Isthmus Drinks : Autumn 2013

Where to take your boss for a drink

Bike-path pub crawl More craft breweries?

Yes! Wisco beer taste-alikes

S ISTHMU

Nathan Greenawalt’s Old Sugar Distillery Ice + Wine = Wollersheim

That’s amaro

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Art by Tommy Washbush isthmus Drinks is A supplement to Isthmus ✦ Published Friday, September 27 ✦ ©2013 Isthmus Publishing Co., Inc., Madison, Wi ✦ All Rights Reserved

Say Hello To

Hoppin’ Helles

____________ __ __ __ __ ____________ _ _ PACKER SUNDAYS

• 4th Quarter Drawings • Watch & Win Prizes!

1330 • Lots of Drink Specials! Regent St.

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www.jordansbig10pub.squarespace.com

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Traditional Helles-style beers tend to be a tad malty.

Leinenkugel’sŽ new Hoppin’ Helles™ is our spin on the style that puts it a bit on the hoppy side with five all-American hops.

It starts bright and citrusy with a nice tropical aroma that ends with a tangy spice finish.

Š2013 Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI * Beer

Not just your average morning coffee shop!

Stop in for one of our NEW Coffee Liqueur Drinks, and stay for live music or open mics! All of our coffee is small batch artisan roasted, made in Madison for the last 19 years!

Serving Wine & Cocktails, Beer, Food & Coffee!

112 King St. 608.255.0285 New hours: M-F 6:30am-9pm, SAT 6am-9pm, SUN 7am-7pm

ancoracoffee.com

NaNoad Open 4pM WeekdAys 2001 Atwood 630-9286

Open nOOn On Weekends

NaNobrewery

Your Favorite Neighborhood Hangout

WOLLERSHEIM WINERY ™

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• Rotating selection of 15 Craft & Belgian Beers on Tap • Speciality Cocktails • Fine Wine

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• Half-Price Happy Hour • Nightly Specials • Weekend Brunch

Dining & Tap House

2611 Monroe Street (608) 441-5444 jacsdiningandtaphouse.com

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Woody Anne’s 2236 Winnebago St., Madison 608-249-5157

‘ Let’s meet for a drink’

Le Tigre Lounge 1328 S. Midvale Blvd., Madison 608-274-0944

Who are you inviting?

Here’s where you should go...

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By André Darlington ✦ Photos by Sharon Vanorny

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There are loads of great places to grab a drink in Madison, but finding just the right spot for the perfect meet-up isn’t always easy. For instance, don’t have a rendezvous with your mother-in-law — a woman who seems to survive exclusively on calories from champagne — at your favorite sports pub. Here are a few matches to take the guesswork out of pairing your social situation to the right watering hole.

The hip sibling

Friend from the coasts

Don’t even think of taking your somuch-hipper-than-you siblings to your usual place. They’ll be bored and you’ll feel lame. Woody Anne’s is the hideout gem that all the coolest kids already know about. If there wasn’t an ancient shuffleboard table, you could be in Brooklyn. But because it’s an authentic bar in Wisconsin, it’s even hipper than that. Drink shit beer out of a can, even if that’s not how you roll anymore. Enter the totally unpretentious world of the real.

Your old friend from, say, San Francisco is visiting.

You want to meet someplace that makes Madison seem less like a fly-over town? That’d be Forequarter. Chances are your friend hasn’t even been to some of San Fran’s best new restaurants, like Rich Table. But he sure talks a good game. Well, try flying over these gorgeously twee, impeccably crafted, glossy-magazine-worthy, trendy fermented and pickled veg food boards, oh jaded visitor. And now how about a bleeding-edge craft cocktail?

To really make the point, tell said friend there are more restaurants in Madison where this came from — and that you walk or bike to all of them.

And your mortgage is a quarter of his rent.

Forequarter 708 1/4 E. Johnson St., Madison 608-609-4717

The Malt House 2609 E. Washington Ave., Madison 608-204-6258 Isthmus Drinks ✦ TheDailyPage.com ✦

The parents

continued

121 s pi nc k n ey st.

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SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Guess what! Mom and Dad want to come visit.

Again. It’s time to remind them that Madison is a city of freaks, and it’s way too freaky for their constant visits. Except it’s not so freaky they should stop helping pay for tuition. Here’s where Le Tigre Lounge can help. It’s a tiger-themed bar in a strip mall! That’s freaky. But then there are classic martinis and a jukebox that will take Mom and Dad right back to their younger days.

Pretty soon they’ll be falling in love all over again and slow-dancing next to the piano.

No, actually your dad had never told you before that you were conceived to Nancy Sinatra.

Now who’s freaky?

