after the kitchen closed, but we’ve heard their pizza (made with beer) is well worth a stop.

We’re 100 breweries in, and we’ve got 50+ (and growing) to go – hopefully in about a year you’ll see me sharing my thoughts on visiting ALLL the breweries in the state!