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Louisianne’s 7464 Hubbard Ave., Middleton 608-831-1929

Gates & Brovi 3502 Monroe St., Madison 608-819-8988

Fresco

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SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

227 State St., Madison 608-663-7374

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The boss

Friends with kids

Meet the client

Your boss is a ballbuster. He or she says things that could be straight out of The Office, but in a scary rather than ironic way. You’ve promised yourself you will never, ever get drunk around him/her. Because you’ll say mean things. But then you’ve had a good month, and the enfant terrible wants to take you out to the celebration spot of your choice. Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is the Malt House.

Here you are going to calmly and intellectually drink through the massive whiskey menu until your boss shamelessly hits on you and then, head on the bar, cries and confesses how lonely he/she is. Next, put boss in a cab and pocket one huge “get out of jail free” card for your trouble/ silence.

The friend you never see anymore calls to ask if you want to go out. Yay! But then calls back and says there are no babysitters available in the tri-state area.

Still want to go out with all the little ones in tow?

Fret not, there are still good times to be had at the new neighborhood restaurant Gates & Brovi. Brought to you by the dudes behind Sardine and Marigold Kitchen, it boasts a recently redone menu, and the place has legs. And pizza. This restaurant is proof there is life after kids, and a $1 oyster happy hour with $1 off wine and beer is part of that equation.

You have a client you’ve talked with on the phone but don’t know much about. Jock?

Gardener? Recovering Beanie Baby collector? No clue. The view at Fresco will ease that first awkward face-to-face conversation. It doesn’t hurt that the drinks are good too.

This is a spot with a “wow” factor, and the attractive museum space makes for a memorable meeting, whether you click with your client or not. Hey, even if things don’t go smoothly, you’ve still had a martini looking out over beautiful Madison. After two more martinis you realize you’re going to run your company someday. You own this city. You decide to ask for a raise and run for mayor.

Wollersheim Winery makes this specialty the traditional way

Natural

ice wine

By Teddy Nykiel If you can believe it, a world exists where Wisconsin’s snowy winters are actually conducive to a growing season.

Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac capitalizes on our state’s notoriously harsh season by producing ice wine — a sweet dessert companion made from frozen grapes harvested in early winter.

Wollersheim winemaker Philippe Coquard calls it the “nectar of the vines.� “When you see the birds or the bees or the hummingbird sucking the nectar out of the flower, it’s just a pure essence of flavor and sweetness,�

Coquard says. “It’s unique, special and different from anything else you will experience.�

And no wonder. Ice wine tastes more like a sweet liquor or honey than a white wine.

It should be enjoyed in small

First date The person who is probably Mr./Mrs. Right has just agreed to go on a date.

Panic. Where? You want a spot that has some character, that may be a little unexpected. You both like wine, but you’re not fussy about it. You prefer something comfortable, something cozy, the kind of location where you may see friends but won’t be on display, either. You want just the right spot that will be a fond memory if, in 10 years, you’re sharing an anniversary. The pressure! Relax and head to Louisianne’s.

When you step downstairs at this Cajun restaurant, all worries dissipate.

You’re going to have a grand time.

There’s good food laden with butter.

There’s a guy tickling the ivories. The wine list features so many relatively inexpensive good choices that you can’t go wrong. And hey, you both have garlic breath so why not a kiss?

Bonne chance!

amounts, sipped slowly and served cold. The robustly sweet wine pairs best with cheesecake, pecans or other rich desserts. “It’s like having a dried fruit basket in your mouth,�

Coquard says.

Originally a German invention, ice wine is made from grapes that are frozen while they are still on the vine.

Various copycat brands use grapes frozen in a freezer, but those are inauthentic. Wollersheim Winery uses St. Pepin grapes, which were developed in Wisconsin in the 1970s. “Not just any grape can make an ice wine,� says Julie Wollersheim, who runs the winery with Coquard, her husband. “It has to be able to have a thick enough skin to stay on the vine throughout that extra period of time in the fall.�

Once the frozen grapes are picked — usually in late November or early December

— they are squeezed to get the tiny bit of sugar that isn’t frozen in ice crystals.

Each grape yields around two to three drops of juice, and these drops are purely concentrated with sugar.

The ice wine ferments for about eight weeks before it is filtered and bottled. The final product is ready for the shelves by the following fall. Last year’s batch will be released on Oct. 3.

Making ice wine is a risky business. If temperatures don’t reach 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit, or if rain ruins the grapes before they freeze, there won’t be ice wine that season.

For that reason, and because of the sheer volume of grapes needed to make it, ice wine has a hefty price tag of $49 a half bottle.

Wollersheim has established itself as one of the few Wisconsin producers of ice wine. But the winemakers who owned the vineyard before the Wollersheim family weren’t as successful. Agoston Haraszthy planted the first grapes on the property in the 1840s, but after just a few years he moved west and helped establish the wine industry in more temperate California.

The next owners of the land were the Kehl family, who operated a winery un-

til the 1899 winter brought a harsh freeze that ruined their vines. They gave up on winemaking and grew more traditional Wisconsin crops until selling the property to Robert and JoAnn Wollersheim in 1972.

The Wollersheims restored the winery, and it has remained in the family ever since.

Philippe Coquard is a 13th-generation winemaker from France’s Beaujolais region. He says it was only a coincidence that he fell in love with the winemaker’s daughter when he came to the U.S. for a wine marketing internship in 1984.

It wasn’t until 1999 that the Wollersheims began trying to turn the unfavorable Wisconsin winters into a winemaking advantage.

They began experimenting with ice wine, but it took years to perfect.

By 2004 Coquard was finally satisfied with their product, and the first bottles of Wollersheim ice wine hit the shelves. This year they have around 3,000 half bottles, up from the 2,300 they produced last season. Last year’s batch sold out before this year’s was ready. But Coquard says they are planting more vines and hope to eventually make enough for wine lovers everywhere to enjoy.

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Madisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best-Kept secret M For Friday Fish Fries!

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By Linda Falkenstein The relationship between bicycling and beer is undeniable, if inexplicable. Why is the bicyclist personality type also drawn to craft beer? New Belgium, out of Colorado, is possibly the brewery most associated with bikes, though it is not alone. Its flagship brew is Fat Tire; it sponsors a summer festival called Tour de Fat with bands, bikes and beer, with proceeds going to local bike nonprofits; and its Clips of Faith film fest also funnels its proceeds to bike nonprofits. Many other craft breweries sponsor cycling teams.

Middletonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Capital Brewery has its own bike club, an informal group that gets together Tuesdays and Thursdays for summer evening rides in the countryside west of Madison; these end at the breweryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bier garten. The ride routes themselves are named after beers (Maibock Rock, Hop Cream Haul), and one â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Hop Cream â&#x20AC;&#x201D; creates a mini-pub crawl of sorts by passing by the Riley Tavern on its route.

Of course bicycles are a great mode of transportation for in-town pub crawls as well. No need to don Lycra.

In fact, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s better with a T-shirt and shorts.

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3.7 miles no city streets An in-town pub crawl that refuses to deviate from the bike path 1.

Harmony Bar & Grill 2201 Atwood Ave., Madison And what better place to begin than the Harmony Bar, where the Capital City path crosses Atwood at Division Street? The Harmony, Atwoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longtime hangout for sports-watching, progressive causes, fantasy baseball meetings, book signings, blues and Sheepshead, has recently changed hands â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but nothing has yet changed. Activities include plugging the jukebox, playing pool and, possibly, elbowing your way into a card game.

While starting this adventure by eating could bog down later progress, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to pass up the walnut burger. Bike parking at the side of the building is barely off the path.

Possible swaps:

One Barrel Brewing 2001 Atwood Ave., .3 miles on city street

Next Door Brewing

Mickeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tavern 1524 Williamson St., Madison Mickeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, like the Harmony, is located footsteps off the Cap City path with plenty of bike parking. Local taps include brews from Ale Asylum, Capital, Furthermore, Karben4, Lake Louie, New Glarus, Pecatonica and Tyranena. A basket of sexy fries would not be out of order. A lot of the fun stuff (darts, pinball) has disappeared, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a pool table, slouchy couches and a convivial outdoor patio space.

Two modern bike hitching posts aid in parking out front; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to imagine where the Mason Lounge could fit any actual racks.

This tiny storefront opens up to a comfy neighborhood gathering spot, quiet, dim and quirky, with a redoubtable tap list. The bar itself seems to have retained a bit of the 19th century, with the seating area resembling Great Aunt Florenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parlor. (But in a good way.)

Recent finds on draught: Goose Islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Matilda in its â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lambicus wildâ&#x20AC;? iteration; Tallgrass Wild Plum Farmhouse Ale; MobCraft â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most Mobbedâ&#x20AC;? Imperial IPA.

3.

Essen Haus 514 E. Wilson St. Come Back In 508 E. Wilson St. Up North 150 S. Blair St. 1.3 miles, 8 minutes down the Capital City trail from stop two.

This is a three-for-one in which you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even have to re-park your wheels. All you have to do is cross Blair Street once, at the lights, where the bike path veers to Lake Monona. The Essen Haus features 16 German beers on tap, drinking from boots, and live polka bands. This all must be given in to with more than a â&#x20AC;&#x153;When in Romeâ&#x20AC;? spirit.

Come Back In, with a pleasant patio, has 20-some beers on tap: some German, some Wisconsin, and some excellent craft picks from the rest of the U.S., like Left Handâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Milk Stout, Lagunitasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; New Dogtown and New Belgiumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pumpkick.

At the Up North, absorb a little of that elusive â&#x20AC;&#x153;north of Hwy. 8â&#x20AC;? feeling without having to check out the Community Car for a long drive. If you time your visit right, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s live music, no cover, Monday through Friday, with acts like Catfish Stephenson, Lefty Joe, MoonHouse and Nicky Bobby.

Possible swap:

Possible swap: Brasserie V

852 Williamson St., .1 miles on city street.

4.

1 South Pinckney Street, Madison

608.251.2700

grazemadison.com

Madisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s European Specialty Shop â&#x20AC;˘ Specialty European Hams â&#x20AC;˘ Variety of Specialty Salamis â&#x20AC;˘ Imported German Pretzels & Rolls â&#x20AC;˘ European Cold Cuts & Liver Sausage â&#x20AC;˘ Specialty Imported Herring â&#x20AC;˘ Imported Cheese, Coffee, Jams, Pickles and More!

50 Years of QualitY & flavor

6317 Nesbitt Road â&#x20AC;˘ Madison (608) 271-1295 www.bavariasausage.com Monâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Fri 9amâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;5pm & Sat 8amâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;1pm

1.5 miles, 11 minutes via the Capital City trail, Brittingham Path, and the Southwest Commuter Path from stop three.

The route from the Wilson Street trio to the Main Depot is the most scenic on the crawl, along the shore of Lake Monona and Monona Bay. There are no bike racks (though there are several across the street), but its pool table, video poker, dart boards, and good burger and fries combo make for a classic tavern atmosphere in an area once dedicated to trains and warehouses. (Now, apartments and condos.) Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just across a small parking lot from the eastern end of the Southwest Commuter Path. Check out the tin ceiling.

The Echo Tap

Club A Little Bit of Belgium in the Heart of Monroe Street Tavern Four course menu, plus special Oktoberfest brews from Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;so brewing, tyranena, Karben4 and other local favorites! $65 per ticket, includes tax & gratuity Stop in or call to purchase tickets

Sausage & Cheese Chalet

Main Depot 627 W. Main St.

554 W. Main St., 335 feet on city street.

Sunday, OctOber 6th â&#x20AC;˘ 6:30pm

chen, inc.

1923 Monroe St., 1.1 miles on city street.

Possible swap:

Willy Street Pub/The Wisco

Oktoberfest Beer Dinner

Facebook at facebook.com/UnionCab

1.1 miles, 7 minutes (backtracking on Southwest Commuter Path to Brittingham path, then crossing west to South Park Street) from stop four.

1201 Williamson St., .4 miles on city street.

You drink responsibly and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll drive responsibly

Twitter at UnionCabCoop

416 S. Park St.

Weary Traveler Freehouse

Play it Safe

www.unioncab.coop

Mason Lounge

Possible swap:

2439 Atwood Ave., .2 miles on city street

242-2000

5.

.6 miles, 4 minutes down the Capital City trail from stop one.

e Kit SauSag

Serving a French and Belgian inspired menu in a casual neighborhood setting Steak-Frites, Moules et Frites, Cheeseboards & More!

Serving Lunch & Dinner Mon - Sat â&#x20AC;˘ Dinner on Sun

1923 Monroe St. â&#x20AC;˘ 255-8500 â&#x20AC;˘ www.braSSeriev.coM

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1915 Branch St. - Middleton www.clubtavern.com Award-Winning

Bloody Marys

Every one comes with a tap of New Glarus beer!

Try our infused or top shelf vodkas

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SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

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The parameters of this bike pub tour were simple: to stick as tightly as possible to offstreet bicycle paths, within the city, straying if necessary only to park the bike and enter the tap. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to swap out bars if you want to veer a little more off the path. But we had to start somewhere.

7 bars

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Isthmus Drinks â&#x20AC;&#x192; â&#x153;Śâ&#x20AC;&#x192; TheDailyPage.com â&#x20AC;&#x192; â&#x153;Śâ&#x20AC;&#x192;

SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

5 stops

2.

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Spirit guide Nathan Greenawalt’s Old Sugar Distillery comes into its own Story & photo by Julia Burke

Isthmus Drinks ✦

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SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Drinking your first craft beer after a lifetime of PBR can produce such an epiphany that it drives you to the brewing arts. So imagine what growing up around the good stuff can do. Nathan Greenawalt, 31, owner and distiller at Madison’s Old Sugar Distillery, grew up in Brighton, Mich., which, he says, “is a great place for drinking good beer early.”

Greenawalt grew up drinking Bell’s Porter and benefiting from his dad’s interest in cognacs and other fine spirits, wheels turning in his head all the time. “I was kind of a nerd about it,” he says, laughing.

While his two brothers went to the University of Michigan, Greenawalt was “the oddball” who struck out for the UW. “I had options, but I decided to come to Madison. I loved the lakes; I love to sail.”

After college he traveled, then started working at the Wine & Hop Shop on Monroe Street, where he got comfortable among artisanal beverage crafters over the next several years. “I even considered buying the place at one point,” he says, “but then I started getting other ideas. I considered a brewery or brewpub, I dabbled around with winemaking, and I ‘played around the spirits,’ as I like to say.” (It’s not legal to home-distill in Wisconsin.)

“I was trying to find my niche,” Greenawalt continues, “something that would make me unique.”

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Secret

mix

Amaro is an herbal forest in a liqueur

By Julia Burke Photo by Carolyn Fath

First, he saw brewing as a “stepping stone” to distilling but ultimately figured he might as well skip the brewery and just open the distillery. “It wasn’t that much more difficult,” he says.

The first liquor Greenawalt made was rum aged in a small oak barrel: “It was an oaky, unsweetened rum. Three years ago there weren’t that many of those,” he explains. “It was something I could ferment easily; it has an oaky, caramelly finish. It doesn’t become really smooth, but I kind of like that. An 80 proof spirit shouldn’t taste like butter.”

With its distinct sense of place, layered complexity, history and tradition, amaro is surely the wine-iest of spirits. An herbal liqueur commonly offered as a digestif in Italy and in upscale Italian restaurants, amaro is refreshing after a fine meal.

Better yet, it’s a wonderful tool of the mixologist’s trade, adding richness to a wide range of cocktails. Its flavors range from bitter, to fruity, to nutty, to spicy, to musky.

Greenawalt’s original plan was to build a production-only facility. He bought a pot still in Arkansas, from “a guy named Colonel Wilson — I actually camped out on his property,” he remembers.

Shortly after he received his licensing, Wisconsin law changed to allow sampling, pouring cocktails and retail sales in distilleries. While wholesale-only appealed to Greenawalt in terms of the flexible schedule, he moved the Old Sugar Distillery from its initial location on Femrite Drive on the east side and opened a more customer-friendly space at 931 E. Main St., where an inviting large bar and outdoor seating complement the craftsman’s confident, innovative lineup.

Amaro’s mix of herbs (perhaps juniper, anise, mint, thyme, cinnamon, saffron, elderflower or even wormwood) is usually secret. The liqueur can also include roots, bark, flowers or orange peels, which are infused with grape brandy and simple syrup and then aged in casks or bottles, resulting in a beverage that is typically 16%-40% alcohol by volume.

While the exceptionally bitter Fernet Branca has a cult follow-

ing in the hipster-mixology scene, a light amaro such as Amaro Nonino, one of my favorites, is stunning after dinner or in many killer cocktails.

Umbrian tartufo amaro, meanwhile, is flavored with black truffles, showing off their earthy character beautifully served neat. CioCiaro, which is one of the darkest amari, has a plummy/fig character that I love with rye and bourbon.

For true beginners, start with a beloved Italian refresher: the Aperol Spritz. Aperol,

think it’s just trivia? think again.

TM

Old Sugar’s menu features easy-to-make drinks with one or two spirits, bitters, a little soda water, lemon or lime juice and a garnish.

Recently, Greenawalt expanded Old Sugar’s public hours, the better to enjoy the fresh, simple, spirit-driven cocktails he conceived himself. Since the distillery can’t pour liquor at the bar that wasn’t made in-house, Greenawalt’s creativity came in handy.

The menu features inventive and easy-to-make drinks that typically feature one or two house-made spirits, bitters, a little soda water, lemon or lime juice and a garnish.

Then there’s the chai latte made with Old Sugar’s Americanaki ouzo, one of the bar’s unique offerings. “I’m half Greek, so our ouzo holds a special place in my heart,” says Greenawalt. “It’s an ouzo for an American palate.

Milder anise, 2.7% residual sugar.

Most ouzos do a direct infusion with star anise. We found that approach too pungent.”

Instead, Old Sugar completes a second distillation in the head of the still, “like how gin is made with juniper,” Greenawalt explains. “And then we do a mini-infusion to add to it.”

Another labor of love is the house brandy, for which Greenawalt harvests Marechal Foch, Millot, Frontenac and Delaware grapes from the three to four acres he owns at Mitchell Vineyard, the property of his old boss from the Wine & Hop Shop. Old Sugar also makes a very popular grappa, from the grape skins and stems.

Starts Oct. 21

Monday @ 8:30pm Great Dane - Downtown

Tuesday @ 7:30pm Rookies Food & Spirits Mazomanie

Tues. & Thurs. @ 8:30pm

Buck & Badger Northwoods Lounge State St.

www.geekswhodrink.com We are a family owned business that prides ourselves in supporting local growers whenever possible.

intage

Spirits & Grill

674

Open Mon-Fri 3pm-CL Sat-Sun open at 9am for breakfast!

529 University Ave.

Madison, WI

S. Whitney Way Madison, WI.

s LIVE LOCAL

www.vintagebrewingco.com

Serving a full menu 7 days a week 11am-10pm

We're a family owned and operated brewpub in beautiful Madison, Wisconsin, featuring "elevated Americana" cuisine and an eclectic array of highly-acclaimed house-made brews. Stop in for a beer and a bite and enjoy some Midwestern hospitality and our chilled-out retro ambiance. Did we mention we have a huge patio too?

www.vintagemadison.com

Stop by and enjoy our patio and retro ambiance inside.

We feature a wide selection of craft brews including Vintage Brewing Co. beer. We are a game day desitination, being just blocks from the Kohl Center and Camp Randall.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

a very low-alcohol amaro with a citrus twang but minimal bitter character, and prosecco are a match made in Venice. Combine two parts Aperol to three parts prosecco, build in an old-fashioned glass with ice, and add a splash of soda water and an orange slice.

Try amaro in cocktails or straight up at Nostrano, L’Etoile or Merchant to experience this fine beverage in its element.

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The spirits are bold and clean, well suited for subtle additions of bitters and simple fruit flavors. It’s essentially a philosophy of showcasing the single featured spirit, rather than drowning it in sugar and salt or piling on extra flavors. Even Old Sugar’s honey liqueur manages to avoid syrupy sweetness, instead showing off the floral, herbaceous character of the honey for a surprisingly delightful drink base. With a little lime and soda water, it’s simply perfect on a hot day.

“We keep our cocktail recipes very simple,” Greenawalt says, adding that if Old Sugar has a signature, it’s tradition with a twist.

“We try and do stuff very old-fashioned here. The pot still really allows the flavor to come through.”

That still, the silhouette of which is part of Old Sugar’s logo, is clearly Greenawalt’s pride and joy. It’s the only one in the area. And because it preserves more of the body and flavor derived from the mash than the more modern column still, it contributes to the broad, complex profiles of Old Sugar’s spirits.

“Distillation is a tradeoff between flavor and purity. We like to have consistency across our products, have our own identity,” he adds. In a state with a growing craft distilling scene, that’s key.

Greenawalt has been pleasantly surprised with the community atmosphere among brands. “Great Lakes Distillery [in Milwaukee], in particular, has been really friendly. In general there’s a friendly rivalry, but we get along quite well,” he says.

With his exciting, wide-ranging selection, Greenawalt is a distiller to watch.

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If you can’t be with the

beer

you love love the beer

you’re with

By Kyle Nabilcy ✦ Art by Greg Puglese In literature, the white whale was the beast that taunted Captain Ahab in Moby-Dick. In the craft beer community, the term “white whale” refers to beers that are limited by production quantity, geography or high sale price. They’re the hard-to-get beers that certain people will spend years hunting.

If the beer you’re hunting doesn’t come ’round these parts, what substitutes for the ‘white whale’?

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SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Surly Coffee Bender = Furthermore Oscura

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Surly Brewing Company from Brooklyn Center, Minn., is our neighbor to the west’s answer to New Glarus Brewing.

Distributed only in its home state, yet trumpeted by devoted fans across the country, Surly’s beers are the kind people hop borders for. Yours truly has done it many times, and one of the best beers Surly makes year-round is Coffee Bender, a brown ale that in recent productions has been less sweet and more darkly bracing. I like the evolution of the flavor profile.

There are a lot of beers with coffee or coffee notes, but most are deep, dark, heavy stouts. But like Coffee Bender, Furthermore Beer’s Oscura is a beer that can better allow for a second round. It’s a beer of mixed ancestry (as Furthermore is wont to do), a Mexican lager crossed with a California steam beer, infused with flavor from beans via Madison’s own Just Coffee.

Oscura is a crisp lager, almost as hoppy as Coffee Bender.

Coffee is added via a cold extraction process, which leaves that bitterness out of the picture. It’s easy-drinking enough to please a diverse crowd; it was my beer of choice for my wedding reception. Furthermore has increased production on this seasonal since its introduction, making it a pretty easy find at your favorite quality beer retailer.

If you’re here in Wisconsin, and the beer you’re hunting doesn’t come ’round these parts, how do you quench that thirst? What substitutes for white whale?

Wisconsin has plenty of beers that are well worth the attention.

Here are some great beers not available in the state, paired with a great Wisconsin beer that bears at least more than a passing resemblance.

Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale = One Barrel No. 2 Strong Ale or New Glarus Brewing 20th Anniversary Ale There’s almost nothing worse than letting the big one get away. And as the calendar turned from 2010 to 2011, that’s exactly what happened with Stone Brewing Company of Escondido, Calif. The brewer suspended distribution to Wisconsin and started it in Minnesota instead — insult to injury. Fans of the West Coast brewer’s assertive, hoppy style have been left hanging: no more Vertical Epic, no more Anniversary, and not even the otherwise-ubiquitous Arrogant Bastard Ale. Here in the Midwest, strong ales (the style to which Arrogant Bastard most closely hews) tend to be sweeter, richer and less hoppy. They’re big, yes, but more balanced. New Glarus released a subtle strong ale to celebrate its 20th anniversary as a brewery in late spring of 2013, but by now, retail supplies have likely been exhausted. More attainable is the No. 2 Strong Ale from One Barrel Brewing, right here in Madison.

The No. 2 Strong is one of the bigger beers in One Barrel’s lineup. It features the style’s dark, toffee-like flavors, with a through-line of stonefruit sweetness. You’ll have to hit the One Barrel taproom to try it.

The New Glarus Brewing 20th Anniversary Ale, if you can find a bottle, is more delicate. In keeping with New Glarus’ overall style, it’s a technically sound, otherwise demure beer. When you take away Stone’s hoppy braggadocio, you’re left with two solid beers that are “Wisconsin nice.”

Dogfish Head Aprihop = Lake Louie Apricot Goddess or

Lakefront 25th Anniversary Belgian-Style Apricot Ale 2011 was a rough year for Wisconsin beer fans. Not only did Stone Brewing Company leave, but so did Dogfish Head of Milton, Del., brewer of everything from big India pale ales to sophisticated interpretations of archeological beer recipes from Egypt, Finland and Honduras. Every spring, one of my favorite seasonal releases was Dogfish Head’s Aprihop, a crisp, apricot-laced IPA. And all of a sudden it was gone, taunting me from its closest distribution point across the Illinois border.

In the last few years, apricot’s popularity as a beer ingredient has grown significantly. Two 2013 releases prove that Wisconsin is on board with apricot.

Lakefront of Milwaukee released a Belgian-style apricot ale as the second in its 25th Anniversary series, but before that, Lake Louie put out an amber ale called Apricot Goddess.

The former tends to rate higher on beer review sites, but I like Apricot Goddess for the rich, deep apricot flavor that is relatively unimpeded by other notes, like Lakefront’s funky Belgian yeasts.

The Goddess is a counterpoint to the bitterness of Aprihop, but hopefully we can enjoy both side-by-side next spring.

Dogfish Head recently announced that it plans to return to Wisconsin by the end of 2013.

Cigar City Big Sound Scotch Ale = Central Waters Slainte Scotch Ale The southern tier of the country doesn’t get a lot of credit for craft beer production. But of my personal white whales, there are few higher on the list than Big Sound Scotch Ale from Cigar City Brewing of Tampa, Fla. Big Sound sits in 10th place on RateBeer.com’s list of its best-rated Scotch ales, and the bourbon barrel-aged version is even better, in the six spot. I pinged a number of potential sources for this beer and came up short. Turns out its September retail window is very narrow, and narrower than usual this year due to decreased production. Fortunately, we have a Scotch ale in Wisconsin that rates nearly as well.

Scotch ales tend to favor the cooler months, and winter is the season for Central Waters’ Slainte Scotch Ale. It rates a 99 against the style on RateBeer, and this year it got even bigger.

Though its summer release was unusual, the Brewer’s Reserve Bourbon Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale from Central Waters is a true knockout.

It is coconutty and warm, without being oppressively boozy. It may not last on shelves until winter, but as with the rest of the Brewer’s Reserve series, I expect this will come back around in 2014.

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Russian River Pliny the Elder = Karben4 Fantasy Factory or Black Husky Sproose Joose or Ale Asylum Satisfaction Jacksin

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There may be no beer of year-round production that generates as much national conversation and outright beer lust as Pliny the Elder. Even its name feels legendary. This beer is the flagship of Russian River Brewing, Santa Rosa, Calif., and it is routinely listed as one of the best beers in the world.

My last exposure to Pliny the Elder was in San Francisco, at the Toronado Pub. Pliny is listed as a double IPA, but it’s as polite a hop bomb as you’ll find. It’s juicy, pleasantly resiny, with enough malty sweetness to keep your eyes from watering. And to ask any other IPA, double IPA, imperial IPA, anything, to keep pace with this beer is asking quite a bit.

But there are a few I think are worth mentioning.

Karben4’s new Fantasy Factory IPA features Citra hops and is a current favorite of mine. Little upstart Black Husky from Pembine, Wis., offers the piney wallop of its Sproose Joose double IPA, but it’s hard to find around Madison.

For big, killing-me-softly double IPAs, though, you can’t do much better than a fresh Satisfaction Jacksin from Ale Asylum.

Ale Asylum, easily Madison’s highest-profile brewer, is as close to a West Coast-style operation as you’ll find in Wisconsin. Satisfaction Jacksin is the biggest of the brewery’s four IPAs, with an unflinching hops flavor somewhere between floral and citrus peel.

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More

craft

breweries on the way The Madison scene expands with new tastes and trends

By Robin Shepard ✦ Art by Leah Lin The local craft beer scene continues to grow, with multimillion-dollar expansion projects planned for New Glarus Brewing, Capital Brewery and Ale Asylum. Smaller startups keep coming — Karben4, One Barrel and Next Door, for instance. Even Hydro Street Brewing in downtown Columbus is expanding.

And there are more on the way! Some operations are in the planning stages, looking to complete a business plan, find financing, secure a location and obtain their permits. Others are just prepping to launch.

Former Wisconsin Brewers Guild president Jeff Hamilton of Sprecher Brewery believes the trend is likely to continue, reflecting consumer interest in buying and consuming local. Hamilton groups Madison with beer cities like Austin, Portland and Philadelphia, with the demographics to help craft beer take off.

“Madison is the craft beer mecca of Wisconsin,” Hamilton says.

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Blair Street Brew & BBQ opened last May. Owner Nick Sierzant

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is getting the food side of the business established and looking to install a three- to five-barrel brewhouse by early 2014. Sierzant has already purchased several pieces of brewing equipment, including used fermenters and a brew kettle. However, he has yet to complete the government permitting processes.

He says he’d like to find a passionate homebrewer who’s willing to work with him on brewing and setting up the brewery. Ultimate goal? “By January I want to have my own beer on tap,” says Sierzant.

He’s also considering starting with a contract beer or two that would be made by another brewery but sold exclusively by Blair Street.

Eventually Sierzant wants to offer two to three house beers that will be served only on draught. Growlers may be offered eventually.

Trevor Easton of Greenview Brewing hopes that by early November, he’ll be making Greenview Alt Brew, a gluten-free beer. This summer, Easton entered into an agreement with Madison’s House of Brews to use a small, isolated area of that brewery for making his beers.

Easton has also developed a homebrew kit for those wanting to make gluten-free beer on their own. The $45 kit for a gluten-free saison should be available this month at the Silly Yak Bakery, 7866 Mineral Point Rd., and the Wine and Hop Shop, 1931 Monroe St., among others.

Some operations are in the planning stages.

Others are prepping to launch.

The latest trend to hit Madison’s brewery scene is using social media to determine what beers get made and when. MobCraft Beer announced in May that it would use crowdsourcing to solicit ideas for its brews. Based on online voting and pre-orders, recipes will be developed, then brewed and bottled for customers.

MobCraft currently makes its beers with Page Buchanan at House of Brews. It plans to use a liquor store in Rockford, Ill., to distribute bottles by mail to more than 30 states.

However, licensing delays have so far prevented that from happening. In the meantime, MobCraft beers have been available for pickup at House of Brews. Several have also appeared on local restaurant taps and at beer festivals throughout the summer. New MobCraft beers come out roughly every month, and because of their unusual genesis, upcoming releases are yet to be determined. Company owner Giotto Troia says to watch for a Blood Orange Green Tea Hefeweizen later in the month.

Malt delivery at Wisconsin Brewing.

Photo by Robin Shepard.

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Greenview Brewing facebook.com/pages/Greenview-Brewing-LLC 4539 Helgesen Dr., Madison, 608-352-3373

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Wisconsin Brewing is about to fire up its new brew kettle for the first time. Shipments of malt started arriving at the new brewery in Verona on Sept. 6. Brewmaster Kirby Nelson plans to have beer for release by Nov. 1, his birthday.

The German-designed brewhouse can make 80-barrel batches of beer at a time, with potential for an annual capacity of around 100,000 barrels.

Nelson still isn’t saying exactly what he’ll offer for his initial beers. Over the summer, he made several pilot brews at the downtown Great Dane and Vintage Brewing. They included a golden lager, a porter, an American IPA and a light-bodied session IPA. Nelson hints that he’ll have at least four styles on tap in the brewery’s taproom for opening day, which is not yet set.

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Stoughton may soon have its own brewpub, called Viking, if Vik Malling can put together a financing plan. Malling retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2005 and moved to Stoughton soon after, to be closer to his grandchildren. He’s developed a business plan for a seven-barrel brewhouse he’s hoping to build within Stoughton’s century-old Tobacco Junction Warehouse. His plans call for renovating about 4,500 square feet of space, constructing a U-shaped bar and installing a new brewing system.

Malling hopes to offer a tavern-like setting with up to 12 beers, including guest taps. He’s set himself a deadline of the end of September to secure financing, and he wants to open by the end of the year.

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